The Change Journey – Which Seat? (Part 2)

In my previous blog, I used the analogy that organizational change is like driving a car on a mountain road – it’s a lot more fun for the driver than for the passengers. I looked at the differences in three seats – driver, passenger, and rear. What you may not realize is that many of the people in your church or ministry or non-profit are not in any of those three seats. Instead, they find themselves riding in:

• The “way back” seat. When I was a kid, we owned the classic American family car – the station wagon. In those days, the third row was a rear-facing seat that we called the “way back” seat. Many people in your organization may feel like they’re riding in this position. They spend most of their time looking at what’s behind, with an occasional turn of their head to see what’s ahead. In this seat, the driver has to yell to be heard over the road noise and the talking of others.
• The luggage rack. On top of the car was the carrier in which we placed luggage so that we had more room on the inside. No one ever rode in the luggage rack, even though I’m sure that my sisters would have liked to have put me there on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, we often put people in this position while leading change in our organizations. They are blind to what is happening, feel neglected and mistreated, and will react in anger if they get a chance.

This analogy has a number of implications for change leaders. My top four are:

• Communicate with the passengers. Remember that those in the rear don’t have a clear view of what’s coming. Their ride will be much more enjoyable, and they will be less likely to object, if they feel included through effective communication.
• Listen and be willing to adjust. If the passenger in a car said, “I’m going to be sick if you don’t slow down,” you’d pay attention. In a similar way, you should listen to the feedback you’re getting about organizational change. It doesn’t change the destination that God has given you, but it could cause you to change the pace or even consider an alternate route.
• Upgrade the vehicle. Today’s family vehicles – minivans and SUV’s – hold the same number of passengers as our old station wagon, but the back row faces forward. If people in your organization are in the dark, you need to develop better ways to communicate and include them in the process before starting the change journey.
• Don’t put anyone in the luggage rack. This one is probably obvious, but pause and reflect on whether you’ve done this. You may have done so to deal with a “difficult” person or simply because you were too busy. Just realize that they will eventually get out, and when they do, you’ll suffer the consequences.

What other implications apply in your leadership context? How can you keep your “car” moving up that mountain road in the best way possible? Just stepping on the gas may not be the right answer. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>