Change management: let the Forerunners help you!

Forerunners are a little used resource for real, positive change in organizations. Who are they? What do they do and how can we give them the space to let them help our organizations?

Hard times are a fertile ground for change.

As a result of the economic situation and the collective cramp it’s brought about, change management is once more a hot topic in organizations. Great, because now we can actually see the shortcomings in the organization, and there’s a pressing need to do something about them.  Down-sizing, clearing-out, taking roads less travelled, implementing new and better systems, getting lean and mean: important themes that generally lead to improvements in organisations. But the question remains, do they become nicer places to work in, creating more value, and more meaningful for staff members, customers and their environment? That’s the major challenge.

Change and fear.

Fear prompts most change: if we don’t change, something awful might happen. Is this a problem? Not necessarily, because fear is a strong motivator and most people need a push to get them out of their comfort zone. On the other hand fear makes people feel hampered and constricted, not daring to take initiatives any more and confidence takes a dive. This happens just when organizations are having a hard time, and are so much in need of creative ideas, initiative, connection, passion, positivity, inspiration and involvement.

Fear or vision.

Fear of what might happen if we don’t change is a motivator, but perhaps vision is the forgotten driver for change. What kind of beauty or value could we achieve if we dared take the first step? A unifying vision can be a powerful motivator to let go of the known, and to work towards a better future.

Who has this vision?

Is having vision exclusively top management territory?  My definition of vision is, “an idea with the power to become reality”. If you feel involved with your organization, can think freely and want to set things in motion, then you already have a vision. Anyone in the organization, whatever their position, can have a vision, small or big, practical or abstract. We call the people in an organization with a vision, the guts to speak out and the perseverance to go for it, a forerunner.  These people bring challenge, life, meaning and originality to the organization. They are extremely valuable to the organization for getting things moving. In other words, change. Organizations looking for change and improvement can’t do better than search out their forerunners, dialoguing with them, and where possible and desirable, giving them the space, in connection, to realise their vision, in the interests of everyone.

InContext Consultancy Group, as part of its Corporate Responsibility policy, will soon be organizing, free of charge,  ‘forerunners’ workshops’. Are you a forerunner? Then contact us on +3135 - 628 68 48 or info@incontext.nl!