Name: Pragmatic Change
Author: Mark Winter

Children ARE change management: lessons from Fatherhood that I wasn't expecting

Certifications are great...but the best change management lessons come from life!

It strikes me that the patience that every parent requires, to continually emotionally regulate and whilst communicating simply and clearly...that's almost "unteachable" in a formal organisational change management sense. Not to mention the adept, multi-layered key messaging development that's required, ahead of 38 questions of "...why?"

Children ARE change management; every day has an element of 'newness' which comes with a from of 'demand'. It's mostly delightful, occasionally soul-destroying and pushes you to become a changed version of you.

In a truly blessed life, my two kids are the best thing that ever happened to me. In a happy coincidence for professional me, its the best lesson in change management I've ever had.

Having gratefully enjoyed a (multi-generational) Happy Father's Day yesterday, I sharpened my reflective thoughts into four personal favourites.

You don't have to be a Dad (or Mum / some form of carer) to relate to these. But if you are: keep going, you're doing great!

And if you aren't doing so great on that front...listen, watch and learn from your kids. They are living proof that change is innate to all of us, so you can improve too.

Change, Personal GrowthMark Winter2 September 2024Change, Purpose

Change at the core: connecting to meaning and purpose

"People don't buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it."

There is a striking poignancy to these words, 14 years on from when Simon Sinek enshrined them in TED Talk immortality.

Every client, I will ever work with...I will start with the Why. It's a pragmatic approach: people aren't resistant to change; they're resistant to change that doesn't make sense.

(Luckily, we at Apricot enjoy that 'sense making' work, irrespective of the layers of complexity and emotionally charged narratives of "yesterday".)

"Align change with what matters" is our First Principle of Change, which unsurprisingly mirrors our hallmark Apricot Health Index.

But how does that come to life in an organisational setting? I give my explainer in this article, plus give some tips on how to make even the most mundane of organisational change have some sense of meaning and importance.

#change #meaning #purpose

Org Development, LeadershipMark Winter13 July 2023Purpose, ChangeComment