Adaptive vs Disruptive Change
An authentic and slightly irreverent blog on the applied dimensions of leadership & change...
My Crap
Your Crap
Our Crap
Everybody’s Crap.
Photo courtesy of Austin Distel, Unsplash
We’ve all probably heard the term “disruptors” or “disruptive change” in reference to some innovation that disrupts how work is done in a way that makes organizations re-evaluate how they do business. For example, we often think of entrepreneurial innovations like Uber as disrupting the taxi industry, and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) as disrupting the telecommunications industry. But they both also disrupted the hospitality industry, as business travel and conferences changed in frequency, style, and logistics.
The key impact of disruptive change is that an idea which is great for some, causes an unanticipated and thus highly stressful scramble for others. This is a boon for the competitive landscape, but cataclysmic when it occurs within an organization itself. The reason most organizational change initiatives fail is because they are disruptive, not adaptive. They are a firehose of icy water in your face instead of a warm soothing bath that relieves built-up tension, relaxes you into a new and fresh perspective on work life. Something you’re prepared for even if you’re a bit chilly before you you step in ;-).
Change theorists agree that the lack of communication is the reason most change initiatives fail. So I always recommend the communications planning tool on www.mindtools.com; but the usefulness of a tool is limited to the thought and understanding put into using it. The challenge here is truly understanding the human side of change and its impact if neglected. This is the root cause of failed change, of disruptive versus adaptive change. We tend to assume away what is actually most important; for you aren’t just trying to change processes, but the people who execute them. Here’s how you can begin to cut the crap…
When I talk about unanticipated change, I’m not expecting anyone to know what changes will occur before they happen and then plan for them. But cutting the crap means you fully expect that change will happen and are prepared for that. And when I say prepared, I mean emotionally prepared. Yes, the human side of change is all about feelings and emotions. I know…blechh! But they are there, whether we acknowledge them or not. And if we don’t align them with where we need to go, well, we won’t be going there, at worst; it will take forever, at best.
As individuals, the only thing we can guarantee is that we, ourselves, are expecting change. Unfortunately, that is not enough. You see, even when we intellectually expect change, our inner selves still whine, moan, and complain about it subconsciously. These are our feelings. We know it’s coming, and needed, and good, yada, yada. However, we still are afraid of the work, the unknown, our ability to be successful and enjoy/survive the “new way”. Aw, crap. The solution is helping yourself, and those around you, change their feelings about those feelings. Huh?
You see, other people’s feelings about change are derived from the lack of acknowledgement of what they need to be successful now, so how can they ever hope to be successful then?
This is what makes any change feel disruptive. In organizational cultures where employee needs are consistently addressed, change is adaptive as it continuously evolves out of both the employees’ and organization’s burgeoning needs.
Also, our feelings about change are tied to the current mis-alignment of the organization’s need for results and our need to effectively and efficiently fulfill them. Change feels disruptive when it is based on organizational needs that are not aligned with corresponding employee needs.
Our feelings about change are cemented by our organization’s accountability (or lack thereof) for ensuring we have what we need to be successful…now, then, and come what may. Change feels disruptive when you have no clue if you’ll get what you need to do a good job and nobody is evaluating anything except whether or not you’ve achieved this ethereal “good job”. So you fulfill your own needs as best you can and nobody seems to care how hard you had to struggle and how much time you had to spend to do it. You’ve had to work hard to establish your own network of relationships to obtain what you need to get the job done. Disrupting that is a pain in the rear. Years of work obliterated. How in the heck can you achieve what is expected now? Adaptive change is when you are a part of the decision and planning and can trust that getting what you need to deliver results is a priority your organization evaluates. You know this is true because they officially and formally assess it.
Your organization’s community feels the same way about how you change. They have consciously or unconsciously adopted you into their world. When you assume away their investment in how you do things you are underestimating them and their relationship with you. Disruptive change can throw off your customers, stakeholders, and influencers as well. Having open channels for understanding and addressing their needs will increase the ability of your organizational change initiatives to be experienced as adaptive change that serves the greater community versus disruptive change that disrespects how they feel about you/your organization. Feelings shape consumer actions.
© 2019 Stacie L L Morgan. All rights reserved.