Change Signal How to Start a Change Initiative. Bryan Walker
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May 6, 2026 Bryan Walker, longtime IDEO partner and design-thinking leader, shares a different approach to organizational change. He talks about starting small, iterating between understanding, imagining and doing. He explains building movements not mandates, immersing leaders in frontline work, using real projects to surface needed shifts, and turning early wins into lasting identity change.
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Iterate Between See Imagine Make
- Change succeeds when teams iterate between understanding the current reality, imagining a future, and making it real.
- Bryan Walker says too many programs run linearly from structure to behavior instead of prototyping through action to reveal needed shifts.
Gurney Ceiling Moment That Built Empathy
- Bryan Walker recounted lying on a hospital gurney to see patients' ceiling view and spark empathy.
- He and colleagues played that gurney-ceiling video for executives to make patient experience real in a meeting.
Use Real Work As The Change Vehicle
- Use the actual work (like launching a new offer) as the vehicle for change rather than a separate change program.
- Walker keeps executives close to the launch action so they see real friction, risk constraints, and learn why processes exist.