Managing Change
Mentors: Noah Webster, Boudewijn, Steven, Kyler, Abraham Lincoln
CHANGE, verb transitive
1. To cause to turn or pass from one state to another; to alter, or make different; to vary in external form, or in essence; as, to change the color or shape of a thing; to change the countenance; to change the heart or life. Webster’s Dictionary of the American Language, 1828.
Change happens, no matter what you do or don’t do.
“Change” is a big buzzword today, and rightfully so. You and the world around you are constantly evolving.
How do I manage external change?
What kind of decisions lead to change?
Think back to an experience when you have left a place for any length of time. Whether you return in a month, a year or a decade, you will see change. Even if by chance the physical environment appears the same, people and circumstances will change or evolve. And during that time, you and your perspective have also changed. Moment by moment you and your surroundings are evolving. Usually it happens so gradually you hardly notice it. Sudden or disruptive change can seem overwhelming. Sudden disruptions are sometimes planned, sometimes forced upon you.
Choosing change
My grandfather Boudewijn arrived in the United States at the age of 21 on a ship called the New Amsterdam. A cascade of changes followed his choice, new language, culture, career and climate. He was separated from family members and reunited with others who had already immigrated.
At age 67 he returned to the Netherlands for a much anticipated visit. When he arrived back in Los Angeles, he remarked that the Dutch climate had not changed, “Now I know why I left that damn country: It was raining when I left and it’s still raining!”
He traveled anticipating a renewal of his previous life with deep nostalgia. Yet, while he was evolving here in the United States, over the decades many other changes occurred in his previous homeland. “I wanted to see if I could still speak Dutch, but all those damn people all speak English now.” What disappointed him the most were changes in traditional views and morals. The home and environment which he once knew, no longer existed. Many family members and associates had passed on, others were simply not the same as he remembered. He then realized how grateful he was for his current life and who he had become.
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” -Theodore Roosevelt
External change, accelerated learning
Humans are amazingly adaptable to change. External events can shock the system and force change upon groups, families or individuals. The pace of learning is accelerated exponentially when traumatic change occurs. I am inspired when I witness the patience, resilience and the ability of the human spirit to excel even under extreme and dire circumstances.
I heard that Steven was in the hospital with traumatic injuries from a four-wheeler accident. He rode on a path that he had ridden annually before. Due to a construction project, the path he knew had been excavated away.
Racing to the crest of a hill, the path underneath him vanished. In an instant Steven became paraplegic. He woke up in the hospital with the raw news that he would never walk again. The reality and depth of what this really meant was yet to be felt. I watched first hand as he and his family and friends, often through tears and spikes of gratitude, learned and were renewed, changed forever.
A couple of weeks into his new world, a therapist shared with him the results of interviews of others with similar sudden injuries. After several years in their condition, they were asked if they could go back and relive life as though the accident had never happened, would they do so. The vast majority of the respondents would not make that choice. They said that if they changed history, they would cease to be who they are today. All of their experiences and associations during that time period would vanish.
Internal change, accelerated learning
In a leadership meeting I and my leadership team determined that we would be strengthened if we could meet a challenge together outside of the office. We implemented a weightlifting program together. The challenge strengthened our relationship and improved our health. Yet, I only progressed to a certain point. I continued the routine of “attending” the weight room when my job changed, my progress completely stalled.
A sudden change came with a choice. Initially it was a “setback”. I was completely laid up with a ruptured quadriceps tendon. After two months I was so antsy that I started showing up at the gym with a walker. The image of me with a walker created a bit of a stir in the gym, but everyone seemed to get used to it. Physical therapy was very successful, but I soon fell back into the habit of just showing up; I quickly packed on twenty pounds.
Early one November morning, something in my inner spirit spoke to me about my stagnant progress, “You need to set some real goals, or just give it up.” “You’re wasting your time.” I was duly chastised. It was like finding a gold nugget in a stream while casually taking a sip of water. I took it to heart; as I was formulating a plan I saw a need for a personal trainer. “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”
Just as that thought manifested in me, my friend Kyler walked into the room. He had just returned from four months in Israel where he had learned to be a personal trainer. On his return to the United States he was praying to find someone to train. The Universe conspired in our favor. Each of us was forever changed.
Taking action
President Abraham Lincoln’s reaction to significant traumatic episodes throughout his life prepared him for the great challenges facing our nation. On December 1, 1862, just weeks prior to issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, he reflected on the need for deliberate change requiring decisive action.
“It is not ‘can any of us imagine better?’ but, ‘can we all do better?’ The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler et al.
