Big Change

Today I attended the release of Vital Signs, the Calgary Foundation's report on the views of Calgarians on Calgary as a community.  The speakers got me thinking about how big changes are made - either in the community or at work.

• Vision is key.  The artist who spoke today pointed out that everyone has visions of the future.  Artists, she said, are people who never stop having visions and need to express them.  From this, I infer than some business people are a kind of artist in their chosen field, always acting on their vision of the next possibility.
• Leadership is obvious.  A single person or small group who embodies the vision and knows how to act effectively can make the biggest change seem practical.  The Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in Calgary comes to my mind.  From the start, the business leaders who formed the initial committee spoke about the economic, societal, and humanitarian practicalities of paying attention to their goals.
• Networking is essential.  As several dictators have discovered recently, no one can order others about without enlisting and growing their network.  At every corporate level, gaining agreement through enlisting other people's ideas is the best way to tap into the communal energy that drives human enterprise.  Sometimes we want to lead the change; sometimes we can join the change others are making.
• Style is everything.  The change we want has to fit the organization, and how we manifest our enthusiasm, integrity, determination, and commitment determines whether others want to join us or shun us.  A flamboyant style in a conservative organization will antagonize as much as it energizes.  On the other hand, a quiet style could draw curious attention from an organization filled with the boisterous.  Without a style that is personal and that works, we may not even get the chance to offer our vision of change.