Navigating complex change
How do we create synergy with diverse partners, across different regions, and multiple masters, where costs and benefits do not fall evenly?
Navigating complex change feels like setting sail into uncharted territories, where traditional maps and off-the-shelf solutions fall short.
Consider for example urban planning, a dynamic tapestry woven with individual rights, overlapping needs, and collective community aspirations in housing, transport, climate, health, and economic outcomes. Unlike the neat solutions offered by conventional approaches, urban planning involves a multitude of projects, institutions, people, and disciplines intersecting to shape a context that defies one-sided definitions by one stakeholder, and eludes direct control by any one institution.
Referencing Bushe and Naigaishi (2018), the table below offers a comprehensive comparison between the features of technical problems and the intricacies of adaptive challenges:
Success in addressing adaptive challenges lies in fostering dialogue and cultivating aligned collective ambition, steering clear of imposing change onto unwilling participants. So how do you do that?
The below principles can inform the design of change efforts for the complex, adaptive and entangled.
Explore Interdependencies and Relationships:
Begin by exploring the interdependencies and relationships inherent in the challenge.
Convene diverse stakeholders to immerse them in the intricate web of cause and effect.
Forge Synergy Through Dialogue:
Prioritise open and continuous dialogue with diverse partners, acknowledging the complexity of their perspectives.
Foster an environment that encourages collaboration, where ideas can be freely exchanged.
View challenges through the lens of adaptability, inviting diverse technical disciplines to engage meaningfully.
Recognize the diverse needs and interests of stakeholders, especially in different regions.
Inspire Collective Ambition:
Foster a shared understanding among stakeholders that goes beyond compromise.
Encourage collective ownership by engaging diverse partners in decision-making processes.
Inspire a positive vision of the future, aligning collective ambition for a common purpose.
Embrace the Unique and Uncharted:
Cultivate an environment that allows for experimentation, learning, and adaptation.
Promote a culture where mistakes and dead ends are viewed as opportunities for growth and improvement.
Tailor interventions to address specific contexts, understanding that one size does not fit all.
Promote Multi-Actor Change:
Encourage individuals to initiate their own changes, fostering an adaptive environment.
Inspire stakeholders to contribute their energy and resources towards creating positive change.
Create opportunities for a broader spectrum of participants to contribute meaningfully.
Empower individuals to collaborate in areas that resonate with them, steering the collective effort toward the desired direction.
In conclusion, addressing adaptive challenges requires a deliberate shift in perspective and approach. By embracing dialogue, cultivating shared understanding, and fostering collective ambition, we create an environment where diverse stakeholders actively contribute to a positive future. This collaborative paradigm not only navigates the complexities of adaptive challenges but also propels us toward a future where change is not imposed but a growth or development challenge, collectively embraced.
The Wellington Regional Leadership Committee graciously invited us to unravel our approach to complex change in a recent webinar, and the recording can be found below.
Reference:
Bushe, G. R., & Nagaishi, M. (2018). Imagining the future through the past: Organization Development isn't (just) about change. Organization Development Journal, 36(3), 23-36.
