The IBM Center report, “A Leader’s Guide to Transformation:  Developing a Playbook for Successful Change Initiatives,” is by Robert Reisner, the former vice president for strategy at the U.S.

The space shuttle was a remarkable technological creation— perhaps the most complex machine ever built. It was also an extraordinary government program. It began officially in 1972, when President Richard Nixon authorized its start. It ended in July 2011 when the last shuttle landed safely. The lifetime cost of the program was $209 billion.

These types of challenges run the gamut from the 2008 meltdown of the global financial system to the Y2K challenge, pandemics, and natural and man-made disasters. Many are more difficult to anticipate, get out in front of, and handle. In most manifestations, they don’t follow orderly and linear processes.

It is within this context that we’ve assembled a varied group of government executives and thought leaders who are focusing on these problems and working to mitigate their effects. They offer their insights, lessons learned, and recommendations on these topics. It’s about connecting research to practice--crafting smart approaches that tame immediate demands without losing sight of the iterative nature of problem solving. This goes to the core of the Center’s mission: linking theory to practice as a way of shaping the business of government.

For a decade, The Business of Government Hour has brought you leading government executives who are changing the way government does business. Each week, our guests join us for an informative, insightful, and in-depth conversation about their careers, their agencies, agency accomplishments, as well as their vision of government in the 21st century.  Over last five years, we have interviewed more than 350 government executives. It is from this rich library that we have culled together their insights on important public management issues.

In our last post, we introduced two of the five Cs for effective change, credibility and communication. Today, we will discuss the remaining three C's. Comprehensiveness

We’ve all heard it: Change is hard. I’m too set in my ways to change now. Can’t we just go back to the old way of getting our work done? The truth is—yes, change can be hard. It is widely reported that more than 80% of projects fail to accomplish their intended goals, mainly because of change “issues.” But change is not bad—in fact, when changing for the right reasons, change is good. Often, change is what is absolutely required for organizations to thrive, stay competitive, cut costs, and even survive. And while change may be hard, it is by no means impossible.

A decade into the 21st century in the U.S. has encountered many unforeseen challenges and seemingly unimaginable opportunities. In the midst of these shifting dimensions, many are questioning the proper use of power, leadership, and security among the relations of nations to meet the demands of an ever complex world. What is smart power? How do the challenges of the 21st century demand a reshaping and a redefining of leadership? How best can national security leaders transform the intelligence enterprise to meet the security needs of today?

Ms. McGrath leads the Department’s efforts to better synchronize, integrate and coordinate DoD business operations

The September 2011 issue of the Harvard Business Review has a great article, “Smart Rules:  Six Ways to Get People to Solve Problems Without You,” by Yves Morieux, which provides useful advice to busy managers in large organizations.  While he focuses solely on private sector companies, the insights and lessons he offers are clearly relevant to the public sector.  This is especially true when it comes to implementing President Obama’s