If you do a search on “Change Dynamics,” and select “images,” chances are you’ll see lots of pictures of custom wheels for your car. However, you search images for “Dynamics of Change,” you’ll find an array of books, memes and other pictures that convey how change can occur, can be implemented, can be made to stick, and what the ramifications of change can be, as well as their effect on various populations. This proves that it’s important to speak about things correctly. As the Chinese proverb states, “The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.”
If you’re looking to make improvements to the processes in which your school, non-profit, workgroup, team, organization, business, even your church, and yes, even your family participates, then it’s important for all stakeholders to be involved in the process, since the effect of a small change in one element of your school, non-profit, workgroup, team, organization, business, church or family will be felt throughout its complete systemic structure.
Consultant and best-selling author Patrick Lencioni shares some great insights about what inhibits teams from making changes that will take them to the next level. The video is entertaining as much as it informative, and the dysfunctions of a team are as applicable to a small church as they are to a multi-million dollar corporation. Unfortunately, the original video that was posted is still available (you can search “Five Dysfunctions of a Team”), but since these are taken down as soon as they’re reposted, to offer a link is a waste of time (but you might be able to find it somewhere if you search for it (yes, people still need to do some search work and not have everything linked for your convenience). There is, however, a 2-minute video explanation of the 5 dysfunctions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCxct4CR-To. The current video only covers the first dysfunction, the Absence of Trust, is VERY important concept to comprehend before progressing to examining the next levels of dysfunction.
I could say you NEED to watch Patrick Lencioni. But first, you have to WANT to watch. When I had first encouraged some of my colleagues to watch it, they said, “Oh, I don’t have time for that,” applying the #TLDR (too long, didn’t read) mindset to our society’s desire for just headlines and soundbites. Unfortunately, that type of comment offers some great insight into the mindset necessary for effective change to occur and “stick.”
Change requires preparation, since a change usually means there will be more changes to help support the change. That’s why the featured graphic for this article was chosen as a visual representation of this principle. If a back-bending change leads to successes, then more changes will be necessary to help support those successes. That’s why it may be helpful to think of change not as “change,” but as “transition.” “Change” is an “event,” while “transition” is a “process.”
See if this dysfunction that Mr. Lencioni describes resonates with your experiences.