“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” - Joel Barker.

So make that vision something powerful.

Choosing to change how an organization functions, runs and its overall dynamics are one thing but doing it in such a way as to engender the best response of the staff is yet another.  Emotions run high when the status quo is changed, whether or not it’s for the best.  Unless it means something to those impacted by the change they won’t engage and you’ll have a tug of war on your hands.  That’s happening right now in more organizations than I can count.  I’ll be talking about Public Service transformation at the next Conference Board Conference in Ottawa.  Why?  Because it’s the topic on everyone’s mind right now, public and private sector alike.  Organizations know they’re transforming…they’re just not sure why, or in some cases how and feel as if they’re in limbo.

When the world is upside down from economy to security, not to mention job stability, it’s even harder to implement change.  Ask yourself, “Is this really necessary right now”?  If the answer is yes, you’d better believe you’ll need to be able to articulate the reasons for it and what benefits everyone will get because of the change.  If you can’t show your people why it’s in everyone’s best interest, it’s going to be an uphill battle and there’s a good chance your transformation will fall flat.

Questions that have to be answered are :

1. What are you changing from and why?
2. What are you changing towards?

If you don’t have the answers to those questions as leadership or followership, then get them. If your role is to implement the changes leadership have put in place, then speak to your people and often.  Blank or empty ’space’ will be filled with their own stories and they’re rarely good ones.  The relationship between the design of the change and the success of it are two very different things.

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I’ll leave you with this:
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“The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created–created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them, changes both the maker and the destination.” — John Schaar

With deepest respect,
Donna Karlin
Founder and Principal
A Better Perspective
http://www.abetterperspective.com/

ISSN 1913-6307