Going against the crowd, as usual

DIY Leading Change was started by Preston Barry, a former human resources and change-management professional who learned how to lead change the hard way: by doing it.

His biggest lesson came when he volunteered to run a failing facility that corporate had already identified for closure. With the same people, equipment, and budget, and no outside help, that facility became the number one ranked operation among its 25 sister facilities in 14 months. (Read The Turnaround Story.)

What worked wasn’t new or complicated. It was common sense, simple logic, and human nature, put to work by everyday leaders and, very often, by hourly employees who lived the lessons and then taught them to others. Those lessons became Common Sense Change Management (CSCM), and Preston has used them for more than two decades, in different companies and with groups of every size, from small teams to entire organizations.

Why this site exists

Most change programs are expensive, complicated, and built for consultants. This site is the opposite. Most of what’s here is free: tools, Learning Sessions, and stories you can put to work right away, within the budget you already have. A few low-cost tools are available for purchase, always as one-time purchases, never subscriptions.

About the photo

For years, Preston’s family has four-wheeled on the old mining trails near Silverton, Colorado. Years ago, Preston and his son met a huge flock of sheep coming down the trail. The Jeep didn’t force its way through; it moved steadily, never stopping, and the herd made room. That’s how the change model works, too.

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