"Change experts will tell you to "get clear on your vision" and "communicate the plan." But what happens when you can't predict what next month will bring, let alone next quarter? This isn't a leadership failure. For most of us, it's the new reality. And it requires a completely different approach to how we navigate uncertainty together. Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short"
"Traditional change management assumed we could control and predict outcomes with detailed plans. But in complex systems with too many variables colliding, none of us can really know how things will play out. This may explain why our recent studies indicate that more than half of recent workplace changes have been unsuccessful, and poor change management has become a leading cause of burnout."
"Here's what we're learning: To navigate this level of complexity, our brains need to feel "safe enough"-not certain, not in control, but safe enough to stay curious and open. When we don't feel safe enough, our nervous system's protection circuit kicks in. Thinking slows down. Creativity shuts down. Trust dries up. The very people we need most engaged during uncertainty begin quietly cracking under the pressure."
Global climate, economic, political, social, and technological shifts are colliding and amplifying, generating a supercycle of change that produces constant waves of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Traditional change management models that rely on predictable outcomes and detailed plans fail in such complex, variable-rich systems, contributing to unsuccessful workplace changes and rising burnout. Human nervous systems respond to perceived threat by activating protection circuits, slowing thinking and shutting down creativity and trust. Conversely, when people feel "safe enough," connection circuits enable curiosity, creativity, courage, and collaboration. Effective leadership focuses on creating "safe enough" environments so teams can remain open, engaged, and innovative under uncertainty.
Read at Psychology Today
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