CHAOS and CONFUSION
“The most dangerous time in the life of nations is the time between systems-when the old ways are discredited, but new habits and new institutions have not yet taken shape.” (Michael Novak)
An impression being communicated by the incoming regime is…
June 19, 2023, PATRIOT, Alexi Navalny,
We are afraid of you. We are afraid of what you will say. We are afraid of the truth.
This is an important confession. And it makes practical sense for all of us. We must do what they fear-tell the truth, spread the truth. This is the most powerful weapon against this regime of liars, thieves, and hypocrites. Everyone has this weapon. So make use of it.
We are in the NEUTRAL ZONE…
It is quite clear that the United States has been undergoing chaotic government changes; and, post-presidential 2024 election, it is clearly unfolding that “We the people…” will be witness to overwhelming changes and chaos in government…players, policy, goals, objectives, strategy, technology, and culture…simply change, reorganization, and redeployment. Perhaps several three-ring circuses and varied sideshows of planned and organized chaos, too. All too many of these changes will be discussed behind closed doors, or simply implemented, with little concern for how they will affect people or for what people will have to do to make them work. Examples: massive deportations, tariffs, and revenge messages. It will simply be assumed that if the changes are necessary, people will adjust to them. But experience suggests that the psychological process that change initiates is more like distress and disruption than adjustment. (Dr. William Bridges) And yet, the intent may be to simply have planned CHAOS and CONFUSION to undermine the “freedoms from” and “people strengths” uncovered in the history and traditions of the United States of America…all in the name of power for a select few.
A net result is that most changes will take longer and cost more to implement; and many of the changes that are meant to strengthen organizations-like our government-will weaken it…folks will be resentful, demotivated, puzzled, angry, overly excited, irritated, stressed, afraid, self-absorbed, skeptical, bundles of mind chatter, distracted, and confused when commitment and creativity are essential.
Each change has an ending, a period of transition, and a new beginning. Typically overlooked by change agents is TRANSITION, the psychological reorientation people go through when coming to terms with change. Transitions goes on inside people, typically takes longer than the change, starts with an ending, and is finished with a new beginning.
What can change agents do?
- Tell the truth!
- Identify the transitions.
- Manage the endings and the losses.
- Lead people through the neutral zone…the time between the endings and the new beginnings.
- Use the neutral zone creatively.
- Orchestrate, manage, and support new beginnings.
- Assess, enhance, and manage transition resources.
Simply, empathetically and compassionately, help and care about the people moving through the changes…the endings, the transitions, and the new beginnings. Misdirected and hastily mismanaged transitions grow GRASS…guilt, resentment, anxiety, self-absorption, and stress.
“We think in generalities, but we live in detail.” (Alfred North Whitehead)
Let’s make change work for us!
RESOURCES
Bridges, William. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes.
Drucker, Peter. Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Dyer, William. Strategies for Managing Change.
Handy, Charles. The Age of Unreason.
Peters, Tom. Thriving on Chaos.
Tichy, Noel. The Transformational Leader.
