The Change Strategist: What the Janitor Knows That Leadership Doesn’t with Karli Grove
What if the people closest to the work understand what needs to change better than the leaders making the decisions? In Episode 367 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Karli Grove, founder of Kantency Consulting, organizational change strategist, speaker and workshop facilitator, to explore why meaningful transformation rarely begins with immediate action. Karli shares her journey from growing up in small town Alberta and building experience across insurance, community organizations and local leadership to buying a one way ticket to New Zealand, living from a campervan and eventually creating a business devoted to helping organizations navigate change more intentionally.Karli explains why organizations often become overwhelmed by what appear to be thousands of different problems when many of them originate from the same underlying issue. She shares how her Step 0 approach helps leaders pause, step back and map the entire system before deciding what needs to change. Kelly and Karli also discuss the dangers of top down decision making, why employees resist changes they were never invited to understand and what leaders can learn from the people closest to the work. As Karli explains, if you want to understand where waste exists inside an organization, sometimes the first person you should speak with is the janitor.The conversation also examines the importance of shared language, continuous feedback and human connection during periods of uncertainty. Karli introduces her Water Cycle Framework, which uses familiar images such as storm clouds, rivers and waterfalls to help teams communicate the scale, pressure and emotional reality of change. She explains why feedback should be gathered throughout the entire process rather than only at the end, how involving employees during the brainstorming stage creates stronger buy in and why the rise of artificial intelligence may ultimately make genuine human connection even more valuable. Karli also shares how Kantency supports leaders and organizations through speaking, facilitation, coaching and immersive mapping.Key Takeaways:Resistance to change is often a response to being blindsided, excluded or ignored rather than a rejection of change itself.If implementing change is Step 1, Step 0 is the pause required to understand the complete system before taking action.Organizations may appear to have thousands of different problems when many are different expressions of the same root issue.The people closest to the work often possess critical information that leadership cannot see from the top.Leaders make better decisions when they involve employees during the brainstorming process rather than after the decision has already been made.Shared language helps teams recognize when they are discussing the same issue from different perspectives.Metaphors can communicate the scale, pressure and emotion of change more effectively than conventional business language.Feedback should be collected throughout the entire change cycle because waiting until the end means missing the information needed to adjust.Loyalty inside a smaller organization can be powerful but fragile because leadership decisions feel deeply personal to employees.As technology becomes increasingly available, authentic human connection, empathy and in person experiences may become even more valuable.Connect with Karli GroveLearn more about Karli Grove and Kantency Consulting, explore the Step 0 approach and discover how Karli helps leaders and organizations map the bigger picture, strengthen communication and navigate change with greater clarity and confidence.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karligroveKantency Consulting: https://kantency.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtWcw78iQvqjc0mdViZotQSupport Foxx and Our FamilyOur one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family🎸 Sponsor Shoutouts: Thank you Colin Harms for your steadfast support of The Business Development Podcast! 🫶The Business Development Podcast is proudly supported by Hypervac Technologies and Hyperfab. 🎸⭐🔹 Hypervac Technologies: North America’s leader in vacuum truck manufacturing, building high performance hydrovac and industrial vacuum trucks designed for the toughest field conditions. www.hypervac.com🔹 Hyperfab: The custom fabrication division of Hypervac, delivering engineered solutions and specialized builds tailored to demanding industrial applications. www.hyperfab.caJoin The Catalyst Club CommunityThe Catalyst Club is so much more than a community. It is a growth platform for business development leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals who want to sharpen their mindset, expand their leadership and learn directly from people who have been there.Members get immediate access to more than 40 recorded Catalyst Sessions from incredible experts like Nausheen Chen, Carmen Leibel, Pia Silva, Joel Zeff, Wayne Lee and many more, along with weekly live sessions, growth conversations and practical business development support from Kelly Kennedy and other leaders.If you are serious about growth, leadership, business development and surrounding yourself with people who are committed to becoming better, The Catalyst Club is where you need to be.Learn more here: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclubMentioned in this episode:Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums
