Embracing Flux: Rethinking CHANGE Management

Talking about change management is a tricky task, primarily because "change" and "management" are two words that don't seem to fit together naturally.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines management as "the control and organization of something." But how can you control or organize change? This paradox highlights the limitations of classical change management frameworks, which were already outdated back in 2012 when new approaches began to emerge. Students at Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin often pointed out that the iterative process they learned in #DesignThinking classes would be much more helpful for change processes than traditional methods taught for exams.

Consider the most popular model: Lewin's Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze. This model implies that an organization remains frozen most of the time, only thawing temporarily to change before freezing again. This static approach fails to acknowledge the constant flux and dynamic nature of modern organizations.

Reflecting on these ideas, the famous philosophical quote "Panta Rhei," translated as "Everything Flows," provides a powerful metaphor for understanding organizations. Although Heraclitus's intended meaning is subject to many interpretations, this quote suggests viewing organizations as ongoing processes rather than finite entities. This perspective doesn’t propose new legal forms but instead acknowledges that people, through their actions, objects, and symbols, continuously shape the organization.

You will never dip your toe in the same organization twice, just as you don’t dip your toe in the same river twice.

Consider how often one might believe they know a company because they worked there before, only to find entirely new management, coworkers, offices, and processes. This constant state of flux suggests that traditional change management models are outdated.

At Change Darer , we believe that change cannot work with the old formula of defreeze-change-refreeze—unless you are cleaning your fridge’s freezer compartment. We encourage change leaders to focus on AGENCY, emphasizing becoming, change, and flux.

To cultivate this mindset, consider sending leaders to conferences like Process Organization Studies (PROS). These events provide a unique opportunity to study organizations through a process-oriented lens, broadening perspectives and fostering innovative thinking. At PROS you can test ways to selectively prioritize process over outcome, activity over product, change over persistence, novelty over stasis, and open-endedness over determination.

This approach is not a new formula but advocates for openness to different schools of thought. This perspective will undoubtedly make for more informed leaders capable of making the best possible choices for their organizations—or rather, for their "organizing."

Our takeaways from the boat

Here are the main takeaways from Change Darer recent exercise conducted on a boat on the DOURO river with people from different parts of the world working in the same corporations undergoing change:

1. Change is fairly easy to instigate but hard to KEEP.

2. Inviting an EXPERT change leader who gains trust is a good start.

3. Creating STRUCTURES and spaces where people can safely practice change is also crucial.

4. Change is not always VISIBLE. Train the skill to see and appreciate intangible change.

5. Acknowledging and COMMUNICATING CHANGE OUT LOUD helps normalize and appreciate it.

6. Some people will be more comfortable KICKING OFF change, while others will only join when it feels SAFE. Both are equally important.

7. Change requires CREATIVITY to make new realities. The creativity muscle needs to be trained.

How do you encourage agency in times of change in your organization? What worldview do you apply? Defreeze-change-refreeze or Panta Rhei? Or something in between?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.