Tests of community attitude to change comes in many forms. Unforeseen global pandemics require unimagined actions to protect entire populations. Lockdowns, mandated vaccinations, forced isolation, border closures and travel bans to name a few. Elections also test a community’s appetite for change when political parties offer contrasting “steady as you go” vs “a vision for the future” election campaigns.
History suggests a “steady as you go” platform is typically successful until the electorate senses they are being left behind when compared to those around them. When this gap widens sufficiently, aspirations for a better future become more and more attractive and the risk equation of pursuing a better future outweighs the appetite for a stable, low risk existence as the perceived gap potentially widens.
This mindset can also apply to organisational changes where there is a familiarity with the way work is done. A better future doesn’t need to be considered while all is going well a the “gaps” associated with being left behind in their market are not evident. The challenge facing organisations is that the gaps can appear quickly and without little notice. “Disrupters” have decimated some traditional organisations, forced dramatic changes in others, created new / unforeseen opportunities for others. Tesla, for example, have jumped the long established auto manufacturers with market capitalisation others would have thought impossible only a few years ago.
Waiting for the “gaps” to appear might not be the best strategy. Building a organisational culture that is geared for change and always looking to work towards their vision for the future may offer a more resilient strategy.