As The Twig Is Bent So Grows The Tree: Navigate Teams Through Change
- Colleen Nelson
- Aug 5, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 19
Navigating Teams Through Change
Change can be hard for all teams to navigate. As a leader, you can use Systems Thinking to guide yourself and your teams through change. This is a way of processing information in a complex ecosystem. Change involves you, individuals, and the company. To achieve long-term change, you do not need to make quick or drastic changes all at once. Many people do not have the flexibility to handle extreme change all at once. But many can bend enough to change the trajectory and reach their long-term goals. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. This blog will help, and the downloadable worksheet will truly help navigate teams through change.
Systems Thinking. Begin this first part by considering individuals, not their functions. We tend to think of people in their job roles, rather than as individuals. This will cause you to overlook the person and, more importantly, prevent you from seeing your interactions with them. Before the twig can bend, you have to know what direction you want to move and how much pressure you need to apply. If your words inspire the individuals you need to change, you will need to meet with them. If your actions inspire them, they will need to see you modeling the change. If they take guidance from an informal leader, you will need that person on board with your change.
Personal Mastery. As a leader, it is essential that you can explain the business need driving the change. This brings rationality into the equation and will help answer the question: Why. People also want to understand the details behind how the change will happen. They will want to know how they are expected to change and how that change will support the business need. Before you bend the twig, you need to understand why it needs to bend, where it grows to, and how to make the bend stay in place while the tree grows. When people understand your vision and how that supports the business need, they will be more open and ready to respond to what is coming.
Mind Models. Understand how the individuals you are asking to change process information. As you develop your details of how this change will take effect in the Personal Mastery section, consider the following:
What are the new elements being added? Will you need twine to hold the twig in place?
What are the elements being removed? Will you have to trim back other trees to make more room for growth?
How do the pieces fit together? How do the twig, the tree, and the ground all come together to achieve your vision?
Shared Vision. Once you have worked through the first three steps, you need to confirm that all individuals share your vision. You want their support for the change, or you will find they work against you. To ensure you share a vision, identify potential roadblocks, and plan to address them. Communicate your plan to address those issues before they arise. By removing roadblocks, the team knows they have your support through change. You will want to have the right tools (twine, clippers, stakes), you will want to have the proper process (how do we bend the twig, how do we follow up to ensure it is bent the right way), and you will need constant communication (who is monitoring the twig and is it on track to grow as expected).
Team Learning. Guiding a team through change is not a one-time communication. A changing team involves sharing knowledge. Schedule regular check-ins. Have the individuals share lessons learned. This is a great time to develop best practices, procedures, and processes for long-term success. In these check-in sessions, also discuss what is not working. See if the team has found a way to address issues and offer your support where needed. Over time, circumstances change. To ensure the twig grows as you envisioned, you will need to stay informed about any factors that might cause it to go off course.
Using this approach, you and the team will feel more confident about the change underway. With that confidence will come acceleration. People will spend more time working toward the vision rather than fighting it. They will find additional ways to contribute to the success. For as the twig is bent, so grows the tree.
