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Dr. Jordan Thurston: Redefining Change Through The Dragonfly Construct

Blog > Dr. Jordan Thurston: Redefining Change Through The Dragonfly Construct

Dr. Jordan Thurston is the author of Walk Among the Dragonflies, creator of The Dragonfly Construct, SSBM Geneva Alumnus, and DBA mentor, who has developed an innovative framework that reimagines process improvement through adaptability, collaboration, and continuous change, empowering leaders and individuals alike to challenge the status quo and drive meaningful transformation.

SSBM Book Recommendation

How did your experiences inspire ‘Walk Among the Dragonflies’ and the Dragonfly Construct?

I saw a need in the market for a different approach to process improvement, which inspired the book. The Dragonfly Construct is a process improvement methodology that compares the lifecycle of a dragonfly to the first 6 months in a new role and how leaders can drive strategic change management. It was a unique concept that hadn’t been studied or written about prior, giving me free reign to build something new and share it with everyone in a book.

The Dragonfly Construct emphasizes adaptability and collaboration—can you briefly explain how this framework works in practice?

The Dragonfly Construct allows leaders, new and existing, to make meaningful improvements to processes in the workplace. It incorporates different mindsets into each of the 3 stages (Egg, Larva, and Adult) to ensure they understand the purpose of the process, over-communicate, gather feedback, and identify any interdependencies prior to making changes. It creates a formal structure and plan of action for individuals to leverage when challenging the status quo. I also created the Dragonfly Construct Framework for organizations to use to drive meaningful organizational change, incorporating optimization & productivity, client centricity, compliance & control, and innovation. This demonstrates the adaptability and collaborative nature of the process improvement methodology.

How did the experience of being a part of SSBM Geneva shape your approach when writing your book?

SSBM’s DBA program helped me improve my approach to writing by breaking down the steps and creating outlines like my dissertation.

Can individuals outside corporate environments, such as entrepreneurs or educators, apply the Dragonfly Construct in meaningful ways?

The Dragonfly Construct can be used by anyone (e.g., entrepreneurs, educators, parents) as it is simply a shift in mindset to push oneself to drive change in their everyday life. While someone may not work in a corporate environment, they can leverage the Dragonfly Construct, whereby processes become daily routines that can be further improved on. Additionally, the book contains case studies that can be used at universities, company off-sites, general teambuilding exercises, and even by parents wanting to rethink their daily routines.

What key message or transformation do you hope readers take away from Walk Among the Dragonflies?

No matter where you are in your company, you can drive meaningful change by challenging the status quo. Even enhancing the smallest process can make a difference in the workplace.