The Q-Loop by Brian Klapper - Book review

The Q-Loop

The Art & Science of Lasting Corporate Change

By: Brian Klapper

Published: May 7, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 1937134520
ISBN-13: 978-1937134525
Publisher: Bibliomotion











"The single biggest challenge that prevents leaders from getting things done is their inability to generate buy-in for the change across the organization", writes internationally recognized expert in business process transformation, and President and Founding Partner of The Klapper Institute, Brian Klapper, in his collaboration building and positive results oriented book The Q-Loop: The Art & Science of Lasting Corporate Change. The author describes how and why so many strategic change plans fail, and offers a holistic approach to change that is both effective and sustainable over the long term.

Brian Klapper understands that simply having a bold and innovative change strategy is insufficient if there is no collaborative engagement and commitment from the employees. The author also knows that any organization that is unable to adapt to change and to implement continual improvement in every aspect of its business will fall into irrelevance.

Organizational change is never easy, however, and with a seventy percent failure rate in change initiatives, that needed change has never been more difficult for leaders to achieve. To overcome the internal and external challenges and barriers to real and lasting change, Brian Klapper proposes the concept of the Q-Loop as an effective, collaborative, and long term strategy.

Brian Klapper (photo left) recognizes that a collaborative process for developing and implementing change, through a process that incorporates ideas at the grassroots employee level, has a greater chance of success. The traditional top down, management idea focused strategies have led to failure, or at best, change that fails to last and become part of a new company culture.

The collaborative approach closes the often very deep chasm between idea generation and change process implementation. The level of buy-in is much higher, the ideas more appropriate and effective, and commitment to the change is greater on the part of employees.

Brian Klapper divides the book into three overall sections. The parts of the book reflect the three basic phases of the Q-Loop process in action. Instead of intuitive or theoretical change ideals, the Q-Loop system presents a practical route to change that is effective, innovative, is built for the long term, and utilizes the ideas and experience of the entire organization. The three overarching principles are as follows:

* Entering the Q-Loop: Maximize the organizations collective IQ
* Going around the Q-Loop: Ignite a grassroots mindset shift
* Exiting the Q-Loop: Embed the Q-Loop in the organization

For me, the power of the book is how Brian Klapper combines a comprehensive change management strategy with the practical techniques to implement the entire process effectively. The author provides a holistic strategy based on collaborative input of ideas and on collaborative implementation across the entire organization. While other change management books offer ideas and stories, Brian Klapper offers a real world tested and proven methodology for making change that stay in place after the change process ends.

The author admits openly that change management is a very difficult process to implement effectively. Not all leaders and initiators of change are aware of that reality. As a result, Brian Klapper advises his change leaders of the challenges that await anyone implementing organizational change. The Q-Loop system presented in the book is one that engages people across the organization, asks for and welcomes the grassroots experience and ideas to the process, and puts the employee created recommendations into place.

I highly recommend the very hands on and insightful book The Q-Loop: The Art & Science of Lasting Corporate Change by Brian Klapper, to any change leaders, facilitators and managers who are seeking a complete process that is collaborative and inclusive, and is tested and proven in real world change situations. This book should be read and read again before, during, and after any change management initiative in your organization.