“StarT with the general structures to get to the details”
OR SEEK BALANCE between VISION AND ACTION
💡 EXPLAining THE PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLE
Permaculture teaches us that it is best to start with general structures before diving into the details.
Focusing on the details first is sometimes to risk "drowning in a glass of water". The more we focus on each element, the less we understand the overall dynamics to build upon.
Permaculture invites us, on the contrary, to take a step back and incorporate fundamental principles to the development of crops.
For example, the idea behind permaculture is to apply the forest model to agriculture. In this model, the vitality of the whole ecosystem takes precedence over the vitality of each individual element.
🔍 ILLUSTRATing THE permaculture PRINCIPLE APPLIED TO A MISSION OF TRANSFORMATION
As changemakers, when launching an organizational change project with the ambition to bring a positive impact for society and the environment beyond business issues, we tend to imagine ourselves as a small front of a huge and scary mountain.
To carry out our mission, there are so many things to plan and conduct. For example:
Convince decision makers and/or colleagues of the need and urgency to change,
Take into account all the different expectations linked to this change,
Clarify the expected vision of the change,
Anticipate and manage the resistance linked to this change,
Develop a roadmap,
Identify and engage allies and stakeholders of the change,
Validate the resources available (time, budget, support...),
Implement the action plan,
Monitor and evaluate progress,
Communicate progress and challenges to stakeholders,
Deal with the unexpected and adjust practices to the realities on the field,
Manage administrative and logistical procedures that impact progress.
If this was not enough, these tasks must be carried out in a somewhat uncomfortable position. Change-leaders are often working outside of their comfort zone, facing their own doubts, confronting uncertainty about the path to take and the result to expect. This is enough to demotivate any change agent!
ACTIONS LEVERS
However, if we take a step back, we know that certain "spikes" can help us climb the mountain, in our own way and with a certain amount of serenity.
Here are three of them:
Vision.
Having a clear vision of the desired future allows us to avoid getting lost in the meanders of constraints and expectations. Keeping our eyes on the course allows us to light the way for others.
Leadership.
Clarifying our position, role, strengths, abilities and limits, enables us to bring meaningful value. It is also an opportunity to define the space so that others can create their complementary contribution.
Priorities.
Identifying the major strategic axes, in view of the current context and the desired vision, help us to focus on key priorities and to sort out the multiple ideas for action and requests.
Leveraging those structuring principles, will allow changemakers to climb the mountain in a coordinated, clear minded and uncomplicated way.
🐝 TIPS TO GET MOVING
Here are a few self-coaching questions to help you get through your transformation missions:
If everything is allowed, if everything is possible, what does success look like to you?
What kind of person to you want to be on this path? What role would you like to play?
Between the current situation (point A) and the desired situation (point B), what are the 3 priority action levers?
Reconcile macro visionary and micro tactical steps to achieve sustainable transformation. Anchor your feet on the ground, project your mind into the field of possibilities, and trust your experimentation will eventually reveal the path to follow!
“Vision without execution is only a hallucination”
“Action without vision goes in circles”
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IT'S THE BEST WAY TO SUPPORT ME.
As a reminder, I am creating a series on the the parallel between the 12 operational principles of permaculture and conditions for sustainable transformations of organizational systems. Here is the 1st post, the 2nd one, the 3rd one, the 4th one, the 5th one, the 6th one, 7th one, 8th one and 9th one.
If you are a professional changemaker, committed to promoting a better society, these principles and insights should help you maximize your impact and inner serenity.
Hello Changemakers!
I am Nina, an impact maker coach, specializing in leadership and sustainable transformation.
I have spent the past 10 years leading sustainable change in a Fortune 500 organization in a multicultural environment. What I like to do through my activities is to inspire organizations professionals to rethink the business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a more sustainable, human, and nature-friendly world.
If you wish to be supported to progress on your journey with multiplied impact and ease, contact me!