When creating change, look for bright spots in your organization and use them as examples to replicate the behavior in other areas of the org: which teams are performing well? What’s making them effective?

However, you may not always be able to find a bright spot internally. In these cases, it may be worth creating an “artificial” bright spot, e.g., by hiring someone who exemplifies the behavior you want to see. This is not ideal, as this person will be perceived as an outsider and may not be received well, but it’s your second-best option.

Once you’ve found them, point to the bright spots in the organization and use them to:

  • Educate yourself on how the change can be enacted in the system you’re affecting.
  • Inspire others and foster collaboration around the change you want to enact.

This is a strategy for swimming downstream.

References

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