Standing still in today’s business environment is not an option if you are to survive and thrive. But navigating your way through change can be complex, challenging and daunting. Business Morphology is here to help break down this complexity.

No matter what sector you’re in or what challenges your organization is facing, there are five fundamental levers that you can apply to effect real change.

This book explores each of those five levers through a Morphology Map – an easy-to-use visual tool to help guide your thinking and prioritisation, and create a plan of action to help ensure you reach your outcomes. As an added bonus, there is also a Morphology Map to help you maximise your own personal impact too.

Julie Nerney, MBA, CDir, FloD has been a serial entrepreneur, and is now a business transformation expert, spanning private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Geoff Robins BSc, PhD has led a number of major transformation programmes in the private and public sectors and is now a strategic advisor and Non-Executive Director.

‘A comprehensive, practical guide focusing on the intricacies of navigating all forms of business change. It is relatively quick and easy to read and includes multiple tools, ideas, tips, real life case studies and chapter summaries which are all ideal for future reference – The HR Director

A superb guide to the key aspects of managing transformation projects to ensure not only the survival but also the growth of businesses. – Amazon 5*

Excellent and concise guide to how to set solid foundations for delivering a transformation journey. The real life experiences shine through. – Amazon 5*

Highly recommended to any organisation embarking on change. – Amazon 5*

This is a book for the real world. If you are hungry to change your organization, then read it and act on it. Seth Kybird, CEO, Nuclear Transport Solutions

Business Morphology is a clever, succinct, aide memoire which neatly captures and brings to life five principal levers aimed at helping those looking to drive meaningful change within their organization. Whether you’re a small business owner or the CEO of a large corporation, this book will help you navigate the complex world of business change, offering practical advice and real-world examples to help you succeed. Godfrey McFall, Chair, Oryxalign

This is an engaging and practical guide which will be a welcome addition to the change management literature. Unlike some other texts, it avoids case studies based on mega enterprises or distant corporations which are irrelevant to most practitioners. In place, this is a readable and practical book that you can actually use! Alun Griffiths, Non-Executive Director

Change is an unchanging fact of life, especially in business. No matter how carefully one tracks the growth of a commercial enterprise, change will happen, planned or otherwise. Navigating this is one of the real keys to business success. Here, Julie Nerney and Geoff Robins have used their decades of experience transforming businesses, or advising them in times of crisis, to provide the reader with invaluable commercial insight. Simon Elliott, Managing Director, Sentinel

Successful change demands real clarity – and Business Morphology offers leaders just that. Leading change is knowing how to navigate through, and this totally readable book gives a path and plenty of ideas to follow. Successful change is down to people and their ability to engage, so it’s great to see a chapter on maximizing personal impact. This excellent book is brimming with shared experience, tips and how-to’s for change leaders. ‘Be purposeful, do interesting work, make a difference’ – I couldn’t agree more! Nick Diprose, Founding Partner, Holdsway

If there’s one thing that we can be certain about the coming years, there will be more change, and it will happen quicker than ever. Standing still is not an option, so businesses must learn to embrace this change. Business Morphology should be considered a key tool for business leaders to support that shift. Neil Witten, Adviser, Entrepreneur, Podcast Host and Author

Delivering meaningful change is a daunting task, but this book provides a clear and concise roadmap for achieving it. The five-point framework and Morphology Maps presented in the book are rooted in solid, proven, best practice; but what sets this book apart is the authors’ ability to translate theory into a highly practical and accessible guide based on their decades of real-world experience. The case studies are relevant and thought-provoking, and remind us again and again that change is about people… and planning! If you’re looking for a roadmap to deliver meaningful change that actually works, this book is a great start point. David Ashcroft, Founder and Director, Stratex Plus

Business Morphology offers the toolkit every business leader needs to navigate the complexities of change for their business in this rapidly changing world. It offers tangible solutions for approaching the many challenges that come with change. A must read. Lauren Grimwood, Global Director of Transformation, Kin+Carta

Business Morphology is a great read for any business leader. It outlines what you must consider to effectively change your organization, but more importantly shares how to act on it to achieve the change. It lays out useful tools (I am already adopting Morphology Maps), outlines the key levers for change, and provides real world guidance in a way which is clear and digestible. It also puts a focus on culture which underpins all successful transformation activity. I look forward to applying much of this personally. Dan Wright, Founder and Managing Director, Monochrome Consultancy

We are operating in a challenging environment, heavily reliant upon fast moving technology. However, the human factor has never been more important or indeed relevant as it is today. Organisations must constantly assess and then respond to those challenges. It is, in many instances, a metamorphosis of their business. This is why this highly intelligent and insightful book has an important message to impart to organizations who are committed to success through these challenging times. Allan Cook CBE DSc FREng, Chairman High Value Manufacturing Catapult

Successful and effective change is difficult. This book distils the essence of the pillars of change (the 5 levers) and gives a smart tool through the Morphology Map to continually focus on the critical activities of the ‘what’ and ‘who’ of communication and engagement to really maximize success. Mike Luntz, Director Strategy and Transformation, World Rugby

Whichever wise and learned person said change is a constant did not live in the 21st century. There is nothing constant about our pace of change. Every few years it is exponentially accelerated. For businesses trying to keep up with the pace of change is no mean feat and you need tried and tested principles and frameworks that cut through and help you deliver value and progress. There is a wealth of information out there, but this book provides the signal through the noise and enables you to accelerate your own progress to deliver impactful change. A vital guide for transformation success. Lindsay Ratcliffe, Chief Product Officer – Europe, Kin+Carta

Foreword by Tim Morris, Emeritus Professor of Oxford University Said Business School

Preface

Chapter 1. Morphology Maps: Navigating Change

Chapter 2. Modifying Your Operating Model

Chapter 3. Product or Service Diversification

Chapter 4. Mergers and Acquisitions

Chapter 5. People

Chapter 6. Culture

Chapter 7. Maximising Your Personal Impact

Chapter 8. Bringing it all together

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Index

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback and eBook Bundle / October 24, 2023 / £22.49

Hardback / 9781788605625 / October 24, 2023 / £29.99

Paperback / 9781788604741 / October 24, 2023 / £19.99

Ebook / 9781788604765 / October 23, 2023 / £9.99

Julie Nerney

Julie Nerney, MBA, Chartered Director (CDir), Fellow of the Institute of Directors (FIoD)
Julie was a serial entrepreneur, starting, running and selling 14 business in the UK and overseas. She then had a successful interim career as a business transformation expert, spanning private, public and not for profit sectors. These ranged from complex change programmes through to whole organizational turnarounds and high profile projects, including a leadership role in the delivery of the transport operation for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. She has experience of every stage of the organizational life cycle from start up through to disposals and acquisitions, and has worked in dozens of Executive and CEO roles. Her transformation work is complemented by a varied portfolio of Chair and NED roles, she is a guest lecturer at Oxford Said Business School, public speaker and author. Whilst her experience has real breadth and depth, Julie is struck by the commonality across the hundreds of organizations she has worked with. Regardless of why there are there, how teams and leaders approach their work is a far bigger determinant than what they do. The what is important, but it is the how which is the game changer.

Geoff Robins

Geoff Robins, BSc, Ph.D
Geoff was educated at Liverpool University, where he studied Physics. After an early career working for the UK Government, Geoff turned to the private sector, operating and leading technical consulting organizations ranging from SMEs to a major portfolio within a UK Plc. Along the way Geoff was involved in the acquisition and sale of a range of different organisations including two management buy outs. Latterly Geoff was the Transformation Director for two major Government organizations, both of which employed thousands of staff throughout the UK and overseas. He is now a strategic advisor and Non-Executive Director to a number organizations in sectors that are high growth and fast moving

Away from work Geoff has a passion for sport and has been responsible for the management and growth in the participation and engagement of volunteers to achieve exceptional outcomes through collective endeavours. This experience has been invaluable in his working life in terms of getting buy-in and motivating people to go the extra mile.