Change is not Synonymous with Transition
Every 8 years, my organization appoints a new executive director, and we are currently walking through this process. Sometimes, this change comes with minimal disruption to organizational direction, and other times it comes with a change of direction, a completely new executive leadership team, and entirely new structures. Thankfully, our board has been pleased with the current administration’s vision and direction and has appointed a new executive director with the intention of having continuity of direction. As an organization, this is a bittersweet time, as we are grieving the loss of the existing executive director while also in hopeful anticipation of where the new executive director will be able to take our organization.
In this week’s reading of Illuminaire Press by founder Karise Hutchinson and managing editor Christine Robinson, I was especially intrigued by conversations on leading transition as it has extra relevance to me at this moment. [1] Karise Hutchinson is a Professor of Leadership at Ulster University, author of “Leadership Development for Small Business: The Power of Storytelling”, and founder of Illuminaire Institute ] which has a mission to “inspire transformation at individual, organizational, and societal levels through insights grounded in research so we learn how to live out leadership in our everyday lives.” [2][3]
Due to the transition that my organization is undergoing, I was particularly drawn to the section on leading transitions in Illuminaire. Hutchinson warns that 27-46% of leadership transition is regarded as a failure. [4] This statistic caught my attention and brought some sobriety to the responsibility we have as leaders to steward a transition well. Hutchinson explains that change is not synonymous with transition. We can bring about change in an organization, and the people may (or may not) transition. Transition has three stages of development:
- Saying goodbye – this is where people grieve the loss of the familiar and say goodbye to life before the change.
- Neutral zone – this is where there will be a variety of responses to change. Some will want to push forward with change, and others will become resistant and revert back to old ways. Some will want to rush again to the change, and others will want to retreat into the past. Leaders should be aware that it is often the transition that people are resistant to rather than the change itself. Resistance is natural and common, so leaders must be sensitive and cautious not to rush past this stage as it is the “seedbed for new growth”.
- Moving forward and reaching new beginnings – this is where people accept change and are ready to transition.
This content was timely because our executive leadership meeting today was all about helping ourselves and our teams transition well. We lamented over those that may get stuck in the neutral zone, while others have been happily anticipating change and transition for some time. One of my colleagues wisely reminded us that some people are pre-grievers and some are post-grievers. [5]The pre-grievers process change before it happens and struggle through saying goodbye long before the actual change. Post-grievers go on with business as usual and then begin the process of transition only after the change has occurred and had some time to set in.
In Illuminaire Press, Hutchinson captures a conversation with Dr. Glenn Williams who had moved out of global executive role with a less than ideal ending and then struggled to find his footing in his next role. As Dr. Williams reflected on his transition process, he shared a few questions that can be asked of a transitioning leader rather than “how are you feeling?”:
- “How can I help you right now?”
- “Is there someone I can introduce to help you on this part of the journey?”
- “Do you need a sounding board to bounce off some ideas with?” [6]
What questions do you find helpful when you are experiencing change and working towards transition? Similarly, what questions have you found to be unhelpful?
References
[1] Robinson, Christine Gilland, ed. “Illuminaire,” 2024. https://www.illuminaireleadership.com/illuminaire-press-vol-1-digital.
[2] illuminaire. “About Illuminaire Institute,” n.d. https://www.illuminaireleadership.com/about.
[3] Ulster University. “Professor Karise Hutchinson,” n.d. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/staff/kc-hutchinson.
[4] Robinson, 89.
[5] Wells, Lauren. “Helping Your Child Process the Grief of Moving Overseas (Part 1): The Pre-Grieving Child.” TCK Training, n.d. https://www.tcktraining.com/blog/20170331practical-tips-for-helping-your-child-process-the-grief-of-moving-overseas-part-1-the-pre-grieving-child-1#:~:text=The%20pre%2Dgrievers%20may%20begin,even%20playing%20with%20favorite%20toys.
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Christy
8 responses to “Change is not Synonymous with Transition”
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Thanks Christy! I like the questions you listed below. Other questions that I’ve found helpful have been: “Where are you experiencing a sense of loss or grief over what has changed and how are you processing that appropriately?” Also, “What are you learning about your own limits, and the limits of others, that will be important when this period of transition is over?”
Those are great questions Ryan! Thanks for sharing those, I’ll file those away for the right time!
Christy,
The organization that I partner with has had a rash of executive directors over the years. They have all left of different reasons but in the end they have all left and have not stuck around too long. In the meantime, I keep asking the board of directors and staff, “why are they leaving? What demands are being placed on them that is causing them all to leave? What are we doing to prevent the next person from leaving right away? How might we help the team navigate the constant transitions?”
Hi Adam, that’s tough to go through executive directors, especially when it happens quickly. Thankfully in my org’s case, everyone is prepared for the change every 8 years since it’s written into our bylaws.
How have you handled each transition?
Hi Christy, Thank you for sharing about your organization’s executive director’s upcoming transition. It seems Illuminaire’s thoughts on transition came at an opportune time. What would make this leadership transition successful rather than the typical 27-46% failure statistic?
Hi Elysse! Great question – thank you. I’ve been thinking about that stat – it’s sobering. I wish I had a clear answer, but it’s complicated and there is quite a bit of nuance in responding. But in general, I think we need the right leaders in place, with the right strategy, and the people need to buy into the vision of the changes. And most importantly, we must be sensitive on the holy spirit to re-direct our steps as he sees fit!
Hey Christy! You are provoking thought with your question. Here are some things that come to mind:
What is this transition teaching me about myself and my leadership?
What do I need to let go of in order to move forward?
Who can provide wisdom and support to me during this trying time?
Thanks for this Christy. I, too, was intrigued by the difference between change and transition. Where do you think you are right now, in the 3 stages, regarding the transitions occurring at your work?