A Change in Conversation

Linda Söderberg shares how IT leaders can move from firefighting to trusted business partnership by reducing operational noise, creating focus, and rebuilding credibility with the business. She explains why strong IT leadership starts with stabilising operations, managing demand, setting clear priorities, and communicating with a customer-centric mindset. A practical episode for CIOs and IT leaders balancing steady-state operations with future growth, innovation, and rising business expectations.

In this episode, Jorge Lopez explains how Syngenta led a global S/4HANA rollout across 80 countries by linking the program to business value, involving regions early and building a strong cross-functional team. He shares practical lessons on governance, stakeholder alignment, standardisation versus local needs, team energy, data readiness and trusted partner collaboration. Miss these foundations, and even technically sound transformations risk slower adoption, more resistance and a harder go-live.

In this episode, we show why stakeholder engagement in tech change must start far earlier than most programs think. Using a typical ERP lifecycle as a blueprint, we break down how to build buy-in, surface hidden concerns, manage expectations, and protect program credibility across every phase. Start too late, and resistance, weak adoption, and ROI loss become much harder to contain.

Go-live is not adoption. In this episode, we break down the four forces that decide whether a new technology gets used – sustainable and compliant or quietly slides into workarounds: the technology, the individual, the social layer, and the wider system around the change. You’ll learn where resistance starts, why adoption drops after launch, and what leaders can do early to protect data quality, usage, and ROI.

ERP programs are marathons. When timelines stretch over years, the risk isn't just technical – it's team burnout. This episode reframes recognition from "soft HR" to a strategic lever for sustaining momentum. Learn to avoid the "Rush & Drop" trap, embed celebration into your operating rhythm, and empower Stream Leads and Local Project Leads as recognition multipliers. Discover why building a strong "immune system" protects your delivery capacity and prevents talent churn in complex, multi-year transformations. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Tech programs rigorously track technical risks but often ignore the "silent noise" of stakeholder resistance until it erodes adoption. This episode introduces the "Hit vs. Shit" lens—a practical framework to diagnose communication gaps before they escalate. Learn to map your rollout’s perceived gains and losses, score adoption risks like technical logs, and protect your program’s reputation. Stop reacting to noise and start managing stakeholder risk with the same rigor as data migration. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Global programs often fail when countries treat them as distant 'HQ initiatives,' leading to low acceptance and poor user adoption. This episode explores why localisation of stakeholder engagement is strategic risk mitigation, not just translation. Learn how to activate local multipliers, replace heavy toolkits with agile 'mini-briefings,' and scale engagement without overloading your central team. Discover the practical framework to turn global noise into local ownership and buy-in. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Many IT programs struggle to secure stakeholder buy-in because they don’t get the right level of visibility – sharing too much, too early, or too late. Inside the organisation’s attention economy, your tech program competes with every other initiative for airtime and leadership focus. This episode shows how to find the right tone and timing and build momentum deliberately so your program cuts through the noise. Get practical guidance to ensure lasting user adoption and protect the reputation of your IT investment. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Many programs struggle with stakeholder buy-in not because the technology is weak, but because past failures shape how people respond before rollout even begins. In this episode, we break down the three patterns of “change heritage” that trigger early resistance, reduce engagement, and erode trust. You’ll learn how to diagnose initiative fatigue, burned terminology, and trust debt—and how to address them early to protect adoption, credibility, and ROI in your current program.

Many tech programs have a solid plan for the “what” and “how” — but a weak or missing “why”. This episode explains why a clear business ‘why’ isn’t a nice-to-have but a practical requirement for alignment, momentum, and stakeholder commitment in long programs like SAP or ERP. You’ll learn what makes a strong why, what happens when it’s missing, common pitfalls, and concrete steps to build a message that holds support when challenges hit. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

In this episode, we break down why superficial stakeholder analysis creates avoidable surprises, noise, and late-stage resistance in tech programs. You’ll learn the two common failures teams overlook, and a practical three-step approach to spotting hidden concerns early. We show how to map the full stakeholder ecosystem, assess impact with clarity, and profile critical groups so you can prevent resistance before it escalates and protect the brand of your program. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Most tech programs fail not because the system is wrong, but because misalignment goes unnoticed until it’s too late. In this episode, Arne explains why structured, ongoing dialogue is your most reliable early-warning system when it comes to multi-year and multi-stakeholder tech transformation. You’ll learn how to surface hidden stakeholder risks, understand the rational resistance of line managers, and combine qualitative and quantitative insights to react fast and targeted and hence avoid reactive “reputation firefighting”. Practical guidance for IT leaders who want fewer surprises and a stronger path to go-live. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

This episode breaks down why tech programs lose trust when leaders either overpromise on the benefits or undersell the real value. We explore how expectations shape adoption, what users actually judge at go-live, and how to balance honesty with clarity. You’ll learn how to assess true change impact, map your “hit & shit topics”, set credible expectations, and position your program in a way that protects adoption, reputation, and ROI. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Even well-run tech programs fail when leaders miss the organisational signals shaping that predict adoption. In this episode, Arne breaks down three common blind spots—history, context, and strategic alignment—and shows how they quietly undermine readiness long before go-live. You’ll learn what to scan early, how to read your organisation’s mood, and why a clear umbrella story protects adoption, credibility, and ROI. A practical guide for CIOs and program leads under real delivery pressure. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

This episode breaks down five human dynamics that quietly determine ERP adoption and long-term ROI. From legacy attachment and local power to team energy, cognitive overload and expectation gaps, you’ll learn why identical systems produce very different outcomes across organisations. If you’re leading an ERP or major tech programme, these insights help you manage the risks that shape testing quality, data discipline, stakeholder alignment and post–go-live stability. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

70% of enterprise tech transformations fail to meet business goals – not due to code, but human resistance. In this episode, we dismantle the "Go-Live Illusion." We discuss why ignoring stakeholder dynamics threatens your ROI and reputation, and how to apply engineering rigor to measuring stakeholder engagement. Discover how to identify early warning signs and align your organization before resistance hardens. Secure your investment by mastering the human side of technology change. ➡️ Website Change Playbook: https://www.changeplaybook.com ➡️ Arne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnekoetting/ ➡️ Book free 15-min catch-up: https://bit.ly/4qm4iBC

Welcome to A Change in Conversation. The podcast that helps IT Leaders to land their Tech Change with minimal noise and maximum adoption.