We have all heard, in the last few years, the modern mantra from the business field: the only constant is change. Therefore, the capacity to change, to adapt, to be flexible are by definition considered qualities, while resistance to change, the need to keep the status quo of some things, are defects, downsides or parts that need improving.
I would dare challenge this mantra and say that perhaps it is better to manage change while appreciating continuity. Or, to quote a bit from one of our classics authors, I welcome change, as long as it stays the same, overall.
In the two and a half months of working from home we made, many of us, various scenarios; that people will become better, more introspective, that values will be redefined, that the shapes without substance will be a thing of the past, post-pandemic management will be more humane, we will all be more responsible, towards ourselves, to what we need to do, to others around us, to society.
I went through a park on Pentecost Monday. It was full of people, adults, children, in larger or smaller groups, without masks. It was as if I was in a painting from last summer, where the pandemic did not exist, when there was no worry. It seemed as if nothing had changed; as if it hadn’t affected us, we are not that careful anymore.
The bright side is that we are not afraid (anymore) of the virus. We treat it with indifference. We casually pass by each other, we pay cash for the ice cream in the park, we play in the grass, we meet in smaller or larger groups. However, when we go to a store, we are more careful. We follow the rules, wearing a mask, keeping our distance, as if we are more reserved, suspicious.
I noticed a great reluctance however, to going back to the office. We prefer working from home, not meeting other people, protecting ourselves.
I invite you to look around: what has changed?
Is it that we just perceive the changes, while ignoring what remains constant, and we get the feeling that everything is in constant motion?
People have not changed, our habits are the same, maybe, here and there, traits are more accentuated. Those with a lot of energy, willingness to take action and dedication will distinguish even more from those with a cloud above their heads, from those whose public enemy is their manager, from those who see nothing good apart from themselves, or from managers who use the pandemic to fire people who they hired themselves.
Stability and continuity are at the foundation of our experiences. Prolonged change means chaos, anarchy. Change make sense if it is juxtaposed with continuity. Thus, I propose we appreciate stability too, while keeping an eye towards transformation, change.
As always, avoiding taking action is more attractive for some of us.
The force of resistance is greater than that of action.
Remember how difficult it is for people to restart after coming from holidays. After 2-3 weeks, they come back, and it seems as if that was the only reality of their lives. It takes another week to become more energetic and to start work. It is about the same right now: we forcibly entered the pandemic, we did what we could to adapt, and now it seems that is how we worked the whole time. Now, many would not want to work from the office, but it seems they do not like it from home either. It is now that we need to increase our mobility. Change is a goal and technological advances push us towards it. We need to adapt.
Let’s take a look at some theorists:
Kotter proposed an 8-step model for change:
Establishing a sense of urgency
Forming a powerful coalition
The definition of a vision and of a strategy
Communicating the vision and strategy
Empowering as many people as possible
Obtaining some immediate victories, to create momentum
Consolidating earnings and accelerating change
Anchoring the new practices in the organisation’s culture
It is a model that has been written a lot about, used a lot, but in moments of crisis it seems that something more agile is needed.
Such a model, apparently simpler, is by Kurt Lewin: unfreezing – changing – refreezing. The model was developed in the first part of the 20th century and the idea emerged from the changing shape of an ice cube (that melts, changes, refreezes).
His model reminds me of Ayse Birsel’s design principle: deconstruction – reconstruction. She applies design thinking principles and rethinks objects, processes. The idea is to take an object, a process, to decompose it, to put aside how it was before, to think from the user’s perspective, and to propose something different.
Deconstructing the current reality is useful if we want to change our perspective, to see things differently, in order to construct a new reality that is more than the sum of its parts.
We live in a period with many constraints. How about we see those constraints as opportunities? It is as if our current life’s picture were made of Lego pieces, metaphorically speaking, and as we disassemble everything, we can create from the same pieces a new painting.