How I Became an Change Management Author: Lessons from 30 Years of Writing About Change 

I’ve always believed that the more I know, the stronger I am. Throughout my 30-year career, I’ve been the one signing up for courses, attending conferences, studying for qualifications. Even now, I’m still doing it. During my Christmas holidays, I took a course in AI. As I write this, I’m studying for a new neuroscience qualification. 

I put my successful career down to this curiosity, to being qualified and always developing my skills. Alongside managing projects, programmes and change initiatives, I’ve trained others for about 20 years now—formally running courses whenever I can fit them in amongst all the other change work I’m doing. Because I love that moment when people find a solution to something that’s been bothering them, when they discover a new way of doing something that will make life simpler, save them time, or just help them get their work done. 

My Unexpected Journey from Change Management Practitioner to Author 

When I was learning how to be a change trainer, I was lucky enough to be inspired by the person training me. Paul was a brilliant communicator. One day, I asked him: “Why haven’t we written this down?” Lots of people were coming to his training courses, but there were so many more who could read the advice he was giving. 

My first book was a joint authorship with Paul Bradley. If someone had told me then that 20 years later I would have published 10 books, I would not have believed it. 

But that first one—a practical guide to project management—sold very well. Since then, I’ve written about communication, leadership and team management. I’ve written about managing large-scale changes and business transformation. I’ve written the Agile Change Management Handbook, now in its second edition. Most recently, I wrote Neuroscience for Change at Work with Tibesay Vera, another joint venture. 

I’ve also coached numerous people to write their own books—on coaching, project management, change management. Because sharing knowledge matters. 

Where My Writing Process Begins 

So how did I become an author on change management? How do I get the work done? 

I think you start with two questions: what do people want to know? And what do people need to know? They’re not always the same list. 

The world of writing books has changed. Our attention span is less. We’re more used to getting instant answers. The use of AI will only speed this up. Even writing a blog like this one shows how we have to chunk things up into shorter sentences, how we have to put multiple headings in to grab attention and help people find the information they need. 

Once I have my list of what information needs to be communicated, I often start with visuals. I draw myself a flow diagram, sometimes a virtuous circle, sometimes a breakdown chart. I break complex subjects into smaller and smaller pieces. I look at the flow of information—what you need to know first, so that the next piece of information will make sense. 

Why The Power of Story is So Crucial as an Author 

I’ve always seen this flow of information as very important because it’s a story. Our brains are always asking “what comes next?” 

Before I start writing the sentences and the full explanations, I need to know in my own mind: what’s the next step? And the next? And the next? I need that picture in my head. If I need it to write the book, I’m sure my readers need it to effectively read the book. 

Writing books is difficult. It feels like a huge task, with plenty of doubt along the way. Will I ever finish this? Will anybody be interested? Does this make sense? 

Two Essential Ingredients for Writing on Change Management (Or Anything!) 

For me, there are two essential ingredients for writing. 

First, the real fuel for writing has to be total passion for the subject and a belief that you have something that will help others. You have a technique. You have an idea. You’ve got examples of solutions that have really worked for you, and you want to share them. 

You must have passion and enthusiasm for your subject. That enthusiasm gives you the energy you need to read widely about your subject. Even if you’ve got brilliant ideas and examples, it’s very difficult to write a book unless you can read what others have written. This helps you avoid repeating what they’re saying, but also lets you take in other ideas and deepen and enrich your own. You’re giving people the best quality you can. 

Second, I need supportive people around me. People who are brilliant at keeping me going and providing their own moments of genius. People who let me talk about what I’m writing about. Colleagues who share their own stories and examples, helping me remember some of mine. 

Because examples make all the difference. You can’t write just theory about what should happen. You need to share examples of how to get started, how long something takes in practice, what might go wrong. 

I also need people around me who can do the things I cannot do very well. I have the big ideas. I have the visuals, the flow of how things should be. I can quickly form the sentences. But I’m no good at double-checking the spelling, the grammar, whether I’ve repeated myself somewhere. 

Publishing companies always provide a copy editor, but I’ve been lucky—my father, who’s in his 90s now, has always willingly read and corrected any of my books or papers. 

Nothing Should Stop You 

If you have passion and you have supportive friends around you, nothing should stop you. 

The self-publishing options these days mean that every one of us can write a book about something we care about. We can share what we’ve learnt. We can help others solve the problems we’ve already solved. 

That’s how I became an author. Not through some grand plan, but through curiosity, collaboration, and a genuine desire to help others get their work done. 

And I’m still learning. Clearly my passion is change at work, as I believe that by making change easier to cope with, we reduce stress and make work a more enjoyable part of our lives. If you share my passion, get access to my latest articles and build your expertise by joining me on any of my change courses.