Change as a Venture

Change projects are not an end in themselves but a targeted investment in the future. They come at a cost. When an organization takes such a risk and accepts that performance may be temporarily impaired, it’s a genuine entrepreneurial decision. This makes it all the more important to approach this “pain of transition” in a purposeful way, to maintain a clear vision of change, and to be able to communicate it effectively.

To remain agile and future-ready, organizations must occasionally allow themselves to enter such periods of instability. However, change is only sustainably successful if you ultimately reach a stable state again. This requires your organization to move into “action mode” and successfully anchor the changes within your organization.

Participative Dialogue

Companies and organizations are complex systems. People with diverse roles, perspectives, and backgrounds come together. Change succeeds when it emerges through mutual discourse. Key drivers are needed to set the direction, communicate the necessity for action, and create the required framework conditions. However, very few projects can be managed purely “top-down” – with perhaps the exception of restructuring.

It’s the members of the organization who can identify suitable solutions with their detailed knowledge. They have proximity to the customer and can incorporate their perspective. And with their insight into informal networks and mutual relationships, they know exactly what will truly “work” in your unique organization.

There are no shortcuts here. And in the end, it doesn’t take longer. On the contrary: those who find the right solution through dialogue have less difficulty with sustainable implementation. Dynamic systems typically don’t need external energy. The energetic “input” doesn’t determine the achieved “output.” The more resonant the solution is and the more strongly it makes your organization “vibrate”, the more effective and long-lasting the change will be.

Utilizing Resistance, Promoting Resonance

When people face changes, it often triggers an emotional roller coaster. It takes several phases before initial rejection and defense ultimately transform into acceptance and active participation. Traditional “Change Management” guides relevant stakeholders through this emotional curve.

Systemic organizational development goes one step further: it views resistance as a valuable resource to be integrated. It’s precisely the diversity of perspectives, attitudes, and roles that makes organizations intelligent, creative, and capable of innovation. While consensus won’t always be achievable on every issue, it’s essential to tolerate internal tensions, listen to different perspectives, openly address conflicts, and, most importantly, adapt solutions in response to genuine objections.

Organizational development sees this as an important maturation process. This process is what makes sustainably successful change possible. If open dialogue is absent, however, there’s a risk that conflicts will be fought out below the surface and negatively impact collaboration and corporate culture.