Wow. That's very powerful, Michael: thank you. I have major reservations about change frameworks or structures - even, say, John Kotter's eight step framework for leading big change - because in practice, leaders pick them up like a tool and push the organization through the different stages, regardless of the context. It's as if the change tool or framework or model is the reality, and 'aberrant' behavior on the part of the organization or people in it, which might not fit the model, then has to be 'forced' to fit the model. Context is all, as you say, and is the reality, whereas change frameworks and models are just that and need to be used flexibly. I haven't been 100% clear on my reservations about big change models and frameworks and tools, and your post has helped sharpen those reservations into one word: 'Context'. I guess context rather than content is really 'king' to adapt the old dotcommers favored quote. 'King' as in the reality that has to be respected, even while the job is to change it. Phil Dourado

It really makes you realize why effective communication is so important. I really like this quote. I think many leaders don't step back and look at the change process because they don't even see it as a process.