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Through a series of mergers, Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon chairman and CEO, successfully shared the co-CEO title twice while building the largest telecom company in the United States. The strong and complementary cultures of the companies that Seidenberg and a key group of executives had merged was a major factor in their success. However, in the steps leading up to this, decreased revenues in their traditional wireline business intensified their dependence on the growth of wireless and broadband services. As Verizon moved into this less familiar territory, the culture that had sustained them through change would have to be evaluated as they embarked on a new wave of growth. As the future of Verizon become more dependent on business in areas that bore little resemblance to the Baby Bells, were the lessons from past successful mergers less applicable?

A new CEO, Steve Luczo, together with COO Bill Watkins, have led a turnaround of Seagate, raising productivity dramatically and increasing innovation through teamwork, cross-functional collaboration, and other transformations in the culture of this manufacturer of disk drives for computers. After going private as part of the turnaround, Seagate executed a successful public offering in 2002. Several months later, the CEO wonders how to convince investors that the capabilities built in Seagate's turnaround will help the company flourish and innovate in a demanding technology industry.

Greg Dyke, the new director general of the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) must decide whether to extend an already ambitious change effort at the world's largest public service broadcaster. The initial results of the effort are very positive: audience numbers are up, overhead costs are significantly reduced, and the organization has reduced management layers to bring the BBC closer to its viewers. However, employees say they do not feel their views are heard and feel that there is little cooperation between members of different divisions. Dyke wonders what more, if anything, can be done to address these other problems and unlock the unrealized creative potential he feels exists within the BBC. As the leader of an organization with a public service mandate but private sector competition, what can Dyke do to boost morale and creativity while satisfying his multiple constituencies?

Greg Dyke, the new director general of the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC), has launched an ambitious change program, called Making It Happen, with the objective of unlocking creativity, building a sense of common purpose, and encouraging collaboration throughout the BBC. Using unorthodox techniques, management has created a massively collaborative process that has overcome much of the natural skepticism within the organization and allowed the employees of the BBC to create a shared set of objectives for the change effort. After 10 months, employees feel that things are changing and that the culture of the BBC has improved. However, there are signs of change fatigue and Dyke must decide how much further to go while ensuring that the gains that have been made will not be lost.