Creating a relational approach to change
The only constant in life is change…
Change is a core theme of the work I do and I’m guessing that if you’re reading this and work inside an organisation, that you’re probably going through some kind of change process or programme. Research shows that in 2022 employees experienced on average 10 change initiatives. A client I was speaking to the other day in describing the amount of change in their organisation said, “I like change – but even for me this is too much!”
And that’s just experience inside organisations. In the wider world, the pace of change, unexpected shocks and the tragedies of conflict continue. Put these together with our day-to-day expected and unexpected, more and less wanted changes, the philosopher Heraclitus had it right when he said, “The only constant in life is change”.
Human factors most commonly get in the way of achieving successful organisational change....
Most resources and energy in organisational change programmes go into building a rationale, setting a vision, building a strategy and mobilising leadership. These are essential elements and transformational levers for change. But they tend to focus on the doing aspects of change rather than the being (emotions, behaviours, wellness and relationships) which are critical for resourcing us through change. Ironically these are often labelled as the ‘soft elements’ of change yet are most commonly experienced as hard to manage and can undermine successful change.
In an academic review of literature identifying factors that get in the way of the successful implementation of organisational change, the top five most cited factors weren’t lack of resources (although that was the 6th most cited factor) or unclear strategy or goals (factor number 8), they were human and relational, including (in order from the top):
Insufficient education and training
Lack of employee’s involvement
Lack of top management support
Poor leadership and management
Lack of an appropriate organisational culture
Understanding how to take a more relational approach to change.....
Last year, Al Pacifico-France and I ran a series of open conversations exploring a relational approach to transformational change using 3 questions to guide us: Why is a relational approach to transformation important? What’s my relationship with transformation? and How can I support a more relational approach to transformation at work? Here are three insights from our conversations with some self-reflective questions that I hope you’ll find useful to explore in better understanding your own and others relationship with change.
Support emotional and psychological transitions through change.
Even if we like or enjoy change (sometimes evoking positive energy and emotions), our reactions to change can be influenced by the amount of change we’re experiencing and the type of change we’re experiencing. Some of us love planned change but struggle more with the unexpected. Some of us revel in change where the way forward is uncertain and others yearn for a more predictable journey. The emotions we experience as we transition through change can also shift often, for example, from fear, denial or possibly relief as something ends, to confusion, fatigue or possibly curiosity as we begin to move from one state to another and then finally to feeling excitement or greater positivity as the new beginning takes shape and embeds.
Neuroscience helps us understand that essentially our brains find change hard and that uncertainty can trigger a threat response. This draws energy away from our prefrontal cortex which we use for analysis and reason. As a result, we begin to see small threats as larger than they are or threats where none exist (e.g. ‘why wasn’t I invited to that meeting?’). This feeling of threat is contagious. If our colleagues or leaders are feeling anxious, however hard they might think they are hiding it, generally it leaks out. As our energy focuses on threat, arguably at a time when it’s most important to work together, without a focus on working with our emotions often our behaviours and relationships at work suffer.
Ask yourself:
1. What emotions am I experiencing in relation to change?
2. How similar or different are my emotions to those of others – and how do I know?
3. How do I need to show up for others to acknowledge and work constructively with the current emotions around change?
Approach resistance to change as a valuable resource rather than a battle.
People resist change for good reason. They may not fully understand the rationale, they may see the benefits of the current system that others are unaware of, or the risks in the change that have not been anticipated and may threaten the wellbeing of the organisation. Gestalt approaches to organisational leadership and change help us understand resistance as a healthy and vital part of the system. Resistance is an energy. The last thing any leader or organisation wants is no response to or energy for the vision for change! Viewed in this way, the resistors become a vital source of data and insights for those leading change.
Ask yourself:
1. Where am I experiencing resistance to change and how am I responding to this?
2. What curiosities and assumptions about the resistance am I holding and how can I check these out?
3. What am I learning about how people who are resisting the change need? e.g. more involvement, training or communication
Dial up learning and dial down needing to know the right answer.
Organisations today are increasingly working with unexpected and complex changes in the external environment leading to the need to respond and adapt internally. As the misty picture at the top of this blog shows, sometimes it’s harder to see far into the distance when change is occurring. In this age of complexity, the most critical capabilities for leaders are to constantly learn, adapt and collaborate. Rarely is there one right answer and seldom can one or just a few people clearly see the whole picture. Conversely, being able to tap into a diversity of views and experiences becomes even more important.
Ask yourself:
1. What insights can I draw from people with different perspectives from me?
2. What’s going on in our immediate and wider context that we need to pay attention to?
3. What’s most important to do now and what’s possible?
I’d love to hear from you! Get in touch here if you’d like to know more about how I can help you in working better together through change or to stay connected.