The path of change is not linear. Nor is it predictable. Circumstances change. The urgent pops up and pushes attention aside. People react to change in ways you don’t expect. Others say one thing and do the opposite. The new system you designed doesn’t work the way it should. It costs more than you thought. All kinds of things occur that throw you off your original plan.
As a change agent, it can be tempting to stick to your plan about how change should happen. But when something new and unexpected happens, you suddenly have a new reality that was different from the one you started with. You will have to readjust your approach in order to continue forward.
Be flexible. Keep an open mind about alternate routes to the same end result. Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to stick to the way you thought it should work. If what you’re trying isn’t working, try something else. Dance with it.
Where do you need to be flexible?
Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.
