3 Minute Read…
Change and transition are not the same.
Change represents the new set of circumstances or the new situation we desire.
Change represents the end result of a successful organizational effort. Examples include creating a new department, changing the organizational structure, moving to a new location, or launching a new product or offering. All of these are significant changes.
Transition, on the other hand, is the set of people-oriented experiences that precede change.
If change is about new circumstances, transition is the emotional, psychological, and spiritual adjustments people go through as change is implemented. We manage change, but we lead transitions.
Understanding the difference makes all the difference.
Planning for Organizational Change:
Most leaders are relatively adept at planning for change. At the highest level, a change management plan starts with the desired outcome. It then works backward, step by step, to create the necessary preconditions for that outcome. These preconditions are primarily situational and circumstantial.
I’m a lead pastor of a church, so let me give you a church example: If you want to move from Sunday School to small groups, your change management plan will begin with the end in mind. What is the new, desired ministry offering? This is your desired outcome. Next, you would work backward, identifying steps along the way to move your Sunday School experience to a small group offering. You’d probably identify what is necessary for small groups to be effective. You would determine volunteer needs, look at the preaching calendar and incorporate topics on community, connection, and accountability, and consider what seasons are best to initiate the move. Eventually, you would have a planned strategy full of vision and actions that serve as preconditions for the desired outcome.
Planning for Emotional Transition:
Most leaders stop at the change management plan. We know where we currently are (Sunday School), we know where we want to be (small groups), and we have a plan to get there (change management plan). But most likely, without a transition plan, this change would be only partially successful with a wake of bodies behind us.
Unlike change management, transition leadership starts with where people are and works forward, step by step, through the process of leaving the past behind, getting through the confusion of change, and emerging with new attitudes, behaviors, and identities. If change is the new circumstance (small groups), transition is the psychological process to get people there. This is incredibly important to understand, as every change ultimately involves and is initiated, experienced, and adopted by people.
In our Sunday School to small group example, a transition management plan begins by identifying where people are. This plan must incorporate what each person will lose or leave behind due to this change. The plan must allow for grieving what will be lost. The plan must prepare people for the chaos and confusion of the pending transition. The season between leaving Sunday School behind and adopting the new small group model will not be smooth. The chaos and confusion is proof that change is happening, and people need to be prepared for it and encouraged through it. Finally, the transition management plan must include the steps associated with the new attitudes, behaviors, and eventual identity as a small groups foundational church.
Conclusion
Most of us are good at identifying what needs to change. And we’re relatively proficient at developing change management plans. But what separates those who desire change versus those who can lead to change is the ability to see and integrate transition plans. Get this right, and you’ll not only achieve the desired change, but you’ll bring the support of most people along with you.
How can I help?
Helping ministry and marketplace leaders through change, transition, and transformation is why I created Transformation Solutions. Go right now to mytransformationsolutions.com and sign up for a free, 30-minute conversation to decide if working together works for you.
