Patient with People, Impatient with the Mission
Action in the New Normal
The world as we know it seems to be getting turned upside down with each new day. Our ways of working are constantly in flux - work from home, show up at the office, book a flight and hope that COVID doesn’t derail our plans before we board the plane. The new restrictions, and limited new freedoms brought on by the pandemic (not to mention the global anxiety) have constricted our ability to think outside the box. As we feel more confined than ever, how can we show up as our authentic selves to face problems more urgent and more apparent than ever before?
The time to act is now. But in the confines of this “new normal” what does action look like?
In the face of change, our most common reflex is to resist, to withdraw, to overstep boundaries. We recoil from the unknown and become change averse, we lash out, often straying from our authentic selves in the process. What if, however, we could see transition as a springboard for growth? What if we could approach change with openness, stepping into the conversation brave enough to speak our truth, and humble enough to respect the boundaries of those around us?
This is what it means to engage in deliberate dialogue. Working through difference, and often conflict, in an effort to find common ground, connect and participate in conversation founded on the principles of inclusivity, empathy -- and patience.
Stepping Back to Step Up
Convene works with organizations that are leading through transition. The contrast between the time we have to address complex issues and the time it takes for process implementation requires strategy, professionalism and empathy. It requires agility in the midst of heated debate, and an openness to learning from and growing through conflict to find action-oriented solutions. Stepping back to take stock, then stepping up to enact change.
Recently, we had the opportunity to work with an organization in the midst of transitional growing pains. We grappled with making the link between convening for internal alignment and translating this into external change, i.e. to fulfilling the mandate to which all involved were so fervently committed.
Patient with People, Impatient with the Mission
Reflecting on a day of dialogue, while wandering through the streets of Rome the question arose: how does the high level work that Convene curates for leadership development and change translate into the mission on the ground? In other words, how does thinking through the change process on a seemingly abstract level translate into the real world?
In this search for balance between the enthusiasm for timely action and the need for well-thought-through reflection, we found our own formula : patient with people, impatient with the mission. Change takes time. Leading change with intent is vital in triggering the change that organizations are trying to make. Our approach is rooted in the idea that in order to work productively through times of change, we have to show up, to step up. We have to show up brave, unafraid to face the knotty problems, and together, with urgency, step up to translate comprehension and intent to agreed action.
Before we get there, though, we need to show up for each other. Working collectively in a process of co-creation and co-ownership requires active listening, patience, and a healthy knowledge of whether or not it is your turn to speak up. It requires creating space for one another to grow, and building a safe ecosystem to hear and be heard. It requires understanding this new way of hybrid working that enables us to truly engage on a global scale to meet the challenges of our global communities.
Leading change in today’s world is a matter of urgency. But a matter of urgency that requires patience nonetheless.