They Won’t Adopt My Idea

They Won’t Adopt My Idea

From Aunty Treacle by Anna Keen and Stuart Hughes

November 5, 2025 · 57 min

About this episode

In this episode, Anna, Stuart, and guest Crystal Danbury discuss strategies for influencing change in resistant organizations.

In this episode, Anna, Stuart, and guest Crystal Danbury tackle a challenge many professionals will recognise: “Dear Aunty Treacle, I’m struggling to drive change in an organisation that seems deeply resistant to it. I have ideas to improve safety and even have support from colleagues, but senior operational leaders won’t listen. They’re not open to experimenting, even with low-risk suggestions. I keep hitting a wall and it’s wearing me down. How do I influence change when the resistance is coming from powerful leaders? How do I keep going, or is this a sign I should stop trying?” Crystal brings honesty and hard-won experience from complex, high-stakes environments to explore how to build influence, create momentum and protect your energy when the door won’t budge (yet). Together, they unpack practical ways to connect your ideas to what the business cares about, and when to persist, pivot or pause. Key Topics Covered: Conscious vs. unconscious change - creating want/need and shifting language, not just launching projects Start with their win - link your proposal to the organisation’s mission, metrics and pain points Stakeholder conversations that land - ask what success looks…

People in this episode

Hosts: Anna, Stuart

Guest: Crystal Danbury

Topics covered

  • driving change
  • influence
  • organizational resistance
  • stakeholder engagement
  • energy management

Keywords

  • safety improvement
  • change management
  • business communication
  • organizational culture

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Spoonfuls

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