From Governance to Ground: Service Design Without Power
What if you can see something is broken—but you don’t have the power to fix it?
This talk explores what it means to practice service design, not from a position of authority, but from the ground. Drawing on 20+ years of work with professional services firms navigating complexity, competing agendas, and cultural inertia, I’ll share what actually works when you’re trying to improve systems without a formal mandate.
We’ll unpack common misconceptions (“People are just resistant to change” “that’s a leadership issue”), reframe what influence looks like in real workplaces, and explore how people, strategy, and systems interact beneath the surface of process maps and plans. We will end with 10 practical ways to lead service design without power—and a reminder that culture is the real strategy, and trust is your most strategic tool.
Dr Anita Gisch
With over 10 years of experience in business transformation, service design, and organisational anthropology, I help complex organisations navigate the digital age and achieve sustainable growth. Holding post-graduate degrees in Business, IT Systems and Cultural Anthropology, I combine academic rigour and business acumen to design and implement end-to-end strategy and planning solutions.
My passion is to decode and transform complex organisational structures, using strategic thinking, UX design, and change management principles. I am a dynamic leader who thrives on challenges and inspires others to embrace change and innovation. If you're looking for an expert who can guide your organisation through the digital transformation maze or a thought leader who can share insights into strategic planning, organisational change, and leadership, let's connect. In my spare time, I enjoy riding horses, driving trucks, and welding.