Five Ways to Navigate the Messy Middle of Change

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I didn’t plan it.

But as I sat in the middle of San Francisco International Airport , with overhead speakers blaring nonstop, people running to catch their flights, making sure my WiFi signal was strong enough to broadcast my livestream, I thought:

“How perfect.”

I was in the messy middle and making it work.

Instead of focusing on what was wrong (the background noise! the lighting! the screaming kids!), I consciously tuned into ways to make the messiness more acceptable and more in harmony.?

On Tuesday’s livestream , I shared how to deal with the messy middle – and how to develop the strength and resilience to handle it without burning out.

1. Map out the journey.

Several years ago, Adobe went through a huge transformation, moving from selling software on CD-ROMs to the cloud. The entire organization knew where they were headed, and they created detailed contingency plans. They were confident that, even if things went sideways or backwards, they could course correct and get back on the right path.

That successful transformation might not have been as seamless without those plans. So draw up a map of your journey before you set out.

Ask yourself: What obstacles will we face? What challenges will we encounter? What risks will we take? What contingency plans do we need?

If you know the path you’ll take, it’ll be a heck of a lot easier to follow it –?even if there are a few detours, bumps, and switchbacks along the way.

2. Accept and prepare for the road ahead.

About a decade ago, I climbed Half Dome in Yosemite. It’s a full-day journey – and not something you just do after getting up from the couch.

You have to prepare. Go on smaller hikes. Take the stairs (a lot!). You have to pack water, food, and gloves. You have to have the strength to climb the cables at the end. You have to have the mental and physical stamina.

You need to prepare for your journey the same way. Where can you practice being in the messy middle and getting comfortable with it? What smaller opportunities can get you in shape? Can you take smaller hikes to build your confidence? What do you need to do to come out of your climb in one piece?

3. Take breaks along the way.

You’re committed to this journey, but what happens when it takes longer than you thought? What if the messy middle is (gulp) messier than anticipated? What if you get tired?

The reality is, it’s going to be hard! It’s going to stretch you and stress you and push you outside your comfort zone. (If it were easy, you would’ve just changed and wouldn’t be in the messy middle!)?

The key is to manage your stress. Try to take breaks and find ways to recharge. Instead of looking at the map and thinking, “Ugh, we have a long way to go,” gather your team and celebrate. Say: “Wow! Look how far we’ve come! Let’s take a moment to celebrate our progress!”

4. Make sure people want to join you.

There are certain people in an organization – I call them worried skeptics – who focus on the obstacles and the problems. They’re the ones questioning the journey, expressing doubt, and not buying into the vision.

That’s fine. There are obstacles and things to work through. But remember: You have to accept and commit to this journey –?and so does your team. If they can’t (or won’t!) get onboard, your job as a leader is to have that difficult conversation: “You know what, we really appreciate you being part of this up until now. But it’s time for you to go.”

Because you can’t force people to go on the journey . And for change to be successful, your team has to be strong, aligned , ready to support each other along the way – and willing to join you.

5. Enjoy the liminal space.

Our default is to rush through and get to the other side as fast as possible. We hate being in the messy middle!

But the messy middle is a liminal space between what was before and what will be – and it’s an incredibly fruitful and interesting place. You’re in a state of growth where you can see opportunities and you’re open to new ideas and change.?

If you’re just speeding through, you won’t stop to explore and expand your perspective, to challenge yourself, to stretch yourself. You won’t even see the possibilities!

Remember that you’re going to come out of this perfectly fine. If you can maintain that mindset, you might just find a new path that will lead to more growth and success than you ever imagined.

Most leaders want to minimize the messiness. But one of the most powerful things we can do is embrace it and accept that there’s really no end to change. We’re always in the messy middle!?

We have to shift from avoiding change to thinking about it in new ways – and that’s exactly what I’ll be talking about next Tuesday, April 5 . Join me at 9 am PT / 12 pm ET for “New Rules of Change Management (Post-Covid!). I’ll see you then.

Your Turn

I’d love to hear from you: How do you deal with being in the messy middle? How do you handle change? Do you avoid it? Or embrace it? Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this!