In the life of a company, there are cycles of change. Some happen over the course of three years. Others happen over the course of five years to ten years. Some happen in as little as six to nine months while others happen in eighteen months. The key is to understand that evolution is constantly taking place within every organization.
Understanding that change is a constant and normal, we often describe this cycle as the movement from order to disorder, and then to reorder. Some leaders will define change as a series of inputs creating a process which results in a set of outcomes.
When I listen and visit with leaders this year, I am noticing an interesting trend. They are all starting to realize that more and more people are joining their organizations during times of disorder with no understanding, experience, or memory of the times when there was order. As a result, the new employees are struggling greatly, and the leaders within the organization are also struggling.
In simple terms, each group is frustrated with the other. One wants to know when the crazy times are going to end and when some level of normality will surface. The other group wants people to understand that disorder is not a bad thing. Instead, it is a normal thing in the life of an organization.
I think this is all coming to a head now because we have been living at the edge of disorder and chaos for so many years that nothing ever feels like normal anymore. This has been compounded by numerous unforeseen inputs and variables, generating many unforeseen outcomes and consequences. Furthermore, leaders are constantly making multiple course corrections due to the unforeseen inputs and outcomes. The result is a revolving pattern of disorder that feels like perpetual chaos.
Thus, new employees never get through orientation without someone telling them that while a system is supposed to work in a certain way, it never really does due to large and small changes happening inside and outside the company. And divisional leaders and managers feel like every day is a balancing act between crazy and clarity, adaptation and anarchy. In short, everyone is wondering when order or reorder will finally show up and save the sanity of all involved.
During my many conversations about all of this, I have realized that there is one thing missing, namely clarity about the concept of stewardship. The dictionary tells us that stewardship is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” In the world of leadership, this means an individual takes responsibility for the relationships with their direct reports. It also means taking care of the strategy that is driving the company.
But within all of this stewardship, many leaders under communicate something very important, namely the line of continuity through the disorder. During the periods of disorder that start to feel like near or total chaos, a leader needs to preserve the core of the company. Most do this by focusing on making sure certain key systems are working in a timely and accurate manner. While I agree these systems are important, I also know over 38+ years of doing this work that systems evolve over time. The inputs, the process, and the outcomes also evolve over time. What does not and should not evolve over time is the core ideology, i.e. the mission and core values.
When mission, namely the purpose of the company, in combination with a set of core values becomes the line of continuity through disorder, the outcome is resilience and the capacity to adapt. And with practice, support, and well timed coaching, a mindset is created that can embrace complexity, support continuity, and, at the exact same time, drive for continual progress. It is the convergence of all three of these elements that generates the individual and collective ability to evolve, experiment, and change things. It is the mindset that variation, evolution, and continual improvement are not the problem, but the solution to maintain viability within a constantly evolving world and workplace.
For leaders and employees, the challenge of disorder is real and difficult. When the line of continuity through the disorder is built and continually reinforced, then individuals and teams can maintain clarity about what matters the most, and can communicate in respectful and healthy ways during the periods of disorder. In short, all involved can measure their progress, be it during times of order, disorder, or reorder. They also know their jobs matter and they can feel fulfilled in the work they do on a daily basis.
Cycles of order, disorder and reorder are not going to go away. Inputs will create a process and generate outcomes. This is the foundation of continual evolution and healthy organizational change. And when leaders steward a line of continuity through it all, and create clarity about what is essential, and meaningful during these cycles, then purpose and progress become very important.
This week, I challenge you to figure out what is the line of continuity in your world and how you are going to communicate it to others. Being purposeful and progress-driven is a force multiplier during times of disorder.
© Geery Howe 2024
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