Make Waves: Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life

by Patti Johnson

Overview

Make Waves encourages readers to step up and be the one to initiate change in their work and lives. Author Patti Johnson walks readers through the tools and techniques that they can use to create change in their own situations. Johnson elaborates on these tools even further to give readers a sense of how to encourage and instill these "wave-making" behaviors in others within their organization. Using several diverse case studies as illustrative examples, Make Waves highlights the important steps that individuals at any level can take toward positive change. By reinforcing readers' desires to contribute and make a difference, Johnson connects on an individual level and bridges the gap between that desire and the actions necessary to realize bigger changes. Change can be big or small. It is the act of stepping up that Johnson embraces, as well as the ripple effect on those around them.

Interviews with famous Wave Makers, as well as everyday people, illustrate why it is important to be the one to start change. Wave Makers profiled include:

• Clint Hurdle: Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates; believes in positive attitude and culture and changes the MLB clubhouse; this year leading the Pirates to their first winning season since 1992.
• Charley Johnson: Started Pay It Forward foundation.
• Joe Nussbaum: Started Big Event at Texas A&M when in college in the '80s and has continued to grow; largest one-day college community service day in the country and has been adopted by over seventy universities.
• Emma Scheffler: High school soccer player who started Insulin Angels, a nonprofit for children diagnosed with diabetes, after her own diagnosis; feared her dream of college soccer was over, so engaged other students and local hospitals after thinking about how to make her diagnosis a positive.
• Allen Stephenson: Started Southern Tide at 22 years old when in med school and followed a passion to create a clothing line; built momentum by creating interest and participation on southern college campuses; they are now growing rapidly and it started with a great polo shirt.

This new edition provides a more current and timely view of change with the expansion of the section on the mindset of a WaveMaker and more current examples throughout the post-COVID world. New areas of focus are:

• How our thoughts drive our readiness to change
• Our personal “backpacks” and what we carry with us into every situation regardless of the facts, and the importance of knowing our “go-to’s” and triggers
• Our habits drive almost half of our daily decisions, yet a change requires us to approach our work and life differently.
• The most common obstacles to thinking like a Wave Maker.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040119648
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/18/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160

About the Author

Patti Johnson is an author, instructor, and the CEO of PeopleResults, a change and organizational development consultancy she founded in 2004. She consults, speaks, and writes about how individuals and organizations start and create the change needed to reach their goals.

Previously, Patti was a senior executive at Accenture, a global management consulting firm, where she played an essential role in creating new change service offerings, global talent programs, and providing expertise on complex changes with numerous clients over 17 years. After deciding to become an entrepreneur, she created PeopleResults and assembled a talented team of experts and trusted colleagues. PeopleResults has grown and now provides expertise to clients, such as PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, McKesson, 7-Eleven, Microsoft, and many others.

Patti enjoys being in the classroom and is an instructor on change for Southern Methodist University in Dallas and for the Bush Institute Women’s Initiative. She is also a frequent contributor and writer on change, leadership, and talent issues for national media, including Entrepreneur, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, MONEY magazine, Fast Company, and SUCCESS magazine. After growing up in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Patti’s home is in the Dallas area where she lives with her husband, Jim, and sons, Patrick and Will, when in town, and their two dogs, Lucy and Pawly.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – What’s Your Wave? Part 1: What You Think Chapter 2 – Think Like a Wave Maker Part 2: What You Know Chapter 3 – What You Need to Know Part 3: What You Do Chapter 4 – Starting Your Wave Chapter 5 – Planning a Wave that Lasts Chapter 6 – Creating a Community Around Your Wave Chapter 7 – When the Wave Comes to You Chapter 8 – When Your Wave Hits a Wall Part 4: Other Things to Think About Chapter 9 – Why Leaders Need Wave Makers Chapter 10 – Wisdom from Wave Makers

Editorial Reviews

“Make Waves empowers readers to become everyday leaders by enacting real change in their lives, communities, and businesses. Johnson encourages asking “how can I help” and “what can I do” to bring tangible transformation to fruition. You’ll find this book provides meaningful tools for any aspiring ‘wave maker’ to take charge and embody the change they want to see in the world.” —Doug Conant, chairman, Avon Products; chairman, Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute; founder & CEO, Conant Leadership; former president & CEO, Campbell Soup Company; co-author of the NYT best seller Touchpoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments

“Make Waves provides a unique and incredibly motivating approach to taking on a change. Change, no matter large or small, personal or professional, can seem daunting and Patti’s book causes you to think that you can make a difference in a meaningful way. Patti’s guidance causes you to step back, think, and get inspired to act. The book is just the right amount of how-to and inspiration. A must-read.” —Maria Cramer, vice president, Hitachi Consulting

“Make Waves is a wonderful narrative on change and how to most effectively navigate through it, with both real-world and practical examples. In a world of increasing change and growing complexity, it serves as a great resource to help manage through both the personal and professional changes everyone experiences. It avoids the all-too-common pitfalls of delving into the overly theoretical or academic; rather, it is a great balance of real-world examples that one can apply in all settings.” —David Nashif, vice president, Change Leadership, McKesson

“In Make Waves, Patti Johnson answers the question, “What is leadership?” Her writing is filled with the stories of real leaders and real leadership. This is a mustread book for anyone who has a wave that he or she needs to make!” —Larry Peters, professor of Management & Leadership Development, Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University

“Who better from whom to learn the art of change than Patti Johnson, a veteran of management consulting giant Accenture and a self-made wave maker? Make Waves proves that lighting that match is not just for high-profile people. Each of us has the power and ability to transform our lives, jobs, and organizations in incredible ways.” —Alexandra Levit, business & workplace consultant and author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe

“Make Waves is a fun and informative book that challenges each of us to find places in our lives where we can be positively disruptive. There are a lot of business books that provide great theories and models for personal change and transformation but Patti Johnson is able to transition from conceptual to practical and demonstrates how everyday individuals found the power to bring positive changes to their work, schools, and communities. This book serves as a reminder that everyone can move from being a spectator to an active participant in bring about positive changes. A great read for corporate leaders, early career individuals, and students.” —Miya Maysent, vice president, 7-Eleven, Inc.

“Want to make change, but completely unsure how to pull it off–or even, maybe, where to start? Drop everything and read Patti Johnson’s phenomenal, inspirational new book, Make Waves. Her formula—Think, Know, Do—is simple without being simplistic. Rather, it’s the essential how-to manual for those among us who thirst to bring needed change to our teams, our organizations, our communities, or maybe even our world. Savor every page. Scribble your notes. Read, Plan, Act. Make your own waves!” —Ted Coine, author, keynote speaker, and co-founder Switch and Shift

“I always challenge my clients and audiences by asking: What are you doing today to help future business leaders who have yet to be born? In Make Waves, Patti Johnson shares pragmatic principles and practical tools to get us started on the journey of leaving a positive lasting legacy wherever we are in the workplace and marketplace.” —K. Shelette Stewart, PhD, associate director, SMU Cox Executive Education

“The personal and pragmatic approach to the topic of change was really refreshing. Leveraging wave makers, their stories, their insights, and their words brought to life the impact that we can each make when we embrace the opportunity to make a difference. I found myself being deliberate about embracing my own professional opportunity to be a wave maker. The assignment that was initially a task now has the potential to be a wave with much broader impact. So I’m off to embrace my wave opportunity, challenge conventional wisdom, and engage idea partners to collaborate on creating change.” —Susan Barnicoat, senior director, PepsiCo

From the Publisher