In the CALS 505 Leading Change in the Context of Climate Change class, we recently watched a video interview with Adam Lerner from Sovable (Royal Roads University, (2023). He identified three steps to lead change. The steps are diagnosing the existing state to find what is no longer needed, interrupting or stopping that which no longer serves, and creating space to innovate, which is the final step in the change process. The challenging work for many is interrupting, stopping, or letting go of that which no longer serves. It could be called the messy middle, and it needs our attention. Addressing the messy middle is the emotional work for climate leaders.
Pay Attention to the Emotions Raised During the Change Process
Attuned leaders will provide the emotional space and support for those affected by the change to gracefully let go of practices, policies or work that is not needed in the future state (Royal Roads University, 2023). Adam Lerner calls this step “hospicing,” and framing it as such ensures that sufficient care and attention are provided to this phase of the change process. This is the emotional work required to facilitate change. Leaders must be prepared to support those affected to deal with the loss, grief, and uncertainty they may feel when they abandon familiar but redundant ways of being, processes or work. It is also essential for leaders to have the emotional capacity to provide a safe emotional space for hospicing to occur.
Anticipating and going through the change process can leave people feeling confused, lost, and overwhelmed (Solvable, 2021). As a result, it is understandable that not only do people fear change they are more comfortable with the status quo (Grashow et al., 2009). If these intense emotions are not addressed, it can lead to apathy or derailment of the change process (Moss Kanter, 2012, Solvable, 2021). These reactions may be overlooked, given the leader’s focus on the vision and goals of the outcome, but they can also be planned for and managed with empathy. The emotions are not confined to one stage of the change process; therefore, hospicing will be an ongoing practice.
Practices to Support Hospicing
Some practices the leader can incorporate to support hospicing are identified in Ten Reasons People Resist Change (Moss Kanter, 2012). For example, by involving people in planning and allowing them to make choices, they will experience less loss of control. Most importantly, providing a clearly articulated step-by-step process with a timeline prevents people from feeling confused and uncertain. However, it is important also to acknowledge that there will be extra work, unanticipated problems, and some confusion throughout the process so that people are prepared for the challenge. A way to incorporate these practices could be with narrative.
Narrative can positively engage people in co-creating the future story (Withers, 2023). Sharing stories allows people to see themselves within the story and as part of the solution to the problem. Sharing stories provides an emotional connection and an opportunity to explore emotions such as fear, loss, and grief (Abbas, 2023). Stories or narratives can also be a powerful way to envision the future. An intriguing example is the City of Vancouver’s Sea2City Design Challenge which was part of the city’s values-based coastal adaptation planning.
The city used various forms of engagement to have conversations with citizens about rising sea levels, the effects it will have on the city’s shoreline and how this will impact people living, working, and playing along the coastline. One event had writers from coastal cities sharing their thoughts about sea level rise (Azpiri, 2022). Their written words were projected onto a large, publically displayed screen and were sung to the public by a youth choir. This single event incorporated vision stories to “create a shared understanding of the future” (Abbas, 2023, 2. Vision stories section, para. 2) and personal stories with individual writers sharing their emotions, expressing their concerns or fears, and providing their insights about the change. Sharing diverse perspectives about the future can help to foster empathy, develop understanding, and provide inspiration and motivation for working collectively on solutions (Abbas. 2023). These are critical elements for powering a change process.
Successful Change Requires Paying Attention to the Emotional Work
Leaders with a vision for change must also recognize the emotional journey those following will be on to arrive at the vision. Ignoring the intense emotions felt by those leaving behind that which no longer serves can undermine the successful transition to the new state. When considering climate change, that transition period will be ongoing. Recognizing that people must grapple with their feelings of loss, confusion, and grief as they adapt to the changing climate allows climate leaders to assist with those emotions. One of the powerful ways to do this is through narrative and the art and practice of sharing stories.
References
Abbas, T. (2023, May 20). Change Management Storytelling Examples and Techniques. CMI. https://changemanagementinsight.com/change-management-storytelling-examples/
Azpiri, J. (2022, July 31). Design challenge brings together art and science to help change how Vancouverites think about sea-level rise | CBC News. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sea2city-design-challenge-1.6534319
Grashow, A., Linsky, M., and Heifetz, R. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership [Overview]. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e82693f000aa1300138cb94/t/60171e947e495b34f3663cb1/1612127893039/The+Practice+Of+Adaptive+Leadership.pdf
Kanter, R. M. (2012, September 25). Ten Reasons People Resist Change. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2012/09/ten-reasons-people-resist-chang
Royal Roads University. (Producer). (2023). Interview with Adam Lerner [Video]. Royal Roads University Moodle. https://media.royalroads.ca/owl/media/macal/videos/CALS505/AdamLearnerLeadingChange.mp4
Solvable. (2021, May 20). Emotional Climate Resilience with Leslie Davenport [Webinar]. https://www.solvable.ca/new-works/leslie-davenport
Withers, D. (2023, July 13). Unit 4: The resources – what we need in our toolkit [Class recording]. CALS505: Leading Change in the Context of Climate Change. Royal Roads University. https://commons.royalroads.ca/cals505/