Change is a dance of exploration and action. It’s fueled by the things that happen around us. And it’s shaped by how we respond to those things.
However, we often see well-meaning change-drivers attempt to eliminate uncertainty by creating a detailed assessment, plan, and communications strategy to ensure successful change. Their intent is admirable and ultimately kind: to make change predictable and therefore a less negative experience. We all know the organizational costs of vague direction and poorly communicated intent. Ouch.
But what happens – what really happens – when we are in execution mode and we find out the strategy is at odds with our day-to-day reality? What if our assumptions about strategy turn out to be wrong?
Disappointment. Withdrawal. Frustration. Resistance. Fatigue. Lack of trust in leadership. Potentially, the cost is large, in terms of lowered productivity and derailed change.
We can do better.
If we acknowledge that change is kinetic in nature, we realize that we can’t know everything in advance. That doesn’t mean we can’t plan. We need a fluid and dynamic plan, one that creates a structure around the flow of change. Around that river, we can build banks, docks, wind socks, observation stations, and even cameras and flow meters. We can explore the rocks in the river, to see what might be in the way. We can test the temperature of the water to know its physical properties. Most importantly, we can study the ecosystem of people, fishes, birds, aquatic invertebrates, and plants to understand how the flow impacts how they live, work, and play.
That’s Kinetic Change™. We offer a tangible method for building the change infrastructure (banks, docks, flow meters) that allows your ecosystem to evolve to its next stage. Contact us for more information on our human-centric approach.
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