I’ve been reading The Chaos Imperative: How Chance and Disruption Increase Innovation, Effectiveness and Success by Ori Brafman and Judah Pollack, and find myself indirectly discussing many of the concepts raised in this book with colleagues and healthcare leaders. The notion that chaos can create “organized serendipity” made me think about my work with Language of Caring® clients. Chaos seems to be around us in abundant quantities. The idea that new, exciting and creative ideas can come from chaos is a stretch for most of us who like some sense of order in our lives and in our organizations. I wonder what transformation lies ahead of this space we presently find ourselves in – a space that feels filled with uncertainly, inertia, and leaders’ inability to work together to help our country go forward. I wonder if the chaos we are experiencing is just what we need to get us out of the rut and for new ideas and ways to emerge. According to the authors, we should make things even more chaotic, then harness and organize that chaos. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom, as the goal of most leaders is to minimize chaos and create order and systems that standardize and create efficiencies. I love the concept proposed by the authors – contained and organized chaos creates white space, in which new ideas can emerge. Imagine what can come from this time in our country and our organizations — change that is transformative and essential to move us forward into a new way of being.
I wonder if our current leaders (me included) have the needed skills to lead in a time of chaos. Are we able to lead change – to help others go through the three stages of transition, as described by William Bridges, which starts with letting go? Before we can move forward, we need to realize that there will be a loss and consider how change will impact us and others. Quickly, we will find ourselves in the neutral zone or the “nowhere between two somewheres”. Bridges identifies this as a time of high creativity and productivity. As leaders, we need to intentionally provide time to work through this zone, which could be the white space needed to grow and move forward. Imagine how our teams can flourish when we embrace the neutral zone. Finally, we reach the “new beginnings” stage, a time of acceptance of the change.
It’s time to be different as leaders. It’s time to embrace and perhaps create some chaos, then to harness and organize that chaos so that there’s space for our teams to do something transformative. Let’s look outside of healthcare for opportunities to be different and brave and courageous enough as leaders to invite others to the conversation. Why are we so afraid? How can we find our way forward?
I would like to offer a few ideas:
- Assess your current tolerance for change, chaos and ambiguity.
- Review some of the current change models (see sources below) and consider adopting a change management approach for your team.
- Assess your leadership skills. Are you flexible, adaptable, resilient, caring, and courageous?
- Where can you create organized chaos? Test it out and see what comes forth from your many talented team members.
- Do you have team members who seem to succeed in spite of all around them? Talk to them and learn how they do it day after day.
- Do you create white space for yourself and your team? If not, where can you do this?
As leaders, it’s our role to evolve and be ready to lead in times of uncertainty.
Sources
Brafman, O., & Pollack, J. (2013). The chaos imperative: How chance and disruption increase innovation, effectiveness, and success. Crown Business.
Bridges, W. (1986). Managing organizational transitions. Organizational dynamics, 15(1), 24-33.
Bridges, W., & Bridges, S. (2017). Managing transitions: Making the most of change. Da Capo Press.
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business Press.
Kotter, J. P. (2014). Accelerate: Building strategic agility for a faster-moving world. Harvard Business Review Press.
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Driven by a passionate commitment to strengthen humanism in healthcare, Language of Caring partners with healthcare organizations to create exceptional experiences and communities of caring through communication skill-building. Grounded in decades of experience and research, our offerings include a rich array of leadership development and support services as well as skill-building programs for staff and physicians – all designed to enhance the patient, family, and team experience.
