The Tools to bring about Change…
As some of you may know, I’m a keen walker, and last weekend I hiked over the Peak District’s Kinder Scout. We got lost on the boggy top during the afternoon, fortunately finding a scout group trying to find a plane crash site, and a couple with a GPS who were heading in our direction. We had a map but no compass and learned a lot from that experience, which you’d have thought I would already know as a Geographer and former DofE leader. But perhaps we learn more by our mistakes, and sometimes need to remind ourselves about what’s important...
Kinder Scout has an interesting past for many reasons and, most prominently, it is the site of the mass trespass of 1932 when 400-500 people decided to walk up it, in open defiance of the trespass laws, as the land was privately owned. They did so in protest, claiming that the British landscape should be open for enjoyment by the people. Their action led to the founding of the National Parks, The Peak District being the first of these, opening the landscape to the enjoyment of all*
This in turn got me thinking about when it’s important to challenge tradition or authority in order to bring about change for the better. Of course, October being Black History Month, there are many examples of courageous civil-disobedience and extraordinary moments of challenge that helped bring about big and important changes for the better, and the discussion is rightly now around how we can make Black History Month redundant, by ensuring we have a focus upon Black history year-round.
And what about small scale changes, in our own work-places, or our own circle of influence? Sometimes senior leaders try to bring about change, and experience resistance from staff who object, saying ‘no, this is how we have always done things’, and at other times staff are eager for change, but senior leaders are reluctant to break with tradition. At times like these, it’s important to have the skills and tools to capture the imagination and help others to see your ‘Strategic Intent’, to ‘bring others with you’ with ‘Unifying Purpose’ for them to want the outcome you are striving for, and have the ‘Determination’ to see things through the fog of events, adapting without compromising that Strategic Intent. It’s also important to have a deep Awareness of ‘Others’ and the ‘Environment’ in which we are operating, as well as ‘Intentional’ Leadership Presence, remaining focused upon both the purpose of the organisation, and how the change will benefit.
There is skill in developing the tools to bring people on-side with change, getting them to see the big picture, and the opportunity that change can bring. This is how Resilient Leaders Elements can help, by developing our Clarity of Direction, Awareness, Leadership Presence and Resilient Decision Making which is why I think using the Resilient Leaders Development Programme is valuable for leadership development. It is all very well to have great ideas about developing and improving our customer experience, our way of working and our workplaces, but if we constantly meet with resistance, we need to adapt our approach and learn from the mistakes we’ve made, otherwise these plans will never have the chance to flourish.
Reflections;
· What mistakes have you made where you learned what is really important?
· When have you resisted a change more out of care for tradition than out of dislike of the change itself?
· When has a change you wanted to implement been hindered or rejected on grounds of ‘that’s not how we do things here’?
· What could you have done differently?
· How do you currently bring people onside to change and show them the vision of what you are trying to achieve?
· What could you develop further, and how might you do this?
*It’s of course vital that this is done respectfully, keeping to designated paths, and adhering to the country code – closing gates, keeping dogs under close control around livestock, etc.