3 Myths that derail the initial phases of leading change.

Learning to lead change is a difficult process. One that I am still figuring out. I noticed early on in the initial phases of leading change, that I didn’t always have a clear idea of where I was heading or where I was leading our organization. Many times, all I had was the sense, the gut level feeling that we needed to change – even though I wasn’t sure what it would look like in the end. There was a lot of chaos, lots of change that seemed to many like change for change’s sake. Reflecting back now, there are three myths that threatened to derail our change process – fortunately, by God’s grace and by trusting the voices of those who had led change before – I was able to see past these myths to the truth about change management. Here’s a bit of what I learned during that stretch:

Myth 1: You have to know what the end will look like before you begin.

Early on in our change process at Marine View, the very fact that we were calling for change was an indication that something was different. I didn’t know what our organization would look like, what our mission statement would be, who our key leaders would be, or if change would even work. But I did know we needed to change. I remember feeling paralyzed at times because I found it difficult to paint a vision for change based on a future that was not well-defined. It sounded a lot like change for change’s sake. Fortunately, there was just enough appetite for change to help us begin the process of change before we had clarity about where we were heading.

Truth 1: Taking one step to begin the work of change, even when you don’t have a clear picture of the end result may be what you or your organization need the most. Once you begin the work of change and take steps toward an as yet unseen future, clarity will gradually, but inevitably come. Don’t let a hazy image of the end result derail you from beginning the necessary work of change.

Myth 2: Change for change’s sake is a bad idea.

Certainly it’s important to consider the pace and the amount of change happening at any given time – that change for change’s sake, if not thoughtful, can be damaging. However, as someone working in an environment that was in need of substantive change – it was important to create and to normalize a culture of change. So we changed things – not always for the best. Our leadership team learned a lot about change management as we attempted change with staff positions, programs, and budgets. Slowly but surely, change became part of who we are. We change things. We take risks. We try new things. We stop doing things. We don’t keep doing things just because we always have.  Early on in our change process – change for change’s sake kept us open to change and eventually helped change become part of our culture.

Truth 2: When your organization is change resistant, new to change or has become stagnant, it maybe the perfect time to initiate a few changes for change’s sake. Who knows what idea might emerge, what momentum might be created? What’s most important is that a culture of change is either created or continues to persist in your organization even when things are moving in a good direction. In the long run, the ability to change is an indispensable characteristic for any healthy organization.

Myth 3: Organizational chaos needs to be fixed immediately.

I remember sitting in a leadership class with a gentlemen named Bill Palmer when he introduced the group to the idea that a certain amount of organizational chaos is a good thing when you’re doing the hard work of change. I immediately latched on to the idea – in part because we were in a season of chaos in our organization and I was looking for a good reason to point to for why that was okay.

Bill, a former CEO of a grocery store chain, taught us that somehow, a bit of chaos allows new ideas to emerge, it creates an environment where there is less rigidness, more flexibility, more freedom, less fondness for the past, more openness to the future, more relational dreaming and connecting. I loved it. But I also learned that not everyone does! I discovered that as much as it created space for some really great forward thinking – organizational chaos made people nervous. They were left feeling anxious and unsettled when they saw poorly defined systems or incomplete processes or when a tried and true program was brought to an end. In those moments, it was hard not to want to rescue everyone. I must have gone through at least 30 drafts of a revised organization chart in an attempt to alleviate the tension in our leadership meetings. Fortunately for all of us, the chart, because of the season of chaos we were in, never came together in a compelling way. Amidst the chaos, our best ideas emerged, the beginnings of a new mission statement was formed, and we moved forward toward a vision and direction that we were all beginning to see more clearly. Whether it was by accident or design, or some combination of both, the chaos of our initial season of change – tilled the soil and created space for the creation of something new.

Truth 3: When you’re facing the hard work of change – don’t give into the temptation to fix every organizational system and process immediately – allow space for something new to emerge. See which balls drop and which are picked back up. During a season of chaos, you’ll quickly learn what matters most to your organization and what you can leave behind – those things that you can stop manufacturing energy in order to keep doing. What I’ve found is that a little chaos goes a long way when it comes to the hard work of change.

Reflecting back now, I wasn’t always conscious of these myths and their corresponding truths in the moment. But they were there – operating behind the scenes at times and out in the open at others, threatening to derail our change process through the voices of those resistant to change, through my self-doubts, through my insecurities and desire to meet the expectations of those around me.

If you are a leader and you are facing the hard work of change – the only way to begin is simply to begin. You will learn to lead change, but only if you have the courage to take the first step.