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Change Management System

Pulscipline™ — The System that Redefines Success in Change Management

The Pulscipline™ Change Management System has achieved a 100% success rate in change initiatives for over 25 years. It gives leaders the structure and support to lead transformation with confidence.

Leading change doesn’t have to be a struggle.

With the right system, every transformation can succeed.

Why We Created The Pulscipline™ System

How experience, leadership, and precision built a system that achieves 100% success.

The Beginning

In 1998, after British American Tobacco merged with Rothmans, we led the creation of a new culture for BAT Switzerland after they downsized both headquarters by 50% and combined them into one organization.

This was our first major change management initiative. During the transformation process, we encountered different forms of resistance and derailment factors that we had to overcome. The project was very successful and became the foundation for our change management approach. We loved the work; it was leadership in its highest form — leading people and organizations through change.

Discovering the Inhibitors of Change

As we led more organizations through change, we were confronted with new Inhibitors of Change. These Inhibitors consist of six groups: three forms of resistance and three forms of derailment factors. As we encountered them, we developed strategies to overcome them. Each project reinforced our belief that the key to successful change management lies in the ability to identify and remove these Inhibitors of Change.

Inibitors of Change

Forms of Resistance

People
Culture
Leadership

Derailment Factors

Change Stratgy
Project Setup
Change Management

A Project That Changed Everything

After several successful projects, we encountered one that changed everything. The Leadership Team made poor decisions when developing the change strategy and setting up the support structure. The consequences of these decisions made implementing the change extremely difficult.

Although the project ultimately succeeded, it revealed a critical insight: leadership teams need to be trained in change management at the onset of a change initiative to make informed decisions when designing the change strategy and establishing the support structures. They also need a clear structure, practical tools, and a step-by-step approach to guide them throughout the transformation.

Creating the Pulscipline™ System

We spent the next two years developing the models and processes that became the Pulscipline™ Change Management System.

Alongside it, we created two core training programs: Directing Change and Overcoming the Inhibitors of Change.

How We Implement It Today

Since then, every change initiative we lead begins with training the Leadership Team and facilitating the Change Strategy Workshop.

During the Change Strategy Workshop, we design:

The Change Strategy
The Inhibitor’s Strategy
The measurement system
The support structures
Roles & responsibilities

This significantly reduced the number of Inhibitors of Change we faced, and we had strategies and plans to overcome most of the resistance we encountered.

In every project, new Inhibitors of Change still appear, but with a more robust Change Strategy and a well-trained Leadership Team, they are always relatively easy to overcome. This allows us to implement change on time and within budget. Using the Pulscipline™ Change Management System, most organizational change is achieved within 12 to 18 months.

The Impact of Pulscipline™

100% success rate in implementing organizational change for over 25 years.

The Pulscipline™ System provides the training, structured process, and support that empower leaders to make better decisions, manage the human side of change effectively, and direct their organizations confidently through the transformation process.

Why We Named It Pulscipline™

To understand how the Pulscipline™ System works, it helps to know why we named it Pulscipline™, because the name itself explains how the system changes habits and transforms culture.

Culture Is Made Up of Habits

The culture of an organization is the normal way in which things get done. It is made up of the habits of the people in the organization. To change the culture, we must change those habits.

Why Habits Are Hard to Change

Habits are powerful. They stimulate us to act without thinking, they feel normal, and they protect themselves. Most efforts to change habits fail, and understanding “what’s in it for me” is not enough.

Why Discipline Matters

If changing one person’s habits is difficult, changing the collective habits of an entire organization is even harder. That’s why most culture change initiatives fail.

Think of your New Year’s resolutions. You know how you would benefit from making the change, but how successful were you? Few people succeed. The reason is simple: creating new habits requires a level of discipline that most people cannot sustain.

“Creating the new habits needed to change the culture requires a level of discipline
that the people in the organization do not have.”

If changing one person’s habits is difficult, changing the collective habits of an entire organization is even harder. That’s why most culture change initiatives fail.

How Pulscipline™ Makes Discipline Manageable

Pulscipline™ solves this problem. It replaces the discipline required to change habits with structured management systems that guide people to apply the desired behaviors at regular intervals, or pulses. The combination of several systems, each with its own pulse rhythm, ensures that people repeat the desired behaviors consistently over time, naturally replacing old habits with new ones.

The Purpose of Pulscipline™

Pulscipline™ combines the concepts of pulse and discipline into one methodology. Its purpose is simple: to change the collective habits of employees and create the culture the organization desires.

Pulscipline™ Change Management System

The Pulscipline™ Change Management System is a structured, rhythmic process that guides organizations in strengthening their leadership, evolving their culture, and improving execution to achieve high performance.

Nine Building Blocks of Pulscipline™

The Pulscipline™ System is built on nine key components that ensure every change initiative is structured, measurable, and consistently successful.

Directing Change Program

Acquire the understanding of change management needed to set up a robust change initiative that can achieve your objectives. Learn from the successes and failures of others, determine the change sequence that best fits your change objectives, review best practices for implementing change, and identify common Inhibitors of Change and how to overcome them. By the end, you will make better decisions when creating the change strategy, setting up the change project, and directing the organization through the change.

Change Strategy Workshop

Develop a robust change strategy to implement change more efficiently, with fewer resources, and without the typical frustrations. We guide the Leadership Team in developing a comprehensive framework for implementing change that includes the Change Strategy, Measurement System, Inhibitor’s Strategy, Support Systems, and Implementation Plan. By the end, you have a fully aligned Leadership Team, a practical plan to guide execution, and an understanding of how to direct an organization through change.

Inhibitor's Strategy

Create a strategy to identify and remove the Inhibitors of Change that cause 70% of change initiatives to fail. The Inhibitor’s Strategy provides a structured methodology to identify and remove the two forms of Inhibitors of Change — resistance and derailment factors. By anticipating Inhibitors early, you can design away derailment factors in the change strategy and include actions to overcome resistance in the Implementation Plan. An effective Inhibitor’s Strategy minimizes the problems you’ll face and maintains strong momentum throughout the transformation process.

Leading Change Program

Develop the leadership skills needed to motivate people, improve performance, and lead teams effectively through change. The Leading Change Program develops the understanding and skills leaders need to increase effectiveness, implement 3x3 Coaching, and fine-tune the leadership systems that improve performance and support successful organizational change. The program develops the foundation needed to develop a high-performance leadership culture.

PulseSurvey

Measure engagement, project effectiveness, and progress in real time to keep your change initiative on track. We create a customized PulseSurvey to measure the specific elements being changed and the key Inhibitors of Change affecting your initiative. It provides real-time data to assess how effectively the change is being managed, the impact of recent actions, and the influence of inhibitors. It takes the fuzziness out of managing the change process. We will not undertake any change initiative that does not include a high-quality customized PulseSurvey.

PulseStrategy

Transform PulseSurvey insights into focused 3-month strategies that keep your change initiative advancing with precision. Every three months, we analyze PulseSurvey results and create a PulseStrategy — a detailed action plan at the organizational, functional, and departmental levels. It identifies the three actions the organization should implement in the next PulseCycle and defines the specific changes each department needs to make. The PulseStrategy maintains alignment, drives momentum, and simplifies the removal of Inhibitors of Change.

PulseLeadership Training

Deliver just-in-time training to develop the skills needed to implement the next-step actions from the PulseStrategy. Through our PulseLeadership Trainings, we deliver targeted modules from the Leading Leaders program to build the skills needed to implement a new system, remove an existing Inhibitor of Change, shift the organization’s culture, or improve performance. These short, practical sessions provide continuous leadership development and ensure leaders are equipped to support every stage of the change process.

PulseStrategy Sessions

One-on-one sessions with senior leaders to ensure effective strategic execution within their function or department. Every six weeks, we conduct one-on-one PulseStrategy Sessions following the PulseLeadership Training™. These sessions ensure senior leaders understand their PulseSurvey data, apply the lessons from the training, and implement the actions needed in their function or department to resolve specific issues they face and stay aligned with the overall change initiative. These sessions keep the organization aligned, responsive, and moving forward with discipline between each PulseStrategy cycle.

Employee Engagement Program

Engage employees through a workshop that builds understanding, ownership, and commitment to the change initiative. Once leaders are setting an example of personal change and removing performance barriers, we engage employees through a rhythmed rollout of the Employee Engagement Program. This workshop transforms their motivation to join the change effort into a structured, organization-wide process that evolves the culture and significantly improves performance. Many organizations experience an immediate “pop” in performance following these sessions. It builds understanding of the change, reinforces desired behaviors, and ensures that employees at every level contribute to the organization’s evolution.

Steps of Change

Pulscipline™ turns change management into a predictable process.
Its structured, rhythmic methodology integrates the technical and human sides of change into one clear implementation plan. The eight steps guide leaders and employees through every stage of transformation — from defining the change strategy to strengthening leadership, evolving the culture, improving execution, and sustaining high performance.

8 Steps of Change of the Pulscipline™ System

Step 1. Fine-tune the Change Strategy Create the change strategy, measurement system, and implementation plan. Identify the key barriers and align the Leadership Team on direction, expectations, and outcomes. Step 2. Improve Leadership Effectiveness Develop critical leadership and change management skills. Establish the “3x3 Coaching” process to strengthen leadership behaviors. Fine-tune the leadership systems that are essential for effectiveness and for guiding the organization successfully through change. These two steps create the foundation for change — a robust change strategy and effective leadership. The next six steps build on this foundation to evolve the culture, improve execution, and achieve high performance. Step 3. Build Organizational Systems Strengthen the systems, structures, and processes that support performance and accountability. Create the framework for sustainable change and continuous improvement. Step 4. Engage Employees Once leaders are trained, the change systems are in place, and leaders are setting an example of personal change, employees are engaged through a rhythmed rollout of our Employee Engagement Program. This approach builds understanding, ownership, and commitment to the transformation at every level of the organization. Step 5. Change the Culture Embed new behaviors, practices, and mindsets into daily work. Align leadership, structure, and employee engagement to build a High-Performance Culture that supports performance improvement and continuous change. 6. Improve Results Strengthen the effectiveness of execution by aligning the organization, fine-tuning the objective-setting system, and increasing the efficiency of processes and systems to maximize results. The goal is to achieve executional excellence and build a High-Performance Organization. 7. Anchor the Changes Achieving change does not guarantee lasting change. It is essential to anchor new ways of working into the organization’s culture so that progress is not leader-dependent and continues to generate lasting improvement. 8. Continuous Improvement At this stage, the organization has developed the mindset, skills, and capability to lead change effectively and has built significant momentum through the current initiative. Most of our customers use this new capability and momentum to launch their next change initiative — one they lead themselves — to achieve the next step in their continual evolution.

A Measurable and Manageable Approach

Every step in the Pulscipline™ System includes defined actions, performance indicators, and review points. At any point in the transformation process, the PulseSurvey — our measurement system — shows whether you are ahead or behind schedule. The result is a change process that is structured, disciplined, adaptive, measurable, and fully manageable.

Key Difference of the Pulscipline System

Pulse Methodology

Pulscipline™ replaces the discipline required to change habits with structured, rhythmic actions called pulses. These regular intervals ensure that new behaviors are practiced often enough to become natural habits. By combining structure with rhythm, Pulscipline™ transforms desired behaviors into the normal way people work and interact, creating sustainable cultural and performance change.

Complete System

Pulscipline™ is a complete, end-to-end system for leading organizational change. It integrates leadership development, culture evolution, and performance improvement into one structured approach. From defining the change strategy to anchoring results in the organization’s culture, every step is designed to build momentum, maintain alignment, and ensure measurable progress.

Focus on Inhibitors of Change

Most change efforts fail because of the Inhibitors of Change, which include both resistance and derailment factors. Pulscipline™ was specifically designed to identify and remove these inhibitors early in the process. By addressing them proactively, leaders prevent obstacles from growing into crises and ensure that progress continues smoothly throughout the transformation.

Structured and Measurable Process

Every step of Pulscipline™ is clearly defined and measurable. The system integrates both the technical and human sides of change into one structured process. With clear actions, performance indicators, and review points, leaders can track progress, make adjustments, and ensure accountability at every stage of the transformation.

Coaching-Intensive Approach

Pulscipline™ is not a hands-off consulting model. It is a coaching-intensive system that develops leadership capability at every level. Throughout the process, we coach leaders to make better decisions, maintain alignment, and guide their teams confidently through the change process.

Data-Driven

Pulscipline™ turns change into a measurable process. The PulseSurvey and PulseStrategy provide real-time data that show how the organization is progressing, how people are reacting, and where adjustments are needed. This data-driven rhythm keeps the transformation aligned, objective, and responsive to real conditions.

Robust

The elements of the Pulscipline™ System support one another to create a strong, resilient framework. If one element encounters difficulties, subsequent steps and tools compensate and keep the transformation moving forward. The system’s design ensures that no single obstacle can derail progress.

Flexible

The Pulscipline™ Change System is highly structured yet designed with flexibility. Like jazz music, it provides a clear framework that allows room for improvisation when unexpected situations or inhibitors arise. This flexibility ensures that the organization can adapt while staying aligned and on track.

Simple and Practical

Pulscipline™ simplifies complex change into clear, actionable steps. Its tools and methods are easy to understand, easy to apply, and immediately relevant to daily work. Leaders and employees alike find the process motivating because it delivers visible progress and practical results.

The strength of Pulscipline™ lies in its ability to make change predictable and results measurable. Every element works together to build leadership capability, evolve culture, and achieve high performance across the organization.

WHEN TO USE PULSCIPLINE™

To Achieve High-Performance

Build a High-Performance Organization

Improve efficiency and achieve outstanding results
Improve execution
Develop an agile organization

Create a High-Performance Culture

Create work environments that bring out the best in people
Increase employee engagement and loyalty
Reduce turnover, absenteeism, and burnout

Develop High-Performance Leaders

Develop leaders who can motivate and empower people to achieve excellence
Develop the mindset and skills to continuously improve performance
Improve the leadership culture (decision-making, delegation, etc.)

To Change the Culture

Rebuild a Culture After a Merger

Integrate two organizational cultures into one
Change the culture of an acquired organization
Leverage the merger to build a high-performance culture

Create a Culture for a New Business Model

Change the culture to achieve a significantly different mission or objectives
Change the culture to better support new product lines
Change the culture to handle a different business environment

Rebuild a Restructured Organization

Heal the wounds from restructuring and reignite employee engagement
Rebuild stronger teams
Improve the performance of the organization

Or when…

You Have Limited Financial Resources

When your resources are limited and you need the change effort to generate savings that can help finance the transformation.

Your Change Effort Needs a Boost

When your change initiative is stuck, and resistance is derailing progress, Pulscipline™ can overcome resistance, break through barriers, and get the change effort back on track.