I want to build a change army
I'll arm y'all with neuroscience, simplicity, and fierceness. And puppies.
Overheard, coming out of my own mouth:
I want to build an army of change agents.
As usual, I’m struggling at the intersection of many desires. I want to lie on my hammock and gaze at the maple leaves flitting in the wind. I want to pay my mortgage. I want to build a successful business that helps people get better at catalyzing change. I want an absolutely consuming romance with someone I deeply respect. I want to collect insects in Costa Rica. And yeah, I want a puppy.
But most of all, I want all the things I have learned about healthy organizational change to be common knowledge. If change is such an inevitable part of life, why do people, teams, and organizations struggle so much with it? Shouldn't we be good at it by now?
When we accept homogeneity in the population we would like to change, and acknowledge that humans are innately messy, we have a hope of being more effective.
Why is change so hard?
About a year ago, a dear friend and colleague looked me in the eyes and asked “Why is this all so hard”? It broke my heart a bit and I have been thinking about it ever since. It was especially poignant because my friend is a deeply experienced agilist and one of the kindest people you can imagine. He has dedicated 25 years of his professional life to helping people get better at agile practices. And, like many of us, he keeps running into walls.
Why? Why can’t good people create change just because they’re good?
Some witty person once said, “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” Author Anne Lamott says, “Everyone likes change, as long as someone else is doing it.” This echoes Leo Tolstoy, who said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
So, if the volume of pithy quotes tells us anything, change is hard, especially personal change.
But surely there’s more to say than that. Could it be that humans are messy, complicated beings, especially groups of us?
When thinking about creating change, it’s important to remember that we are not homogenous. What seems like chaos to you may be stability to someone else. Some of us were brought up in families that value consistency and gradual change, while others learned to prize adaptability and quick responses. Some people crave closure, to make a decision and stick to it. Others prefer to keep their options open, adjusting as new information comes in. And the workplace itself significantly influences our comfort with change. Large systems change slowly to maintain stability. Complex, critical systems—like life-critical software—require a cautious approach to change.
Guiding tips for change makers
When we accept homogeneity in the population we would like to change, and acknowledge that humans are innately messy, we have a hope of being more effective. The techniques that follow below all work from these premises. Enjoy these practical rules of thumb for facilitating human-centric change, synthesized and adapted from my own experience, organizational development, change advocacy, and neuroscience. 1
Be present
Start where the system is, not where you want it to be. Meet the organization where it currently stands. Strive to understand why things are they way they are.
Remember to assume positive intent. As Jerry Weinberg said, regardless of how it looks, people are trying to be helpful. The *ways* in which they are trying to help tell you a lot about what they think is important. In turn, this tells you something about why things are the way they are.
Be kind to brains
Use storytelling to explain the change and its benefits. Stories are easier to remember and more inspiring than “do this because I say so.”
Create a sense of community and support to help employees cope with change. Humans are social animals.
Be aware of cognitive biases that can affect decision-making during change. All our brains are messy and we can all use help with our blind spots.
Navigate resistance
Never work uphill: Don’t force change against too much resistance.
Don’t build hills as you go: Avoid creating new obstacles.
Understand and address the emotional responses to change to reduce resistance.
Lean in to empathy. If folks are resisting, it’s probably because something they value deeply appears to be at risk. Learning what that is can help reveal your path.
Make it easy
Focus on areas with the most potential for success.
Don’t use one when two could do it: Simplify processes where possible.
Don’t over-organize — The detailed plan may soothe your inner perfectionist, but it creates complexity that may add to stress. It’s also likely to change, which makes much of your planning effort a waste.
Live to fight another day
Sometimes, subtle resistance is more effective than outright rebellion.
Don’t sacrifice yourself for a cause you don’t want to be your last.
Don’t argue if you can’t win: Choose your battles wisely.
When you can, be pounce
Occasionally, take decisive action.
Seize opportunities as they arise.
Light many small fires
Set up trials, experiments, and POCs to maximize the likelihood of success.
Light many fires: Spread enthusiasm and innovation widely, to increase the likelihood that something will catch.
Focus on small, incremental changes that can build up to significant transformation over time.
Build your community
Innovation requires a good idea, initiative, and a few friends: Cultivate a supportive network.
Engage and mobilize others in legitimate, powerful ways to build momentum.
Stay positive and forward-looking. You catch more flies with sugar.
Let me know which of these resonate for you. As always, I appreciate your comments and shares!
Synthesized and adapted from:
Herbert A. Shepard's "OD Practitioner" (Vol 7, No 3, Nov 1975)
Debra Meyerson’s "Rocking the Boat"
Hilary Scarlett’s "Neuroscience for Organizational Change"
I might know (or be) that guy 😉. Thanks for the insight!