Navigating Change in Shifting Landscapes
Author: Vishy (Viswanathan) Sankara
The Power of Metaphors in Personal and Organizational Transformation
"How big is the top of Mount Everest?" "About the size of a small kitchen table," he responded. "That is amazing," I said, "You know when you cross the Sahara Desert, there is no way of knowing where the desert ends. There is no peak, no border, no sign that says, 'You are now leaving the Sahara Desert – Have a nice Day!'"? - From Steve Donahue's Shifting Sands.
Metaphors not only shape our lives but also reveal our inner thoughts and how we communicate with others. They can both liberate and constrain our minds. After a childhood pilgrimage to Sabarimala and being captivated by Ekanath Easwaran's spiritual classic, Climbing the Blue Mountain, and Jack Krakauer's Into Thin Air, mountains became etched in my mind as metaphors for summits—be they spiritual or secular endeavors.
All of this changed in an instant.
A Transformative Journey: From Mountains to Desert Dunes
Nearly twelve years ago, I landed at Lekhwair airport and found myself on the edge of the vast Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali in Arabic), a sand desert spanning approximately 650,000 square kilometers across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen, and Oman. To emphasize its immensity, it stretches 1,000 kilometers long and 500 kilometers wide, with reddish-orange sand dunes reaching heights of up to 250 meters.
Gabriel Benet, Said, Rukmuddin Kahan, and I formed a team working on a transformation project for PDO, Oman. As a change management consultant, I collaborated with Rukmuddin, our system architect; Said, a seasoned petroleum engineer with three decades of experience; and Gab, our project manager, a die-hard Barcelona football fan. Our fieldwork took us to nearly all of PDO's oil fields, including Lekhwair.
The Magic of the Desert: A Catalyst for Change
Lekhwair camp was a considerable distance from the airport. Our Land Cruiser driver, a long-time PDO employee from Kerala (not far from my hometown), suggested a desert excursion, especially under a full moon. He drove us close to the convergence of the Saudi Arabian, UAE, and Omani borders. As we left the camp lights behind and ventured into the vastness, we fell silent. The reddish-orange sand shimmered under the moonlight, and the universe seemed to hold its breath. The interplay of light and shadow on the dunes, the celestial canvas of shimmering stars, and the bold, full moon created a magical moment. We were utterly captivated.
This experience ignited my love for the desert. Books by Thesiger, Saint-Exupéry, and Donahue became essential reading. Until then, my knowledge of Arabia was limited to The Arabian Nights, with its tales of Aladdin and Sindbad rather than the desert's beauty. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga came much later.
Shifting Sands: A New Paradigm for Organizational Change
领英推荐
Shifting Sands—a guidebook for navigating change—revolutionized my understanding of organizational transformation. It challenged rigid, one-size-fits-all theories and emphasized the uniqueness of each context and its people. From then on, my focus shifted from mandated change to the transformation of individuals within their specific environments. This compass has guided me in personal growth, coaching clients, and working with organizations and ecosystems.
Applying Desert Wisdom to Diverse Contexts
As a member of a residential apartment complex committee, I shared a principle with my high-achieving colleagues: Every organization is different—an army, corporation, club, or cricket team. Blindly applying past successes without adapting our mindset can hinder our effectiveness as change agents. These thoughts raced through my mind as I looked at a picture of a mountain labeled "Now," "Next Year," and "Later." Our ICF Bangalore Chapter president was discussing the organization's plans for the coming year.
How do I balance the needs of my teenage sons with my work colleagues and clients? How can I apply these principles to my Bodhi Sangha community? Do I truly practice what I preach, or do I succumb to the pressure of time and apply generic solutions?
Navigating the Shifting Sands of Change: A Decade Later
Searching for my old notes, I found a summary titled, "How do you navigate in the shifting sands of the desert of change?" dated January 7, 2014. Ten years later, the pace of change has accelerated exponentially. While we plan for yesterday, tomorrow is already knocking. We must resist the urge to rush in with ready-made solutions. Remember the proverb, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." Festina lente—make haste slowly—should be our guiding principle as change catalysts. Einstein's advice to spend most of our problem-solving time understanding the problem holds true in our work as well. Whether coaching an individual, leading a family, managing a project, or transforming an organization, we must focus on understanding the context and the people within it. Want to learn more about navigating change through a systemic lens? Stay tuned for more insights.
Key Lessons from Desert Metaphors for Effective Change Management
Summary of Key Points Metaphors offers valuable lessons for change management:
Acknowledgment: Thank you to Wilfred Thesiger, Steve Donahue, Edmund Hillary, and Jon Krakauer for their insightful work on personal transformation and overcoming challenges.
What is your context for change? Is it a mountain, desert, river, canyon, urban apartment complex, or AI startup? Pause before rushing in with a plan for organizational transformation.
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Risk and Compliance professional
6 个月Insightful and well written, as always.
Chief of Platforms, Data and Delivery, Inovaare, Startups, Digital Enthusiast, CXO, YOGA, former COO Piktorlabs
6 个月Vishy (Viswanathan) Sankara always inspired me in his thoughts, articulation and narration.. A grain of sand although small and inconspicuous makes a desert when clustered together. A handful of sand when palmed into an hourglass, becomes a faithful guardian of time. And a whole lotta sand under immense heat and pressure is forged into Glass. The metaphorical journey of life, not necessarily having to have peaks, like mountains, but instead have soft blows of alternating crests and troughs that make it, an experience of ups and downs while occasionally enjoying in the beautiful Moonlit desert excursion, if one remains in stasis for some time, and learns to enjoy and value the journey and its process. The constant dawn of change and how one must persistently navigate it, shines as wisdom upon one, that is as bright as the Rub' al Khali on a summer solstice. A metaphor which demonstrates the impact of change and dealing with it both professionally and personally in the simplest form ever makes Vishy extremely different from the crowd and that his strength always. Superb one Vishy .. you are always a pleasure to read ??
Vice President at Navo Infotech Pvt Ltd.
6 个月What a fabulous piece.
'Risk' - The Start, 'Innovation' - The Journey, 'Opportunity' - The Cherished Destination
6 个月Incredible and profound perspectives on life, thank you!
Systemic, Sustainable, and Spiritual Self Development Coach Author: Coaching the Spirit & Re-creating Your Future Books & Programs
6 个月Deserts and mountains are dynamic. Dunes and glaciers shift and move. Sometimes even a compass fails. Follow the North Star. Thanks, Vishy. A koan from a Zen sensei. In Enzo.