Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Is it Resistance or Incubation? The Exponential Shape of Change

I was talking with a good friend today about her struggle to initiate positive changes in the organization she works in. She described the tendency of most people there to avoid talking about certain crucial subjects. This is not unusual--most organizations have certain "unspeakable" topics. There is a tacit agreement to not talk about the elephant in the room, or the emperor's transparent new clothes.

I was reminded of a novelty toy years ago that looked like a black metal box with a little red lever along the top front edge. If one pushed the lever, the box would start whirring and the lid on top would slowly open. A little metallic hand would come out of the box, moving toward the lever. It would push the lever back to "off" and then dart back into the box, the lid snapping shut behind it. I realized this is a metaphor for many organizations, whose unacknowledged culture cancels out any initiatives for improvement, because people think they're not supposed to go that way, or talk about it.

This pattern of automatic self-stopping can discourage managers and consultants from implementing improvements. Their constructive initiatives are non-verbally spurned, and they come to the conclusion that there is great "resistance to change." I think this is a misunderstanding of the way human systems change. While there are some events that result in apparently quick and transformative change, such as a change in the top leadership, or major disruptive changes in technology, most real change has the shape of an exponential curve, or a hockey stick. Nothing seems to be happening for a long while, then suddenly it becomes apparent that there has been slow quiet development over a period of time, and big changes begin to emerge spontaneously. The caterpillar in the cocoon has been invisibly transforming, and it emerges as a butterfly.
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For change agents, patience and perseverance is a wise strategy. Years ago, I was invited to Herb Shepard's house, which he called "Fort Courage," to celebrate his 60th birthday, along with many fellow alumni of the Case-Western Reserve U. doctoral program in OD. I was excited to see fellow alumni from many cohorts talking with great animation in small clusters, sitting at couches or standing around, holding drinks. My thought was, what an amazing repository of knowledge and experience about OD practice was assembled in the room! I imagined that soon, Herb would convene us, and the socializing would give way to serious exploration and discussion among the group as a whole. But after some time, that shift did not happen, and people just continued to chat, mill around in small clusters, and drink. Nobody was convening the conversation.

Finally, losing patience, I walked over to Herb and asked him, "Don't you think it would be good for us all to sit down and talk as a whole group about what we're doing and learning?" His response was a classic Herb Shepard intervention: He looked me in the eye and said, "So what are you going to do about it?"

I gulped quietly as I got the message. So I started to circulate from cluster to cluster, non-verbally and then verbally joining each conversation, and then asking, "Don't you think it would be good for us all to talk together about what we're doing and what we're learning?" They would usually agree, and then go on with what they were talking about with their two or three friends. I would shrug and go on to another group, etc. My initiative was not catching on. I kept going, though, until I got to the last group, standing in the kitchen, talking with great animation and energy about whatever. I began to do my routine of non-verbally joining the group and conversation, waiting for the first opening to speak my proposal. But this was a group of very experienced, first-cohort alumni. They were implicitly aware I was up to something and did not want to be interrupted. They were non-verbally keeping me out of the group.

I was feeling greatly discouraged. My change initiative had failed. At that moment, someone came in from the living room and said loudly, "Hey! We're all sitting down together to talk about what we're doing and learning! Come into the living room!" And we did.

What stories can you tell here about your own change initiatives?

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9 comments:

christy lee-engel said...

Hello Saul!

One thing that comes to mind is that for me it has often been helpful to remind myself that it is okey dokey if the thing I'm hoping will happen ends up happening after I've moved on ;-)

It's turned out like that more than once, and the latest instance is that after planting a seed idea for a curriculum change for years with all of the influential people at my university, the associate dean who had grabbed charge of that aspect finally decided to take my suggestion - *after* I'd announced that I was no longer going to teach in that program ;-)

(I'm still glad that it's happening, and hope that it will work out even without me!)

love to you,
Christy

Rosa Z. said...

Hi Saul... hi Christy...

Christy, I'm glad your idea is being implemented! and, I still felt an "ouch" in me, as I read your story... It somehow reminds me of the saying, "one can accomplish anything, as long as one is willing to take credit for nothing!"

most of the time, i am fine with this... and, sometimes it feels that there is something that can be lost when this happens... it's not just about the personal recognition... but maybe also, an opportunity for double-loop learning??

Saul, re incubation or resistance... what you wrote reminded me of the Procashka stages of change model (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation for action, action, and maintenance...)

i find that model so useful, as it helps me remember that all kinds of things may be happening "beneath the surface"... and to perservere and keep the faith!

thanks so much for the great Herb Shepard story... and, for the story of your own successful initiative!

hugs,

Rosa

Unknown said...

I appreciate this new way to look at change as an exponential curve. It seems like useful information for reassuring a nervous client.

Your story also left me wondering if you meant to imply that it was your idea to have everybody meet and talk about what they were doing and learning. I wonder because I don’t believe that an idea belongs to me or anybody else for that matter (I’m sure the office of patents and copyrights would disagree). Where does an idea come from? How do we know that others in the room aren’t having the same idea and choosing not to express it? Where did you learn that convening in a large group to talk would likely be beneficial for the group? Should the person or persons you learnt that from be credited with the idea? And where did they learn about the idea?

Perhaps you weren’t claiming credit for the idea. It seems others may interpret it that way so I respectfully wanted to raise these questions.

I think having a preconceived idea of what needs to occur creates the tendency to imagine ownership, and usually investment in the idea happening too. To me the ideal is to believe in our inspirations and ideas, and act on them. Whether they happen or not is another matter. Alchemy happens as our actions impact others and things even better than we imagined, or simply different, unfold in their own time. It's the contribution to the alchemical brew that matters. In your story it seems likely that your actions influenced others at the gathering to act and do what they thought was right, and so collaboratively you created the conditions for the group to convene.

I even wonder if sometimes people don’t act on ideas because they were having the same idea but didn’t talk about it. If they proceed with the idea it would look like they were doing the idea of the person who spoke it when in reality it was more than that, but the person who spoke it might want to claim credit.

Thank you, Saul, for the space to share our views and the article to get the conversation started. Also to those who already commented, because the I didn't want to be the only one.

Unknown said...

I appreciate this new way to look at change as an exponential curve. For one thing, it seems like useful information for reassuring a nervous client.

Your story also left me wondering if you meant to imply that it was your idea to have everybody meet and talk about what they were doing and learning. I wonder because I don’t believe that an idea belongs to me or anybody else for that matter (I’m sure the office of patents and copyrights would disagree). Where does an idea come from? How do we know that others in the room aren’t having the same idea and choosing not to express it? Where did you learn that convening in a large group to talk would likely be beneficial for the group? Should the person or persons you learnt that from be credited with the idea? And where did they learn about the idea?

Perhaps you weren’t claiming credit for the idea. It seems others may interpret it that way so I respectfully wanted to raise these questions.

I think having a preconceived idea of what needs to occur creates the tendency to imagine ownership, and usually investment in the idea happening too. To me the ideal is to believe in our inspirations and ideas, and act on them. Whether they happen or not is another matter. Alchemy happens as our actions impact others and things even better than we imagined, or simply different, unfold in their own time. It’s the contribution to the alchemical brew that matters. In your story it seems likely that your actions influenced others at the gathering to act and do what they thought was right, and so collectively you created the conditions for the group to convene.

I even wonder if sometimes people don’t act on ideas because they were having the same idea but didn’t talk about it. If they proceed with the idea it would look like they were doing the idea of the person who spoke it when in reality it was more than that, but the person who spoke it might want to claim credit.

Thank you, Saul, for the space to share our views and the article to get the conversation started. Also to those who already commented, because I didn’t want to be the only one.

Unknown said...

An image came to me during the night and wanted to share it. It seems to be the result of reading your article with idea of change incubating, and the comment I wrote yesterday about thoughts and actions for change creating an alchemical brew.

Having grown up in the country, the word incubation brings to mind eggs and chickens. In the image I saw there was a yolk sack, fertile with inspiration of what the egg could become. There was the egg white creating a supportive environment for the growth of the egg’s potential. And the whole thing was protected by a shell of resistance.

The yolk was feeding this possibility of what the egg could become, as actions taken to create a new reality feed the reality they seek to create. The white was a supportive field to hold the actions and resulting embryo, as some people think an idea is good but do nothing but observe others working to create the change. And the shell was the resistance of those who seek to protect the status quo, and in so doing create a protected space for an idea for change to mature and become viable.

The actions of one person might create the circulatory system and eyes of the embryo; the actions of another the tiny claws and beak. As the embryo becomes recognizable and substantial, the white disappears as more people leave thinking and observation behind and join the doing. Finally, when it’s time, the new idea must peck its own way through the shell of resistance, the effort required ensuring that it has the vigor necessary to survive in the world.

Unknown said...

(Note: this post actually came first, but for some reason it didn’t show up.)

I appreciate this new way to look at change as an exponential curve. For one thing, it seems like useful information for reassuring a nervous client.

Your story also left me wondering if you meant to imply that it was your idea to have everybody meet and talk about what they were doing and learning. I wonder because I don’t believe that an idea belongs to me or anybody else for that matter (I’m sure the office of patents and copyrights would disagree). Where does an idea come from? How do we know that others in the room aren’t having the same idea and choosing not to express it? Where did you learn that convening in a large group to talk would likely be beneficial for the group? Should the person or persons you learnt that from be credited with the idea? And where did they learn about the idea?

Perhaps you weren’t claiming credit for the idea. It seems others may interpret it that way so I respectfully wanted to raise these questions.

I think having a preconceived idea of what needs to occur creates the tendency to imagine ownership, and usually investment in the idea happening too. To me the ideal is to believe in our inspirations and ideas, and act on them. Whether they happen or not is another matter. Alchemy happens as our actions impact others and things even better than we imagined, or simply different, unfold in their own time. It’s the contribution to the alchemical brew that matters. In your story it seems likely that your actions influenced others at the gathering to act and do what they thought was right, and so collectively you created the conditions for the group to convene.

I even wonder if sometimes people don’t act on ideas because they were having the same idea but didn’t talk about it. If they proceed with the idea it would look like they were doing the idea of the person who spoke it when in reality it was more than that, but the person who spoke it might want to claim credit.

Thank you, Saul, for the space to share our views and the article to get the conversation started. Also to those who already commented, because I didn’t want to be the only one.

Saul Eisen, Ph.D. said...

Thanks, Christy, Rosa, and Gillian, for these great observations. This is emerging as a rich and productive conversation.

Christy point out the importance of not attaching one's ego to a change project or initiative. Yes, sometimes the positive outcomes emerge after we're not involved anymore. And we may not even get the credit. Worse, someone else may claim it! Ultimately, isn't it even better, to know one has been so effective that others jump on it and make it their own? It does take some emotional and spiritual discipline, though, no?

Rosa connects this perspective to the spiritual traditions such as Procashka. Much of the change process is not visible, or active. Yet it is intentional, and focused.

Gillian point to the mysterious ways in which ideas and innovations emerge. It can seem as if the person who speaks the idea is the author, and others then gratefully follow along with implementation. But if we understand the complex interactivity among people in groups and organizations, it may be that the person who speaks the suggestion is simply tuning in to the evolving and emerging group creative process. In my stereo system, the speakers can seem like the source of some great music; but the whole system--pre-amp, tuner, etc. all work together to produce the sound. When I voice a suggestion in a group, it may be the whole group that is producing it, and I'm just the speaker.

And I like Gillian's second comment about the incubating chick within the fertilized egg. The metaphor highlights the double function of "resistance" as protecting the new idea until it matures, and then requiring choiceful energy to emerge and manifest.

What other thoughts, questions, dreams are evoked here?

Joe Segal said...

Excellent article Saul. Thank you for sharing it!

The sense I got in reading your wonderful story of your retreat was that you were setting up a resonating field. That at some point the energies played off each other in the room amplifying from one group to another increasing the imperceptible but still present power of this idea of yours until at some point there was a critical mass reached.

One thing of many I'm learning from you is the power and effectiveness of asking good questions. In my Facebook Group formed to get people to move from venting frustrations to taking actions I can preach to the choir for months and years and well I've done just that. While many of them will cheer me on and pat me on the back they still return to their patterns of venting and inaction.

After years of sharing my own stories of activism with them a small group has emerged who are themselves becoming active in their own communities!

I'm tired of trying to discourage the rest of the groups unhealthy negative posts and begging them to take proactive steps to change things they don't like. It doesn't work. Instead, I'm going to continue sharing stories about what I do and ask the small emerging group to do the same while asking the others better questions. If I start encouraging people to think of their own answers I think they start to take ownership of the possibilities rather than expecting me to do everything.

Still, I must admit it's so discouraging to work so hard for so long and not see the pace of change I had hoped for.

Saul Eisen, Ph.D. said...

Thanks very much for this comment, Joe. And I understand how discouraging it can be to work hard toward recruiting constructive action, and to see so little proactive initiative on people's part.

Change is, indeed, a tough process for the change agent. Most social systems are systemically set for stability, rather than change. That is their advantage. We form into groupings with a shared culture in order to build a predictable pattern of behavior and interaction. In this sense, the primary function of culture is social stability.

At the same time, all cultures evolve over time, in response to emerging pressures and opportunities. Occasionally, we see radical change in shared behavior and expectations, but that is unusual, often in response to a crisis of some sort. Such a change is very hard to initiate intentionally, and the outcomes are generally hard to predict. Things can start in the right direction and then react back and go in the opposite direction. So idealistic revolutions can start with the best of intentions, and in the end, end up swinging in an opposite direction, or systemic collapse.

Such is the plight and the challenge of being a change agent.

It can definitely help to have a realistic sense of the complexity and difficulty of precipitating change. Underestimating that complexity, and the built-in bias toward stability in social systems, will definitely lead to frustration and feelings of discouragement.

But understanding the real nature of this kind of change process can help. Our expectations going in can be more realistic. And our change leadership can be guided more by the understanding that continuing learning is required--and available. Every initiative is a source of feedback and learning about what works, or doesn't, if one looks for that information. And that information makes us better at the job.

So keep your expectations low, and your aspirations high. And let the outcomes be your teachers, so you can keep improving. The world needs effective human system development leaders!