Providing Space for Change
Growing up I spent a great deal of time with my grandmother. She taught me many things during our afternoons together - how to play piano, make a patchwork quilt, and how to keep a vegetable garden. One of the vegetables that she taught me to care for was carrots. We would prepare the soil, plant the seeds, water and weed, and then as they started to sprout, we would begin the process of thinning them. In case you have not grown carrots yourself, thinning carrots doesn’t mean yanking out sprouts left and right; it involves carefully creating space between them to ensure each carrot has enough room to fully develop. As I learned, missing this step results in a patch of tiny, twisted carrots that never reach their full potential.
This image came to mind recently as I reflected on how change is managed by organizations. Well-prepared organizations and leaders can spend significant effort and expense to instigate change, and yet preparation is just the beginning of successful change management.
In preparing for change, we help organizations articulate the purpose and intentions behind the change, explicitly communicate expectations, roles, responsibilities and performance metrics, and identify support systems, such as training programs, meeting cadences and mentorships.
These are key steps to setting the stage, or preparing the soil, for change to occur, but what happens next? Too often organizations plant all the right seeds, but do not thin the garden and provide space for change to occur.
This crucial step is so often missed, which can stall the process and lead to negative outcomes. As leaders, we have the responsibility to create space for change to occur. Here are three key areas of space individuals need in order to make lasting, positive change.
Provide Space in Time - Change involves forming new habits and mindsets. There is often lots of urgency for change to occur, which is understandable as we want results and we want them now. And yet, we must give space and patience for our teams to adapt. New habits and mindsets by nature take time. Studies show it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to make a lifestyle change. We must ask ourselves, “Are we giving our teams enough space in time to let habits form and for change to take hold?”
Provide Space to Experiment - Change involves extending beyond comfort zones, learning and taking risks. In order for that to happen, people must try new things which comes with a learning curve and potential for mistakes. Giving your team a safe space and the freedom to experiment encourages them to try new things as they work towards change without fear of failure.
Provide Space for New Perceptions - As teams and individuals change, we need to consciously and intentionally be open to changing our perceptions of them as well. Holding on to past views based on previous behavior hinders successful change management. If we aren’t open to seeing our team through fresh eyes, we’ll miss out on the changes that are occurring. Without positive reinforcement, people become discouraged and the changes that have been made will quickly fade.
Whether you are planning for change or in the midst of it, I encourage you to consider not just how you will facilitate change but also the space you create to support and embrace these changes. Why settle for a crop of tiny, twisty carrots when, with a bit more effort, you can cultivate a thriving garden where every plant reaches its full potential and, in return, you reap a bountiful harvest.
Are you looking for support while you or your organization navigates change? At Harborbridge, we help organizations through all phases of change management from preparation, communication strategies to maintaining employee engagement and motivation.
Learn how Harborbridge can support your organization and schedule a free Discovery Call. Let’s chat!