Insight #22:
Summertime is Segway time. No, this is not a commercial. It’s a segue to the point I want to make.
But first, what is a Segway? For those who don’t know, a Segway is a self-balancing vehicle. That is according to Segway’s website. Please note, the key aspect here is “self-balancing.”
And what is a segue? The definition I like best for what I’m about to explain is this one. “To move smoothly and unhesitatingly from one state, condition, situation, or element to another.” That’s from The American Heritage Dictionary. Again, please note, the key aspect here is “to move smoothly and unhesitatingly.”
Right, on to the point I want to make:
The way to create change is to first create imbalance.
What? First make the situation worse? Yes, sort of. Let me explain.
When is the Segway, the self-balancing vehicle, stationary? When it is in balance. How do you get it moving? You put it out of balance, normally by leaning forward. To get it to go, you must create imbalance. The greater the imbalance, the faster you go. Want to stop? Lean back until you are back in balance.
Your organization is like a Segway. It will only change if its system is out of balance. Because of people. We will change our position if we feel out of balance with the situation we are in.
Why do we change if we are out of balance? Because we want to restore balance!
So, the trick to making change happen is to keep your people off balance just enough to keep them moving, hopefully in the right direction.
But what then about segue? Ah, the trick is to transition smoothly, but unhesitatingly, from old-balance to off-balance to new in-balance. If you push too hard too fast, or your process is jarring and uneven, your people will lose their balance. Not just be off balance. (As with losing your balance completely on a Segway, there will be blood.)
When it comes to making change happen, losing your balance has none of the benefits of being off balance.
Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.
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Quote of the Moment:
“I learned the hard way that the only way to keep my balance was to move my feet. My parents cheered and called it walking.” The Chief Nonsense Officer.
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