In August, my husband and I took our first transcontinental flight since Covid. We were talking about how it feels like we're getting "back to normal" but then realized it's not the old normal. It's a new normal.
Going "back" implies there's nothing different or changed. But honestly, there's always change. We're just looking at the current normal and comparing it to a previous normal. There will always be differences - we've learned, we've grown, or aged, or are more stubborn.
How we face change is important. In a recent op-ed on relationships, Erica Berry talks about how, in relationships, it's helpful to not just like looking at each other, but to also look in the same direction. In organizations, how change is viewed is just as important.
It may be that there are different types of change that affect you, or your company differently. Are the pivots of general business handled with flippancy, where it feels that the company is just going whatever direction is easiest? Or are changes met with stubborn resistance or even outright denial? Are there some changes that are easier to face than others?
While I’m certainly not endorsing that all people in an organization have the same exact perspective, looking in the same general direction and with a set of common values certainly helps an organization thrive.
An orchestra or other ensemble can sound horrible if the individuals aren't keeping the same beat, and listening to one another, at the least. The role of the conductor (or lead) is to ensure that changes (in tempo, in volume, in emotion) are shared across the whole.
Who is the "conductor" in your organization? Are you helping the organization by paying attention to perspectives and directions?
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