Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Last week I posted about reaching the 30 year milestone in independent practice. I mentioned I’m turning to “face the strange”.

Why?

Because things get too comfortable in the land of status quo. Sometimes we need to shake that up a bit. To shake it up and be ready for what’s next.

I’ve seen this needed with clients many times before.

Then the resistance that creeps in, even when people say they want improved performance. The idea of excellence is far more attractive than the reality of the change required.

After that post I write another about buying training being performative... when it's not linked to higher performance.

It's like those people who fall in love with love. They duck out when a relationship gets hard. The idea is more appealing than the messy reality.

An example (not love, business).

I once pitched the board of a large IT Services firm.

My proposal was for a leadership programme with a difference.

We planned to develop ‘leaders in change’ — individuals who would collaborate to challenge the status quo, develop innovative ways of working, and act as change leaders.

The biggest objection from the COO was they didn’t want hundreds of people disrupting the company’s operations. My response was to agree, but suggest that a few dozen skilled change agents might be necessary for a meaningful step change in the organisation's culture and performance.

You can imagine the rest of that conversation. I'm advocating 'invest in the best' and they're looking for sheep dip management development to not rock the boat

FFS

So, back to shaking up my status quo.

If you’re not familiar with it, the term “turn to face the strange” comes from the lyrics of Changes (Hunky Dory 1972) the song David Bowie wrote.

For me it underpins reinvention and identity shifts. Something Bowie was renowned for. Shifting attention from historical achievements to embracing a different future. That's where I'm headed too.

That feels uncomfortable and it ought.

Like the COO, we want transformation without disruption. Only experience suggests that’s unlikely.

So, for me a reboot is necessary.

ctrl — alt — del