I was intrigued to learn that “Courtship” was one of the five “C’s” in Beth Page’s model to lead change effectively in organizations (Page, 2015). She speaks about these C’s from her leadership experience during mergers and acquisitions and how best to honour employees as they move through the zones of transition (Bridges, 2009). The five considerations for leaders when managing an organizational change are listed in Figure 1. All five of these C’s must be addressed, in any order. The C that stood out for me was “Courtship” as a new way to think about work relationships during a period of change: not romantically as in the traditional meaning of courtship, but rather as a way to value effective relationships between and amongst leaders and employees. After reflecting further, I believe leaders should use Courtship to navigate organizational change because Courtship builds relationships based on key leadership values (Brown, B., 2018) of respect, gratitude and vulnerability.

Respect is a key theme in all five of the C’s, and in Courtship, respect is focused on the “why – the vision, strategy and reason” (Page, 2015, Figure 1) for change in the organization. It is the compelling story as to why the change should happen now (Page, 2015) and how it will benefit the team, thereby respecting the needs of both the organization and the individuals in it. Respect also means taking the time to understand and prioritize the emotional needs of people, which has the co-benefit of strengthening human value in the organization (Stallard and Pankau, 2008). I will be thinking about how to “court” board members and staff around respect for our shared vision.

Courtship also puts value on gratitude: being thankful for others in the organization, fostering a spirit of reciprocity and valuing the interconnectedness of all things (Kenny, 2012). In Returning the Gift (Kimmerer, 2013) shares her Potawatomi teaching that “the job of a human person is to learn” (p. 18) and to me, the concept of Courtship includes showing appreciation for the learning journey both leaders and staff are on. During change, leaders should “plant reframing seeds” (J. Perdue, personal communication, July 26, 2022) to focus on the “both/and” outcomes instead of polarity thinking (Johnson, 2021). By focusing on the upsides, fostering creativity and showing gratitude, leaders can learn from staff, as they all work towards the organization’s higher purpose.

Vulnerability is also a key component of Courtship because it maintains “a spirit of invitation” throughout the change (Page, 2015, 22:33). Being open and inviting, and maintaining vulnerability will make the leaders more human and more trusted (Kouzes and Posner, 2002). We need leaders to both demonstrate vulnerability, and when you identify discomfort due to uncertainty, “that is the place where a leader is needed” (Brown, B., 2012, p. 211). I will endeavor to maintain that openness and invite others in co-creation during organizational change.

Courtship needs to be maintained all the way through the zones of transition, including endings, the neutral zone and new beginnings (Bridges, 2009). It is a way to foster respect, gratitude and vulnerability, ultimately building stronger relationships between leaders and employees. Page muses about a comment she received while explaining Courtship: “a little less marriage and a little more courtship” (Page, 2015, 24:29), reminding us to not take our work relationships for granted. “Courtship never ends: you are either courting people in advance of a change, courting them through a change or courting them post change in preparation for the next one” (Page, 2015, 25:00).

Do you think Courtship requires respect, gratitude and vulnerability? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to email me at kerra.chomlak@royalroads.ca or connect with me via social media.

Figure 1: 5C Model in Practice
Credit: Page, B. (2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJWTzHAHeE