The Business Transformation Podcast

Jonathan Coneby – The Theory of constraints - the 5 focus areas for business transformation success.

The Business Transformation Podcast

Show Notes

Check out our latest podcast with the Lead Consultant at Empathy Associates, Jonathan Coneby. Jonathan has extensive experience and business transformation in the public sector, having spent the last five years at the Texas Workforce Commission. Before that, the board of directors at another government organisation in Texas. Jonathan is in the biggest state in the US right now. And so some of these organisations have had an enormous number of employees, some even around 5,000. His previous roles in the public sector included auditor and internal auditor. Join this conversation and learn the key takeaways; you can do that in your team and organisation too!

More from The Business Transformation Podcast

Oct 27, 2025

In this episode of the Business Transformation Podcast, host Heath Gascoigne—Founder & CEO of HOBA Tech, creator of the HOBA® framework, and author of The Business Transformation Playbook—sits down with Jarrett Bunnin, a U.S. government transformation leader working at the intersection of digital innovation, policy, and ethical AI. What we cover The difference between real transformation and "tech theatre," and why over-complication kills outcomes.

Aug 25, 2025

🚨 Culture eats strategy for breakfast — but who's feeding culture in your organisation? In this episode of the Business Transformation Podcast, host Heath Gascoigne sits down with Larry Mendelberg—boardroom strategist, C-suite whisperer, and transformation consultant with 30+ years experience helping leadership teams drive sustainable change. This episode is for anyone who's ever faced executive resistance, change fatigue, or stakeholder inertia while trying to transform an organisation that says the right things—but does the wrong ones. Larry breaks down the psychology of leadership teams, the trap of top-down transformation, and the frameworks he uses to unblock decisions, align values, and create traction at the very top. 🔍 What You'll Learn in This Episode: ⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Meet Larry Mendelberg 02:46 – Why strategy fails when culture is misaligned 06:20 – Executive misalignment: What it is and how to fix it 10:45 – "That's not my job" – Breaking down silo mentality 14:30 – How to identify the real root cause of resistance 20:22 – Strategic facilitation at the board level 25:40 – Trust, transparency, and how to rebuild them fast 31:10 – Redesigning incentives to support transformation 35:05 – The difference between agreement vs. alignment 42:30 – What most orgs get wrong about the transformation journey 46:10 – Larry's closing advice to leaders driving change 🧠 Big Ideas from This Episode: Culture doesn't start at the middle—it starts at the top Most resistance is misdiagnosed (and mishandled) Executive teams think they're aligned, but their behaviours tell another story You can't "project manage" your way out of a leadership vacuum Facilitation isn't fluff—it's strategy execution 🎧 Want more from Larry Mendelberg? 🔗 Website: https://www.larrymendelberg.com 📘 Book: [Insert book name if applicable] 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrymendelberg 📌 Also Mentioned: 🎯 HOBA® Business Transformation Framework → https://hoba.tech/what-is-hoba/hoba-and-agile/ 📈 Take the AI Readiness Scorecard → https://hoba.tech/scorecards/ai-transformation-readiness/ 🎓 Upcoming Webinar: AI for Business Transformation Professionals → https://hoba.tech/webinars/ai-for-transformation-professionals-webinar-apply-ai-with-hoba-framework/ 🔥 Like this episode? 👍 Like 💬 Comment your thoughts 🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode #BusinessTransformation #LarryMendelberg #OrganizationalCulture #CulturalAlignment #ChangeLeadership #CLevelTransformation #TransformationStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveFacilitation #HOBATech #AITransformation 🚀🎙️💼

Aug 9, 2025

🔎 In this episode of The Business Transformation Podcast, we go deep into the realities of transforming businesses in Mexico and Latin America with the team from Innorendering, HOBA Tech's certified partner in the region. 🎯 What you'll learn: Why most "digital transformations" fail without a strategic business architecture How to adapt your transformation to Mexican cultural and regulatory contexts Real success stories from logistics and fintech companies How global trade tensions are accelerating transformation opportunities in Mexico The future of AI, nearshoring, and ESG through a Latin American lens 👥 Featuring: Ruben Bravo | Marco Virueta | Jorge Uriega | Alicia Rodríguez 📌 Chapters: 0:00 – Intro: Why Mexico is at an inflection point 2:34 – What is Innorendering? 5:12 – Transformation beyond technology: What's missing 8:47 – Case study: Logistics company redesign 12:30 – HOBA Tech in Latin America 15:55 – Cultural & regulatory realities in Mexico 20:00 – The government's nearshoring response 24:12 – AI & automation: Use it wisely 27:30 – Final message to business leaders 30:10 – Be architects, not firefighters 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple, and wherever you listen to podcasts. 💬 Comment below with your thoughts or transformation questions! 📥 Download our AI Readiness Scorecard: hoba.tech/scorecards #BusinessTransformation #Mexico #HOBAtech #DigitalStrategy #Nearshoring #AI #ArchitectureNotIT #Innorendering #LatinAmericaTransformation #Podcast 🎙️

Jul 25, 2025

✨ Ready to stop your transformation from becoming another statistic? In this lively episode, host Heath Gascoigne sits down with global Lean thinker and Shingo Award-winning author Mark Graban for a no-BS conversation about why most business transformations flop—and what you can do differently! 💥 Mark shares over 20 years of insights from the trenches of Lean, healthcare, and operational excellence across the US, UK, and beyond. Together, we unpack: The real reasons 70% of transformations fail (hint: it's not just tech!) 💡 Why swapping systems ≠ transformation 🖥️➡️🖥️ How "psychological safety" is the #1 lever for real change 🧠🛡️ The danger of "change management theater" 🎭 Why leaders must move from "doing" to "facilitating" 🙌 How to actually create buy-in (not just "make people feel involved") 🤝 The step most sponsors want to skip (and why it dooms projects) ⏩💥 Mark's personal lessons: what he wishes he knew 20 years ago 📚 Whether you're leading digital, cultural, or operational change—or you want to avoid the classic traps—this episode is packed with real-world lessons, frameworks, and actionable takeaways. 🆕 BONUS: Is your organization ready for the AI revolution? Take our brand new, FREE AI Transformation Readiness Scorecard and get your custom report in minutes: 👉 https://hoba.tech/scorecards/ai-transformation-readiness/ 🚦 Chapters & Timestamps (Click to jump!) 00:00 – Welcome & Guest Intro 👋 03:16 – Why "Transformation" Fails: The Truth Behind the Stats 📉 09:00 – Tech Upgrades vs. Real Change 🖥️🔄 12:28 – Psychological Safety: The Missing Link 🧠🛡️ 17:29 – Silos, Culture & Breaking Down Barriers 🧱 22:09 – The Consultant's Real Role: Frameworks, Not Formulas 🛠️ 26:07 – Why Jumping to Solutions Kills Projects 🏃‍♂️💥 32:25 – When Sponsors Want to Skip Steps ⏩😬 39:22 – Buy-In vs. Change Theater 🎭 45:15 – Champions, Ownership & Real Participation 🏆 50:49 – Vision, Assumptions & Lessons Learned 🕵️‍♂️ 58:27 – What Mark Would Do Differently: Top 2 Lessons 🔑 1:02:19 – Modeling, Encouraging & Rewarding the Right Behaviors 🌱 1:04:36 – Wrap Up, Resources & Your AI Readiness Scorecard! 🏁 Listen Now: 🎧 Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube (Add links when published) 🔥 Key Takeaways Most change fails at the people layer—not the tech, not the process 👥 Psychological safety is the secret sauce for innovation & transformation 🧠✨ Don't "hit people with the book"—co-create solutions & build real engagement 📘🤝 Why "change champions" and cross-functional teams are your best asset 🏆 Mark's must-read: The Four Stages of Psychological Safety by Timothy R. Clark 📖 👉 Ready for AI? 🚦 Find out if your org is ready for AI transformation in 5 minutes: https://hoba.tech/scorecards/ai-transformation-readiness/ Get your custom AI readiness report—FREE. Connect with Mark Graban 🌐 MarkGraban.com 🔗 LinkedIn 🎙️ Lean Blog Interviews Podcast 📚 Books: Lean Hospitals, The Mistakes That Make Us, Healthcare Kaizen, Practicing Lean Spread the Word! #BusinessTransformation #LeanThinking #PsychologicalSafety #OrganizationalChange #ChangeLeadership #DigitalTransformation #ContinuousImprovement #ChangeManagement #HealthcareTransformation #AIReadiness #TransformationPodcast #HobaTech 🌟 Enjoyed the show? Subscribe, leave a review, and share with your team! And don't forget your free AI Readiness Scorecard: https://hoba.tech/scorecards/ai-transformation-readiness/ 🚦

Jul 3, 2025

🎙️ Business Transformation Podcast – Episode #43 People Science Over Process: The No-Nonsense Truth About Change Management with Ron Leeman 🔔 Don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and Hit the Bell so you never miss an episode! 👇 LISTEN TO THIS if you're in change, transformation, or leadership! 👇 In this no-BS, high-value episode, Heath Gascoigne sits down with Ron Leeman — the legendary change manager with 40+ years of global experience — to unpack the myths, truths, and overlooked realities of driving transformation that sticks. From the fallacy of the "70% failure rate" to why "people science" is the future of change, this conversation is jam-packed with war stories, practical wisdom, and takeaways every transformation leader needs to hear. 🧠 What You'll Learn in This Episode: 00:00 - Intro: Who is Ron Leeman? 03:00 - Surviving Ponzi schemes, transformation war stories, and global experience 10:00 - Why industry-specific experience in change is overrated 18:00 - The rise of AI in change management – and the risks of blind adoption 23:00 - People Science vs. People Side: The evolution of change thinking 31:00 - Sponsors, vision, and why your business case is NOT a one-off document 42:00 - Measuring success: Ron's take on balanced business scorecards 50:00 - Transformation vs. Change – are we just relabeling? 58:00 - Final advice: What Ron would do differently (so you don't have to) 💡 Whether you're a consultant, change lead, C-suite exec, or just getting started, this is your shortcut to decades of lived experience.

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