Philosophy of Change

Introduction

For change to occur outwardly, it must first occur inwardly; and for this outward change to endure, change must be made meaningful to all those involved. When we speak of change, we use words like “systems” and “organizations,” but what we must remember is that systems and organizations are made up of humans. As such, change must be a human-oriented process; it must be anchored to individual qualities, such as purpose and conviction, while being responsive to group needs, such as support and motivation.

As with all efforts that are human, any sort of taxonomical structure may be aesthetically appealing, but it has a limited bearing on reality. As such, the foundation of any theory of change, irrespective of how it’s presented, must be rooted in three qualities: experimentation, flexibility, and inclusivity. It must also have a clearly defined purpose and direction, which should account for outcomes that promote collective capacity-building. In accordance with this model, change is much like a snowball rolling down a hill, gaining mass and momentum as it travels. This transfer of power or gradual release of responsibility is the key to sustainability in the face of uncertainty, chaos, and rapid change.

Starting with Self

As Heifetz says, we must see ourselves as a system. Before we can enact or inspire change, we must first look inward to understand our own complexities, contradictions, and deeply held values, beliefs, and loyalties. In doing so, we can identify our strengths, our vulnerabilities, and our deficits. We can also take the time to further develop our repertoire of leadership techniques -- our proverbial toolkit -- in order to ensure that when we begin to approach the process of change, we are mix and matching our skills to meet the needs of the situation, or, conversely, recognizing our own shortcomings and employing the expertise of others. This process of devoting time to self-analysis, allows for us to diagnose who we are, where we’re heading, and how we might get there. In short, in the way a pianist rehearses before a concert, adaptive change can only come about from a leader who has put in the necessary work in advance of introducing a new initiative, program, or policy.

Setting the Stage

Change might be experimental and raggedy and unpredictable, but it should never be flippant or haphazard. When we set the stage, we are doing our due diligence by conducting audit of the people and systems that together form the complex models that comprise an organization. Establishing an intimate knowledge with the components that comprise an organization also affords a change leader the perspective and insight to identify possible leverage points – those places where a small shift in one thing can result in a big change in everything. The goal of this stage is to begin to cultivate a shared sense of purpose by co-creating a vision that stakeholders can coalesce around, as the relationship-building and work on collective efficacy helps stakeholders to gain greater clarify on their individual roles and how their respective actions can lead to collective change.

Supporting Change

Adaptive change must be responsive and iterative. It must never be static or grow stagnant. For adaptive change to be successful, it must be supported on a structural and cultural level. In other words, support for change must exist beneath the surface – it must go beyond high-fives and faculty breakfasts. The first step in shifting the structural paradigm of an organization must be the speed at which information is gathered, evaluated, and responded to. If you’re trying to adjust a system, but you receive delayed information, your response will be asymmetrical to the system’s needs. The same asymmetry will result from receiving timely information but a delay in response. An organization must think of itself more as a speed boat rather than a cruise ship if it hopes to support change. Second, organizations must be learning-oriented, meaning there is a commitment and openness to learning. In such an organization, people at all levels are comfortable with and confident in declaring what they do not know and need to discover. This mindset allows for inquiry and experimentation to be the driving force of the change process. Finally, organizations must commit to a culture of “mistake literacy.” Many organizations know that inquiry, experimentation, and reflective capacity are key drivers in the change process, but how many seek to develop a collective capacity for knowing what to do once the data has been collected? How does one actually learn from errors and implement course corrections in real-time?

Sustaining Change

Finally, the value of change is measured by its sustainability. Short-term solutions and quick fixes can oftentimes exacerbate a problem. For lasting change to occur, an organization must become prevention-focused, as opposed to solution-focused, which is only possible when change is examined and processed through multiple lenses. One such method to encourage and facilitate perspective would be by conducting ongoing process-use and utilization-focused evaluations. The very act of conducting such evaluations can spur changes in the thinking, attitudes, and behavior of stakeholders, and program or organizational changes in procedures and culture. By conducting such evaluations, all stakeholders are asked to get up on the balcony. From the balcony, we invite people with different points of views of problems, causes, and solutions, and account for the external patterns and trends that may be larger than ourselves, but are still very much our responsibility, as we remember that challenges and their solutions are interconnected and transdisciplinary by nature. By being on the balcony together, equity is emphasized, inclusivity is embedded, and capacity is made collective.