Good Change.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
Yogi Berra
Earlier this week, I reconnected with the CEO of a national nonprofit after many months. While we hadn’t spoken, I had been keeping track of their work and expected him to share that 2024 was a banner year, as it had seemed from my outside lens.
Things aren’t always as they seem from the outside, though.
In catching up, I learned that his team had experienced quite a bit of unexpected change—so much that it required the organization to pause, rethink the structure of their team, and then rebuild the team with the future in mind. While they weren’t in sync just yet, he was optimistic about the benefits of those unexpected changes, and what these new, positive adjustments to the team could mean for the future impact of their work.
Sometimes, we find ourselves in these “happy accidents,” as painter Bob Ross would say—situations we would rather not have been in that, in the end, benefit our team, our work, and our happiness.
An unexpected job change
An unexpected move
An unexpected shift in funding
An unexpected political victory
The hard part, of course, is feeling good about change when we’re in the middle of it—that messy, ambiguous, gray space that is “change at work”.
This past January, I set out on a year-long journey of conversations about embracing and preparing for change. Over eight months, I connected with 22 social impact leaders across philanthropy, media, business, and technology to explore how they navigated changes in their own industries and organizations and what communications lessons could be learned from their leadership. These conversations were produced into a year’s worth of episodes on our Mission Forward podcast.
Reflecting on all that I learned, here are three key takeaways that may be valuable if you’re going through, or planning for some change ahead:
When change is imminent, connection is essential. Don’t underestimate the value of a trusted confidante to help you navigate change. Never once did I hear, “Oh yeah, I got through those major changes all alone, and it was great.” When it comes to change, together is better. Learn more in this episode about connection and community with Michael Bolden.
Often the most uncomfortable parts of change are the most beneficial. Those uncomfortable moments teach us the most about ourselves and each other. So, embrace the unwieldy and uncomfortable, knowing you can learn the most there. Learn more in this episode about radical listening with Jennifer Brandel and Brian Fox.
Change how you prepare for change. As Joe Goldman and Crystal Hayling of the Democracy Fund taught me, unpredictable and unlikely disasters often distract our attention, but preparing for the likely, foreseeable changes (the change that we often fail to prepare for) can be the best strategy for navigating any sort of chaos factors ahead. Learn more in this episode about preparing for change with Joe and Crystal.
Bottom line: Change is hard, and rightfully so, feels hard when we’re experiencing it. If we can remember to embrace the possibility of what that change can bring, and take that fork in the road, you might find some good in the process, too.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
