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Have you ever heard or read something that stays with you and just won't let go? Perhaps at first you didn't agree with it or it flew in the face of convention, but over time the concept became a window in your worldview -- the 'oh no' that morphed into an 'ah hah'. I have, and here it is -- "Change looks revolutionary only in retrospect" 1
Change is everyone's job. Change is not the sole work of the CEO and upper management. I once worked with a large corporation that was suffering from a decade of decline. The executive leadership team was exhausted, defensive and stuck. It was suggested in a meeting that the opinions and ideas of their entire workforce be solicited to inform how the company could reinvent itself. The CFO adamantly objected, "If we ask them they will think that we don't know what we are doing." To which the CEO responded, "They already think that." Such a scenario is not that uncommon in today's boardrooms. The reality is that the opposite is true. A leader who solicits advice, ideas, and help is held in high regard.
One could argue that the fall of the Berlin Wall is the best characterization of revolutionary change in the late twentieth century. It marked the ending of one era and the ushering in of another. Ponder this: did the Berlin Wall come down because East Berlin's communist party leader Gunter Schabowski mentioned in 1989 that the border would be opened for "private trips abroad"? How much did Gorbachev's 'glasnost' tour stop in Germany affect things; or Reagan calling out to Gorbachev two years earlier with his infamous, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!" What effect did the 120,000 non-violent demonstrators have who gathered in Leipzig, Germany for peace prayers on October 16, 1989, chanting political slogans -- "Free elections," "We are staying here," "We are the People..." And, one certainly cannot discount the sacrifice of Chris Gueffroy on February 6, 1989. He, along with at least one hundred other people, were killed at the Wall. Some, like Gueffroy, gave their lives. Some gave speeches and some prayed, but they all contributed to bringing down the Wall. Such is the case when significant change takes place in any organization. All levels affect change. All levels play a role in change. Too frequently, too much focus is placed on formal leadership actions and not enough attention is given to the myriad of activity taking place at other levels of the organization.
Adam Kahane, an accomplished strategist for Royal Dutch/Shell, speaks of an experience on the Mont Fleur Project in which he participated. The Mont Fleur scenario exercise was undertaken in South Africa during 1991-92 on the heels of Nelson Mandela's release from prison. In the midst of deep conflict, economist Pieter le Roux, director of the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape, brought together a diverse group of 22 prominent South Africans-politicians, activists, scholars, and businessmen, from across the ideological spectrum-to develop and disseminate a set of stories about what might happen in their country over the next decade. Kahane comments, "I was struck by the fact that I was more effective on the Mont Fleur project than I had ever been before. Clearly, I had done something right, but I didn't know what it was. Eventually I figured it out. In Mont Fleur I had almost no time to prepare. With more time, I would have done my normal Shell thing: reading up on the problem, forming opinions, and coming in with a recommendation. I was effective because I arrived in ignorance and respect. I gave up a stance of knowing and arrogance, and replaced it with one of wonder and reverence."2
The seeds or platforms for a change initiative that may reinvent or preserve your organization are possibly already in place. Rather than stressing out about producing new ideas, tap into the know-how and ideas already resident in your organization. It is a given in executive leadership that you will bring your best to the table. The true test is if you can get the best out of everyone else in the organization.
In retrospect, change does look revolutionary, but when examined more closely, it is ordinary people trying to do their best and being respected and listened to for it. Over the next few weeks leading up to our LeadershipTraQ Breakfast (January 21, 2003 7:30AM at The Pyramid, California State University Long Beach), our LeadershipFAQS will be examining ways in which we as leaders can recognize, encourage, and build on change that is already present in our organizations.
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1 Kanter, Rosabeth, M.Stein, Barry A., and Jick, Todd D., The Challenge of Organizational Change: How Companies Experience It and Leaders Guide It. New York: The Free Press, 1992.
2 Senge, Peter, et al The Dance of Change: The Challenges to Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations. New York: Doubleday, 1999.
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