What does it take to lead change in uncertain times?
This week begins with facilitating a 2 day deep dive into change leadership. We start off with a guided tour of different models and theories of change, then explore ways we can greet resistance to change with sensitivity and responsiveness, and finally look at how we can tell a compelling story about why this change is needed at this time.
Scenarios are an underappreciated yet effective way to communicate stories about what is possible if we act, the dangers of becoming comfortably numb, and what is at risk if we lose our nerve.
Essentially, scenarios depict a range of potential futures that could emerge from the present.
While scenarios are often used to explore how the landscape we are working within could shift, we can also use them to demonstrate what is possible if we act on opportunity, and what is at risk if we we do nothing.
At heart, we are storytellers.
When rational arguments for change fall short, stories about where we might find ourselves if we act (or choose not to) can tap into deeper wells of motivation, giving us the courage to begin and persist.