The Dynamics of Change

In this section I introduce you to:

The Dynamics of Change
Personal and Organisational Dynamics
The Four Dimensions of Change
How to Lead Dynamic Change
The Change Coach Role
Dynamics from my own experience

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What does dynamic mean ?
When something or someone is 'dynamic' they are constantly
on the move and quick to respond to changes in their environment.
They do this in order to keep themselves balanced, lively enough
to deal with any threats that arise and take advantage of
unexpected opportunities.

The Dynamics of Change


The forces for change are not simple chains of cause and effect, indeed they are chaotic and unpredictable. If change is a natural and complex process then all we can reasonably do is create the conditions that will induce the change we are after and build the capacity of individuals and organisations to make it happen in a purposeful way. The key to this is an ability to think systemically and engage in conversations that explore moral and spiritual purposes.

This position has been taken by people such as Peter Senge, Michael Fullen, Peter Block, Harrison Owen, Margaret Wheatley, Fritjof Capra, Tom Peters and Howard Gardner. They are all agreed that leaders of learning and change must be experts in the dynamics of change if they are to become Real Change Leaders. The leader's task is to help people reconcile the tensions between chaos and order, both in their own minds (inside-v-outside) and in the relationships between them and us (top-v -bottom).

Dynamic complexity is therefore the real territory of change. Leaders must look for the underlying patterns of thinking and behaviour that influence their choices - choices that have to be made in the moment. Change is no longer a journey through time, but the act of bringing the future into the present. The challenge is how to "pay attention to your intention" - one of Deepak Chopra's "seven spiritual laws of success".

A Headteacher friend of mine explained the emotional turmoil her school had experienced over many years because a disturbed child could not be given the special help they clearly needed. No amount of rational argument it seemed would make the change happen. Not until the school staff were being physically abused and became emotionally distressed, and after the child had been excluded for the third time, would the LEA take the appropriate action.

Making change happen it seems is as much an emotional as a rational issue. Peter Senge reminds us that a high dgree of emotional involvement is required to create the results that people genuinely desire. How information, emotional energy, relationships and communication issues combine to produce a passionate response does enable change to happen in complex situations.

The commitment to change can be seen as individual or a collective decision. A clearly defined vision from the top has to be activated by people at the bottom. The more input people have into defining the changes that will affect their work, the more ownership they will have for the results. Changing the invididual is about changing the system. It is the intrinsic rewards that people get that is empowering to them.

The vertical dynamic impacts on the amount of
energy and direction coming from organisational structures, and
the horizontal dynamic impacts on the quality of relationships
and commitment coming from personal motivations.

Achieving real change therefore, requires the integration of these two dynamics, the organisational (vertical) and the personal (horizontal). I have broken them down into four dimensions to help make sense of the contradictions and ambiguities that might give the impression of chaos.

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