On one of the last days I was out in Illinois getting my parents house ready to put on the market, we walked around with a notebook and wrote down everything that was left to do:
Fixing the broken caps on the patio railing
Steam cleaning all the carpets
Getting the old exercise equipment out of the basement
Cleaning the siding, again
There was more, it filled up a whole page in the end. Little things and big things that had all been a reality of the house for years but until now didn’t really require any attention.
I think “Fix garage door and door to garage” is my favorite.
Change has a way of bringing that kind of stuff into the light. The things you’ve lived with forever but now suddenly need fixing. In a way, it’s a sort of beautiful opportunity. That’s my change-positive demeanor coming to the forefront, but I think it’s a good instinct in the end. Because when things are status quo, we kinda just accept that everything is good enough, fine, getting the job done. It’s even comfortable. That’s one of the reasons change can be so scary, it’s naturally discomfiting.
But it doesn’t have to be that scary when you have the right supports in place. In fact, change presents an opportunity to examine our assumptions. To unpack old behaviors that may not serve us anymore. To fix the broken window blind that didn’t quite close properly.
This is particularly true for teams who are navigating a big organizational change. Whether that’s a layoff, restructuring, strategic pivot or new leadership. It’s an opportunity to examine what we always accepted as true up until now. To write down unwritten rules and decide if they still serve a purpose.
It’s not about throwing away what works. We didn’t touch the beautiful maple tree out front at my parent’s house, it was doing a lovely job. It’s about examining our behaviors and systems, asking the question: does this still work?
I regret I won’t get to benefit from all the necessary upgrades we gave the house. The new owners undoubtedly will though. The metaphor stands I hope - change isn’t just disruption - it’s opportunity if you allow it to be.
In my Values to Velocity work I’m digging into how we can quickly and effectively diagnose friction and prioritize what to keep and what to fix. The corporate equivalent of that sheet of paper with the to-do list. More to come next week when I’m breaking down the core components of the Foundation Building experience.
Cheers friends,
Ray Knickmeyer, Founder & Principal Strategist
PS: If you’ve moved or cleaned out a house recently, I’m sending you all the good thoughts in the world. It’s a seriously challenging experience.
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A contemplative Cthulhu