Kotter discusses five principles that are at the heart of the dual operating system (see page 49). Note that principle #3, Head and heart, not just head dovetails nicely with the Switch chapters on Motivating the Elephant. Also note that this dual-system would seem to be most appropriate for larger organizations.

In An Agile Approach to Change Management by Clayton, she suggests that organizations should empower the people who are best positioned to drive change and encourage self-organized teams to supplement change efforts. She also notes that the Agile approach embraces a 'test and learn' iterative approach, which as we mentioned in our first Residency class session, is a weakness of the more linear ExperienceChange and Kotter models.

Many organizations have complemented their traditional hierarchies with cross-functional and cross-hierarchical teams. However, the notion of incorporating a dual-system or second operating system seems to take these integrating mechanisms to a deeper level. Using these systems and following an Agile approach may be effective ways to implement change in a disruptive environments, such as in high-tech industries or when COVID caused widespread disruption.

Please use the following questions as a basis for your response. If you would like to focus on the questions from either #1 or #2 below in your post, that is fine.

1. Do you think an Agile approach or a dual operating system would work well in an organization (and if appropriate, your organization)? What potential disadvantages or challenges might it present? Note that Kotter shares some of the challenges that hes observed in the Building Momentum section on page 58. Please share any experiences you may have with this type of dual operating system or an Agile approach to change management.

2. Kotter emphasizes the importance of social networks and of pulling in as many people as possible from throughout the organization to form a volunteer army. Ive seen this principle utilized in a large construction company, where they formed communities to focus on safety and drive best-practices throughout the organization. Share any experiences you have had with using a volunteer army to engage the workforce. Also, please explain how youve experienced or observed informal networks as being important to effectively implementing change initiatives within an organization (e.g., the grassroots effort to accelerate the company's transition to productive remote work mentioned by Clayton).