How to ignite change amidst institutional inertia

Igniting and creating lasting change requires the skill of resilience. I’ve been part of and witnessed many institutions steeped in tradition. The most successful organizations were adaptable and innovative. This was usually made possible by a leader (or leaders) that exemplified awe inspiring resilience in every stage of change.

Anyone can make an impact from whatever job title or perceived status. The secret ingredient to change is resilience. Many people are enacting change like someone who is rolling a heavy rock up a hill and gives up too soon, thereby losing precious ground gained. These results are not sustainable and people more often than not resort to old patterns of behavior.

Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. It’s the result of a combination of thoughts, feelings, and actions that solve a problem and implement the solution. Below I will discuss each stage of change and the kind of resilience required to move through each stage until change is inevitable, even amidst institutional inertia.

I. Awareness around a solvable problem

The type of resilience exemplified in the first stage of change requires a curious mind that is not resistant to the idea that a problem can be solved. Many of us in well-established institutions are too quick to resign ourselves to the status quo, even when we all acknowledge a problem that exists. For example, a company might be spending exorbitant amount of resources in meetings (time, paper, technology, preparing, scheduling, etc.). Recent post-pandemic years have proven that many of our meetings can be adapted by being moved to online formats or chat groups or completely done away with altogether. Companies were blind to solutions that later became obvious because they lacked curiosity. Curiosity can be created through thinking about and asking solution-oriented questions. In this stage, we must be resilient against the status quo.

II. Creating a solution

In this stage, our resilience is exemplified through the patience and creativity required to create a solution. We create patience and creativity by the way we frame failure, by our acceptance of the experience of frustration, and by our persistent curiosity to probe our minds for solutions. Many of us recognize that failure is an important step towards creating solutions that work but few of us are willing to submit to the process of failing frequently due to our social conditioning around failure as being a negative reflection on our self-worth, our efforts, and/or our intellect. By breaking this association between failure and our personal identities, we eliminate a lot of friction in the process of achieving our goals. However, this doesn’t always save us from the experience of frustration. By accepting our frustration as a natural part of creating a solution, we can leverage the energy created by the experience of frustration to our advantage.

III. Soliciting Institutional buy-in

Once we’ve created a viable solution to a problem, soliciting institutional buy-in is the way to ensure the longevity of the solution’s effectiveness. Soliciting institutional buy-in requires a number of skills that include active listening, empathy, and the ability to communicate mutually beneficial ideas. This stage is arguably the longest stage (and one that I recommend hiring a coach for) because, depending on the institution, the institutional buy-in requires multiple relationships built on trust and deep understanding. There’s always the institutional goal and then there’s the individual goals of departments and titles. Our solution must fit each cog in the large machine or in other words, our solution must speak to the goals of individuals. I once heard a prominent board member of an arts organization state, “Organizations don’t have needs. People have needs.” Ultimately, our work impacts people and it’s up to us to exhibit resilience and determination in the face of opposition, contrary ideas, or setbacks.

IV. Implement plan

At this stage, it’s time to hit the gas. Once there is institutional buy in, a massive amount of energy will be required to implement a plan. “Quiet quitting” at this stage will not be an option. Resilience will be required to maintain the intensity of persistent action taking towards implementing your solution. At every stage of implementation, it will take big picture thinking in the face of large and small setbacks. The speed of your implementation will be what generates the momentum necessary to create serious change. Speed is generated by removing obstacles (like institutional opposition) ahead of time. It’s also a mindset shift around what we believe to be possible.

V. Adapt solution for sustainability

At this stage, the energy required to maintain change will be in the form of a slow drip rather than a running faucet. Here, we come back to the basics of leading with curiosity in order to continue adapting solution(s) for sustainability. This stage requires a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of various systems and often entails repurposing existing technologies, developing novel practices, and fostering collaboration across sectors. Inclusive decision-making will be instrumental to making sure that solutions are contextually relevant and equitable.

VI. New cultural and institutional norm

Once we’ve adapted our solution for sustainability, we have reached the final stage of having created a new cultural and institutional norm. At this stage, there may be those who resist or resent the change, especially those who have been long standing stakeholders or who have been personally invested in the success of the institution for a significant amount of time. Our resilience must take the form of confidence and compassion: confidence in our institution and in our decisions that center on good intentions, and compassion for the inevitable challenges that individuals may experience in the process of enacting change.

Conclusion

Change is ignited, led, and sustained by individuals. Change is difficult and not always welcomed. It’s true that creating a new cultural and institutional norm requires the actions of many people. Our steadfast resilience amidst difficulties along each stage of change is paramount and the key to long-lasting impact – not necessarily our intelligence nor the brilliance of our solutions. We are more powerful than many of us will ever truly realize in our lifetimes. Often, the largest obstacle to our achievements is our own mind that is programmed to seek familiarity and comfort for our own survival. If you can conquer and work with and learn the skill of expertly managing our mind, you will be unstoppable.