The Nature of Change

Tips for successfully hiking a slot canyon and living to tell about it.

Wait, what? Isn’t this a change management blog? What do change and hiking have to do with each other? Well, attach your ‘biner and let’s explore.

Tip 1 – Check the weather. This first tip isn’t actually a tip, it’s a rule. Slot canyons are narrow passageways with sheer rock walls. Not the place you want to be when a storm comes in. Unless you fancy the risk of drowning, of course.

Same thing goes for change. Before heading down the path of sponsoring a change, ask yourself: Is there a storm of changes coming? If so, is now the right time to introduce another one or will I risk drowning our people?

Tip 2 – Take it slow. Slot canyon hikes are essentially river paths filled with rocks. Being cautious with your footing can save you an embarrassing fall at best, painful injuries at worst. I don’t know about you, but I prefer mindfulness over hiking out in agonizing pain.

Similarly, rushing through a change without taking the proper steps—building solid plans, securing active and visible sponsorship, communicating the WIIFM, aligning the change to larger messages—is risky. Missteps are going to hurt. And they can rip the ligaments of trust and take a long time to heal.

Tip 3 – Take the easy path. This is not the time for heroics. If the current is swift, don’t cross. Head upstream a bit and find an easier route. Why make things harder on yourself?

Like checking the weather, keep an eye out for changing currents during the change. Is productivity suffering? Are rumors beginning to surface? These are signs that the waters are not calm. If you don’t address them, you’re going to have a tougher time crossing the proverbial river of change.

Tip 4 – Course correct. Sometimes you start down a path just to realize there’s an easier one. You missed the cairn and that’s ok. Just acknowledge it and course correct. You might have to double back a bit. So what. There’s no medal at the end of the trail for being too stubborn to assess and recalibrate.

Same with change. As you’re moving down the path, there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying, “You know what, I think I might have missed something.” Pause. Throw the ego in the river and ask for help. Find out where you should have zigged instead of zagged. There’s no medal at the end of the implementation for being too stubborn to assess and recalibrate.

See, change is like hiking a slot canyon and we can get through it together.

Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

Shannon Vasko is a natural-born planner with a passion for strategy and integrated communications. © MI Compass Services.