4 Q's - Change Disrupts or Propels

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Quintessential Thought

Teams often find that moment when a new purpose (what), technology (how), or change in team membership (who) disrupts their smooth sailing. As a leader, you will see their productivity dip, as illustrated by the Satir J Curve.

But here's the thing: the change isn't just a problem. While stability fosters long-term performance, you’re also likely finding that some changes are beneficial. Be intentional about the changes introduced with the team and help them embrace change as their advantage.

As a leader, you can help by protecting the team from low-value changes and maximizing the rest. Empathize with the hard parts, encourage learning, and celebrate the resiliency that develops.

Quotes

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." ― John F. Kennedy

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” ― Steve Maraboli

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” ― Gever Tulley

Quick Step

Looking at past changes to the team’s what, how, or who, identify patterns of which ones are happening most frequently?

Question

Based on the type of change happening, consider these questions:

• If team membership changes frequently, what investments can we make to ease the onboarding process?

• If our purpose shifts frequently, what questions do we find most valuable to ask as we learn about the new direction?

• If the way we build our product changes frequently, what architectural or skillset investments are likely to make it easier next time?

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