10th Permaculture-Inspired Tip for Carrying Out Your Mission of Transformation
“Start with the general structure to get to the details”
OR SEEK BALANCE BETWEEN VISION AND ACTION
💡 EXPLAINING THE PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLE
Permaculture teaches us that it is best to start with general structures before getting into the details.
Focusing on the details first can sometimes lead to "drowning in a glass of water." The more we focus on each individual element, the less we understand the overall dynamics that we need to build upon.
Permaculture, on the contrary, invites us to take a step back and incorporate fundamental principles into crop development.
For example, the idea behind permaculture is to apply the forest model to agriculture. In this model, the vitality of the entire ecosystem takes precedence over the vitality of each individual element.
🔍 ILLUSTRATING THE PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLE AS APPLIED TO A MISSION OF TRANSFORMATION
As changemakers, when we launch an organizational change project with the goal of making a positive impact on society and the environment—beyond mere business concerns—we tend to see ourselves as just the tip of a huge and daunting mountain.
To carry out our mission, there are so many things to plan and carry out. For example:
Convince decision makers and/or colleagues of the need for and urgency of change,
Take into account all the different expectations associated with this change,
Clarify the expected vision for the change,
Anticipate and manage the resistance associated with this change,
Develop a roadmap,
Identify and engage allies and stakeholders in the change process,
Confirm the available resources (time, budget, support, etc.),
Implement the action plan,
Monitor and evaluate progress,
Communicate progress and challenges to stakeholders,
Deal with the unexpected and adapt your approach to the realities on the ground,
Manage administrative and logistical procedures that affect progress.
As if that weren't enough, these tasks must be carried out in a somewhat uncomfortable position. Change leaders are often working outside their comfort zone, grappling with their own doubts, and facing uncertainty about the path to take and the outcome to expect. This is enough to demotivate any change agent!
LEVERAGE ACTIONS
However, if we take a step back, we know that certain "spikes" can help us climb the mountain, in our own way and with a certain amount of serenity.
Here are three of them:
Vision.
Having a clear vision of the future we want enables us to avoid getting lost in the maze of constraints and expectations. By staying focused on our course, we can light the way for others.
Leadership.
Clarifying our position, role, strengths, abilities, and limitations enables us to add meaningful value. It also provides an opportunity to define the scope so that others can make their complementary contributions.
Priorities.
Identifying the major strategic priorities, in light of the current context and our desired vision, helps us focus on key priorities and sort through the many ideas for action and requests.
By leveraging these guiding principles, changemakers will be able to climb the mountain in a coordinated, clear-headed, and straightforward manner.
🐝 TIPS TO GET MOVING
Here are a few self-coaching questions to help you complete your transformation tasks:
If anything goes, if anything is possible, what does success look like to you?
What kind of person do you want to be on this journey? What role would you like to play?
Between the current situation (point A) and the desired situation (point B), what are the three priority courses of action?
Balance macro-level vision with micro-level tactical steps to achieve sustainable transformation. Keep your feet firmly on the ground, let your mind wander into the realm of possibilities, and trust that your experimentation will eventually reveal the path forward!
"Visionwithout execution is just a hallucination"
"Actionwithout vision goes in circles"
IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INSIGHTFUL, PLEASE LIKE IT AND SHARE IT WITH MEMBERS OF YOUR NETWORK WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM IT.
IT'S THE BEST WAY TO SUPPORT ME.
As a reminder, I am writing a series on the parallels between the 12 operational principles of permaculture and the conditions for sustainable transformations of organizational systems. Here is the first post, the second one, the third one, the 4th one, the 5th one, the 6th one, 7th one, 8th one and 9th one.
If you are a professional changemaker committed to promoting a better society, these principles and insights should help you maximize your impact and inner serenity.
Hello, Changemakers!
I am Nina, an impact maker coach who specializes in leadership and sustainable transformation.
I have spent the past 10 years leading sustainable change at a Fortune 500 company in a multicultural environment. Through my work, I aim to inspire professionals in organizations to rethink business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a more sustainable, people-centered, and nature-friendly world.
If you'd like support to move forward on your journey with greater impact and ease, contact me!
