There is no doubt about it …
… change is not easy.
If it were we would all be doing it …
… all of the time.
So one skill that an effective agent of change demonstrates is persistence.
And also patience. And also reflective learning.
A recent change project demonstrated objective, measurable outcomes which showed that the original design goal was achieved. In budget. It took two years from first contact to final report.
Why two years? Could it have been done quicker?
In principle – ‘Emphatically, yes’. In practice – ‘Evidently, no’.
With the benefit of hindsight it is always clearer what might have caused the delay. Maybe the experience-based advice of those guiding the process was discounted. Maybe the repeated recommendation that an initial investment in learning the basic science of improvement would deliver a quicker return was ignored. Maybe.
So the reflective learning from the first wave was re-invested in the second wave.
And the second wave delivered a significant and objectively measurable improvement in one year.
And the reflective learning from the second wave was re-invested in the third wave.
And the third wave delivered a significant and objectively measurable improvement in six months.
And the three improvement projects were of comparable complexity.
So what is happening here?
The process of improvement is itself being improved. Experience and learning are being re-invested.
And two repeating themes emerge ….
Patience is needed to await outcomes and to learn from them.
Persistence is needed to re-examine old paradigms with this new knowledge and new understanding.
Patience and Persistence. And these principles apply as much to the teacher as to the taught.