Viral Change - Concept and Development

Concept and Development

The Viral Change model proposes that the traditional approach to change does not work effectively because it is too focused on processes. Change that is, linear, mechanistic, driven from the top of the organisation downwards, encompassing a big set of complex actions is often too process driven. By focusing on a small set of carefully chosen and non-negotiable behaviours, the Viral Change method serves to create and/or change the culture of the organisation through peer influence. The approach taps into the organisation behind the organisational chart. Three quarters of workplace conversations occur in the informal social networks and collaborative space that are active behind the scenes.

By recognising and tapping into these informal social networks within the organisation, behaviours are spread from person to person to create an internal infection of a new and more successful culture. Viral Change adapts scale-free networks laws to the spread of change, whether new ideas, new ways of working, improving utilisation of technology, cultural change or any other ‘change approach’ that organisations may need. The distribution of influence in scale-free networks follows a power law (logarithmic) where a relatively small number of people are well connected and the majority of people are not.