If I could only make one change in an organization, I might change the culture of accepting change.
- Not a specific program.
- Not the organizational chart.
- Not the meeting structure.
- Not even the strategy.
I would work to create a culture where change is expected, evaluated wisely, and embraced when it helps us fulfill the mission.
Here’s what I’ve learned –
If you have to fight the same battle every time something changes, eventually you stop having the energy to lead forward.
Leadership almost always involves change. You can have change without leadership, but I’m not sure you can have leadership without change.
Organizations change. Communities change. Technology changes. Generations change. The people we are trying to reach change.
Our mission and core convictions may remain the same, but the methods we use to accomplish them must continually be evaluated.
The healthiest organizations I’ve led weren’t necessarily those that changed the most. They were the ones that became increasingly comfortable asking –
Is there a better way to do this?
That doesn’t mean every new idea is a good idea.
- Some changes should be rejected.
- Others need more time.
- Some require better communication.
- And every significant change affects real people, so wise leaders never treat change casually.
But there is a tremendous difference between evaluating a change and automatically resisting it.
Over time, leaders can help build a healthy rhythm of change.
- You celebrate wins.
- Explain the why.
- Listen to concerns.
- Allow people to contribute ideas.
- Admit when something didn’t work.
And you keep exposing the organization to new possibilities.
Eventually something begins to happen. Change stops automatically feeling like a threat.
People become more adaptable. They start bringing ideas rather than simply protecting old ones. Instead of asking, Why are we changing this? – they are more willing to ask, Could this help us accomplish the mission better?
That changes everything.
If I could make only one change in a struggling organization, I wouldn’t start by changing everything.
I would work to change the way the organization thinks about change.
Because once a culture becomes willing to change, almost everything else becomes easier to change.
