Principle 4 - "Implement self-regulation"
OR HOW TO LET GO OF CONTROL AND GO WITH THE FLOW
I highlight the parallels between the 12 operational principles of permaculture and sustainable transformations in organizational systems. If you are a professional committed to promoting a better society, these principles and insights should help you maximize your impact and inner peace. Here is the first, the second and the third article. Today we’ll discuss the 4th principle.
💡 A simple explanation of how permaculture works
Nature regulates itself to ensure its survival.
Leaves fall from the tree in the fall to prepare the ground for the coming winter frost.
The cycle of the four seasons teaches usthat there is a time for everything: birth, growth, decline, and death.
Each phase plays a role in ensuring nature's self-sustaining cycle. A rotting fruit will fall to the ground and cause a new seed to sprout.
Why should it be any different in our companies and our impact-driven initiatives?
🔍 Implementation in a transformation initiative
As agents of change,
Who hasn't felt frustrated when they saw that an initiative wasn't "taking off"?
Who hasn't been surprised to see an old tool resurface out of nowhere because a new boss discovered it?
Change agents may feel torn between a long-term vision and short-term actions on the ground.
Their desire to do the right thing can sometimes be perceived by their colleagues as an almost tyrannical control over the behavior of the ecosystem.
I'm going to tell you a story.
More than ten years ago, a small group of professionals and I set out with our pilgrim’s staffs to encourage a company to assess and reduce its carbon footprint—as well as that of its customers.
To that end, we have launched training programs and related calculation tools.
We presented documents to demonstrate the value and urgency of these practices. We emphasized the importance of using the internal carbon price to facilitate operational and business decisions.
There was some response. A few positive reactions. But the practice was far from becoming routine and firmly established in the company's daily operations.
I was starting to wonder if I wasn't way off base.
And then, some time before the COVID-19 pandemic, the tide began to turn.
During the pandemic, customers began asking for help in achieving “carbon neutrality.”
And then, things gradually started to fall into place.
Regional and country leaders emphasized the importance of measuring and reducing companies’ carbon footprints in order to lead by example and help customers with their own transformation efforts.
Suddenly, analysis and processes accelerated at every level.
What is the moral of this story?
Were our efforts premature? Were we wasting our time because all we needed to do was wait?
I think it's mainly a matter of timing and determination.
Everything comes to those who wait and lay the groundwork.
🐝 Tips for Getting Active
It seems to me that the fundamental role of change agents within organizations is illustrated by the following statement:
Sow seeds, nourish the soil, hire “farmers” who respect the land, trust in natural cycles, and nurture the crops.
So how do we actually go about doing that?
I suggest you clearly outline the "why," "what," "how," and "when" of your project:
Engage your stakeholders by highlighting the "why" and "purpose" of your project,
Create the conditions to co-create and update the "what" with your stakeholders,
Trust them to figure out the "how" and the "when," while supporting them whenever necessary.
If you feel very frustrated when you hit a roadblock,
Ask yourself: “What season is my project in?”
It might be hibernation season. If so, here's how to protect your foundation.
Then turn your attention to a project that is in the pre-bloom stage.
Everything changes, and when the season changes, new avenues for action will surely become clearer.
In short? Trust yourself and go with the flow.
“Do notfear sadness; it is the vivid reminder that something beautiful once existed.”
If you liked this post, please show your appreciation with a "like" and share it with friends and family who might find it helpful.
This is the best way to support me.
Hello to you, agents of change!
I am Nina Cambadélis, an impact coach and an expert in leadership and sustainable organizational transformation.
For more than 10 years, I was in charge of transformation and multifaceted performance initiatives at a multicultural CAC 40 company. What I love to do is help organizations and professionals rethink their business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a world that is more sustainable, more humane, and more respectful of nature.
If you'd like some guidance along the way, contact me!
