Changemaking

Changemaking has been central to my work in student politics, focusing on exactly what change needs to be created and how to go about delivering this. In every position I was clear I was there to deliver change pertinent to the needs of those I was elected to represent, and I would not negotiate away central policy pillars if they faced initial resistance. The biggest lesson I learnt from this process is that effective change comes when the problem is clearly defined. This blog digs into how to define the problem, and how this opens up possibilities for change.

The first step in effective changemaking is ensuring you are working with the correct people; you need to be speaking to somebody who has the ability to themselves affect change, as that way you can communicate your message most directly. It is important to be well-prepared when meeting them given they are likely to be time constrained, and while they want to give you a fair hearing there will be numerous other priorities weighing on their mind. They are likely to face regular discussions about change but they don’t have the capacity to deliver them all, so you need to make it as easy as possible for them to buy into your vision.

Defining the problem is what I found to be the most crucial way to unlocking change. The problem can be defined numerically or qualitatively, whatever approach best reinforces your case for what the actual problem you are trying to confront is and why the solution proposed will resolve this challenge. This is also an effective personal exercise in ensuring you are targeting the right problem – often what appears to be one issue may actually be something deeper, so its good to make sure the solution you are proposing is targeted at the challenge people are facing. These individuals may work with the status quo and therefore not be fully focused on alternative approaches, so its important to outline why a new framework is necessary otherwise they are likely to try to make minimal changes to what is already in place. By presenting a new framework, it also encourages them to reflect as to if this process really does need a big rewrite.

You need to build trust with those you are working with, outlining clearly what the red lines are and leaving space for details to be decided. It is far better to propose a theoretical framework with the detail in the middle missing than have a plan entirely derailed due to some intricacies being unworkable, and it gives room for other stakeholders to ‘buy-in’ and contribute to the plan. You won’t be an expert in everything, so it also acknowledges your limitations so they know everything you are delivering comes from an evidential basis. In my case as a student representative, this involved outlining the status quo was unacceptable but I was very open to alternative approaches to finding a new way forward. I would often speak of the need for change in terms of a democratic mandate, that I could not remain in position with things as they were and they needed to collaborate with me to ensure students remained confident in my representation and the wider organisations we were involved with.

It is important to outline what benefit they are going to see from change. You clearly will understand the group you work with, but you need to tangibly outline why the wider organisation will benefit from the change implementing. This could involve using the values and ethos of the organisation to show why change fits within the organisation’s vision, and outlining why this change will make it easier for them to achieve a priority they are focused on. This way you are speaking about change on their terms and showing that change is coming from a place of organisational benefit, rather than to fulfil a sectional or individual agenda. This may involve outlining what competitors are doing as well to show why this will help them to remain a leader in their field.

Having the right people doesn’t just mean speaking to the right people within the organisation – if there are other relevant bodies who could help or who have expertise which would benefit the project then reach out to them or see what resources they have available online. In my case, I tried to facilitate meetings to bring them to the table as this allowed for detailed dialogue to develop a clear path forward for change. Every individual will only be able to achieve a certain amount of compromise, particularly if you are digging in on a particular area; outside organisations coming in can help to unlock deadlocked areas and provide necessary added detail as to why this approach is the most important one.

Changemaking is about accommodation, acknowledging different perspectives and goals and trying to show how these align to form a new way forward. There are many ways organisations can change, so it is about outlining why change is necessary and why specifically it should be prioritised over other issues. Most important to this is people, as organisations don’t function without the individuals inside them – building strong personal relationships allows for trusting dialogue so change can progress.