Move

Chapter 24Decorate the Change“Yes, We Are Really Doing This”

What Everyone Is Thinking

We talked about a new strategy a few weeks ago, but I'm not really sure what's different. I thought I was supposed to start this new work, but now I'm getting a bit nervous that I'm the only one doing it. Maybe we changed our mind and no one told me. I am going to hang back and wait to make sure we are still doing this.

As we talked about in the last chapter, ongoing conversation among the people doing the work is a fundamental and necessary ingredient to continue to make forward progress in your transformation. But the most effective organizations take it a step further and intentionally create rituals, artifacts, and even modifications to their physical workspace to make the change highly visible throughout the whole Middle. I refer to this as “decorating the change.”

A Story About a Goat

I'll share a story that I love about the non-profit organization, Heifer International. They have been doing their work for over 60 years.

Heifer deals primarily in livestock. They set out to transform communities (a strategic initiative) in the poorest parts of the world. They provide the livestock, along with training and breeding programs, to communities. When a family gets a goat or a heifer, or another type of animal, they are able to produce food for their family to eat, as well as produce food to sell. They become able to earn a living. When multiple families in a community are eating well and ...