Too Much of a Good Thing?

Friday, January 01, 2010

By David Falk

 

Imagine an organization stuck in a change process, where leaders continuously try to sell the virtues of change to an increasingly disheartened staff.  Now imagine being invited to lead a workshop with this organization on the topic of embracing change.

 

Several years ago I received such a request. As I discussed the needs of the group with the manager and director, I discovered that they were concerned with a growing resistance to change, interpersonal tensions, and a decrease in both morale and productivity in the team. The director explained that the problems mainly stemmed from a nationwide structural change initiative, which was both extensive and extended. The local office had no control over the nature, timetable or process of implementation. While management saw a significant opportunity for their department within the new structure, the extended process had resulted in high levels of anxiety and speculation about job security amongst the staff.

 

This task was going to be a huge challenge.  How could I meet management’s request to preach “change is good” to a group of staff already exhausted and stressed by it? As I discussed what leadership had done over the past few months to address their concerns, I discovered that supervisors, managers and even the director had already given “pep talks” at several staff meetings. These talks, they admitted, had exactly the opposite intended impact.  They had concluded that it was time to bring in a “professional” who could really deliver a motivational message on how embracing change was vital to their current wellness and future success. The chance of having any success with their plan seemed unlikely.  I needed to find a way to accomplish their goal in a way that also respected and met the needs of the staff. Fortunately I had recently taken a session on polarity management, which I drew on to manage these seemingly conflicting needs.

 

After some discussion, we agreed to hold a session titled “Finding stability in the midst of change”, which would unpack the polarity that exists between these two extremes. Both stability and change in the absence of the other leads to a build up of serious problems. Pursuing change and neglecting stability causes confusion, anxiety, chaos and burnout. Pursuing stability to the neglect of change can kill an organization with stagnation.

 

During the seminar the team worked together to map out the tangible benefits of both change and stability as well as the negative results that occur when one pole is focused on to the neglect of the other. As we discussed the negative impact of over-focusing on change, there was a sense of relief in the room.  Finally, it was all right to admit and acknowledge their anxiety. Their experience was understandable, in fact predictable.  To address their anxiety and move out of the negative dynamic caused by over-focusing on change, they had to start by identifying what they could currently do to find some stability in their workplace. Leadership listened and acknowledged the staff’s struggles which allowed the staff to feel safe enough to share specific concerns. Management was then able to respond by providing some practical tools and resources for their office as well as the reassurance around job security that was much needed.  This created the space and motivation for staff to work with leadership in embracing the new structures.

   

Successful organizations find ways of pursuing both stability and change. The predictability, consistency, competence and security that stability provides can actually enable and complement the innovation, growth, energy and new opportunities that come with change.

 

If you have to change, or are tired of changing, search for some sources of stability to ground yourself. Change is good, but only when we have enough stability in our lives to enable us to receive and integrate what is new.