Yesterday (dot #4521), I wrote about the book Reset and the first strategy of Finding Leverage Points. Once you have found them, you need to deploy the second strategy of Restacking Resources in order to capitalize on the leverage you identified.
Author Dan Heath is intentional about “restacking” and acknowledges that for most, there will be no new staff or resource allocations forthcoming. By reallocating the assets you do have, organizations can make an impact on its outcomes. Six ways to consider restacking:
- Start with a Burst — Kick off your change effort with a concentrated sprint of activity
- Recycle Waste — Waste = anything that doesn’t equal value in your customer’s eyes, especially downtime
- Do Less and Do More — Change is not AND; it’s INSTEAD of. Swap out where you place effort
- Tap Motivation — Finding the intersection of “what’s required” and “what’s desired”
- Let People Drive — Provide guardrails for alignment but allow autonomy in the change effort
- Accelerate Learning — Find ways to gather feedback quickly and make adjustments
The strategies in Reset can help break through the excuses and inertia that develop when change seems overwhelming or progress is stagnant. Instead of lamenting that you don’t have “more,” consider some of these ideas to restack and reenergize what you do have.
Source: Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working by Dan Heath, 2025
