Driving Change Towards Sustainable Systems
Change resonates differently in systems, Whether its due to the magnitude and frequency of change drives or due to the the maturity, nature and culture of the system on hand.
We may be better able to understand this resonance if we divide system culture into two categories in an attempt to find the best means and tools that achieve our goals.
A. Power Cultures:
Which rely on negative change drivers in order to inflict desired changes
1-??????Coercion
In this system, the leader of change has power to enforce desired actions. This type of forced change may succeed in achieving short term objectives, however it requires extreme monitoring of resources and measures of control. It’s like the use of force to hold a spring in a compressed position.
This power is sometimes adopted by governments, or by systems abusing certain resources financial or social needs.
It is rare that such systems sustain and prosper long term because simply, people in the system simply say “There is nothing in it for me to embrace and continue change” as soon as the monitoring weakens, or resources find other ways to satisfy their needs, they reject and drop the change and the system eventually collapses.
2-?????? Negotiation
In this system, the parties resisting change have equal or more power than the seekers of change. As in the case of peers or of managers or strong influencers that are against that change.
Coercion cannot be exerted in such cases without going into battles and conflict. Casualties would be unavoidable, and much energy and resources are wasted.
In such cases, an understanding of what the opposers want and what is valuable to them is a possible way to neutralize their resistance.
This change relies on satisfying greed or win only desires of resistors in order to pass transition phases. It is like taking pain killers to delay problems instead of taking proper actions and steps in order to heal.
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Such approaches if sought long term, will keep the systems at risk of collapse and loss of all efforts done and of resisters taking the system back to what serves their own interest.
B. People Cultures
These are cultures that attempt to use positive change Drivers:
1-?????? Motivation
In this good soil. People are not against change, however they may not necessarily be vivid supporters of it. It’s good to reap the fruits, but they don’t want to climb the trees.
This is the environment where good leaders appear and thrive. They teach, build teams, embrace innovation, work side by side with people and convince of common goals where everybody wins. Such systems work as long as the leaders are there and fruits are reaped. However they remain at risk if the motivation is lost or if the leaders are gone, systems may collapse if no change in core ideology is instilled.
?2-?????? Sophistication
A dream that may be sought, but difficultly realized. This is an environment, where people are believers of change, with willingness to learn, improve and do the efforts necessary to drive such change.
Change is no longer externally driven, it is a rooted nature in the system to self-monitor, self-analyze and improve. This is the basis for building reliable sustainable systems and is the peak of sophistication of human experiences, learning and intellect.
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I invite myself as I do you, to be leaders of change in the worlds we touch,