Crisis is defined by David Knox as “a crucial situation that requires changes in normal patterns of behavior”.
Change of behaviors is not something trivial for the human being. Some moments in life we identify in our own behaviors some particular ones that don´t help us to keep our best image or relationships and even being conscious of these behaviors it´s so difficult to change!
In moments of corporate change, we are asked to change our behaviors at work by reasons that many times are not totally understandable in the individual level. This is why moments of change are usually associated with times of crisis and they are normally a bit or in some cases too stressful.
I would like to invite you to reflect on how could we make a crisis moment at work, which requires a change of behavior, a more positive and productive experience.
In order to advance in this reflection, I will bring two elements that can help us to change behaviors at work in a way that doesn’t sound so disruptive.
The first element that is essential to a successful approach to behavior change is trust. As commented by David Hurst, “In times of crisis, when no one knows what to believe, people cannot put their trust in external institutions and their rules and procedures, they can put their trust only in other people”
If the organization cultivates a culture of trust and collaboration between managers and co-workers, in the moments of change, usually full of doubt, we can truly rely on each other, be authentic and express dissenting opinions making the process of change more human.
The second element that can make a change process more natural is flexibility. In change environment is normal to have initially a deliberate strategy driving all the change decisions, however, the strategy will just be effective in the long run if managers and associates succeed to function towards a common goal.
In the process of change, it´s important to have the flexibility to adjust a deliberate strategy as we learn with the process.
Henry Mintzberg says “…Purely emergent strategies may be rare – they imply no control. But hardly less rare are pure deliberate strategies – they imply no learning…”
In moments of change, it´s normal to go some steps forward and here or there some steps backward. It´s a learning process and it´s smart to keep our minds open and be flexible to see a new strategy that can emerge from learning shaped by our collective experience.
In moments of change, the strategies that emerge from the crisis management are normally the key to build a sustainable future in the organization because they are consistent and built on the experience and commitment of the people.
Mintzberg, Henry, “Tracking Strategies: Toward a General Theory of Strategy Formation”, Oxford University Press, (2007).
Hurst, David K., “The New Ecology of Leadership: Business Mastery in a Chaotic World”, Columbia University Press (2012).
Post illustration – photo credit – alias URBAN ARTefakte on Visual Hunt