The DeLTA change model is a powerful approach for leading change in more traditional companies where there may not initially be strong leadership support or an official change mandate. Rather than waiting for the perfect moment, DeLTA allows us to accelerate adoption by leveraging existing habits and processes as catalysts for change.

At its core, DeLTA focuses on incrementally improving eight key organizational habits that help the change become contagious. For each habit, we look for small ways to get better that align with current ways of working. This lowers resistance while steadily driving improvements in collaboration, execution, and innovation capacity.

As an experienced change consultant, we've seen how effective DeLTA can be in traditional environments. Rather than overhauling everything at once and hitting resistance, it meets people where they are. Small wins build momentum and appetite for continuous improvement.

Let's walk through the eight habits:

• First we focus on habits that prepare minds for change—things like sharing individual perspectives to build shared understanding, clarifying collective purpose, and envisioning the ideal future state. Making little improvements in how teams collaborate and align early on lays the foundation.

• Then we look at execution habits—how can we get better at running small tests quickly? How do we build skills in prototyping ideas, validating what works, and reflecting openly on results? Enhancing these organizational muscles accelerates learning.

With each full cycle of the DeLTA loop, capabilities compound. Like a flywheel, it picks up speed through the momentum of small, sustainable improvements over time. Rather than wholesale change, DeLTA succeeds through patience, meeting people where they are, and unlocking the potential in existing structures. With care and persistence, it can gradually transform any organization.