I was recently working with a group in the middle of a change. The system they were replacing needed to go, and there were good reasons to move forward.
The harder work was helping people navigate the emotions that come with change.
The Questions Behind the Plan
On paper, the conversation was about improving a system. For the people involved, it raised far more personal questions.
Will I still be good at my job?
Will my experience still matter?
How much control will I lose?
What will this mean for me?
Those questions rarely appear in an implementation plan. Yet they can have a big influence on whether that plan moves forward.
Leaders may be talking about efficiency while team members are quietly wondering where they fit.
Where Change Gets Hard
When I speak to groups about navigating change, I teach a six-stage model. It helps people understand where they are and what will help them move forward. One of those stages is Pain and Discomfort.
In my experience, this is where leaders and teams have the most trouble. It is also where some of the most valuable work happens.
Familiar ways are being left behind, and new ways don't feel comfortable yet. People who once felt capable may suddenly feel like beginners. Tasks that used to be easy take more effort. Even people who support the change can find themselves frustrated by it.
You can believe a change is necessary and still wish you didn't have to go through it. Both can be true.
A Water the Bamboo Moment
The bamboo farmer keeps watering long before there is any sign of growth. During change, leaders need that same patience and commitment.
Learning takes time. So do trust and confidence. Progress may be happening beneath the surface before it shows up in the results.
Change Happens is one of the chapters in my book, Water the Bamboo. Change will come to every team and every person. What we can choose is how we move through it.
Keep Watering
If you are leading change right now, pay attention to the questions people may not be asking out loud. Making room for them builds the trust that change depends on.
And notice what's going well, even before the results show up. A process that's starting to feel familiar. A question that's easier to answer than it was last month. A teammate who's finding their footing again.
That's the bamboo building roots.