I knew the moment I said it I would be corrected.

‘The most important thing is your coat and bag,’ I said to my son as he was about to walk out the door without them.

‘No Dad, the most important thing is Dogger.’

Dogger is his stuffed animal he’s had since he was born. The world is always better when Dogger is with him.

Stereotypically, I was focused on the practical and logical things he needs for school. A coat, water, food, and his school work. While he recognised his anxiety and knew he needed Dogger on the drive to school to help calm him.

How often do we do this in other areas of life? Especially when leading change?

Change makers can focus on the logic, the rationale for change. We can think about what is practically and logically needed for the next step. And completely miss out on the emotional needs. We view it only through the lens of the change maker, not the people affected by the change or for whom the change is new.

 And yes, it is not an either/or, it is a both/and. Therefore, my son found Dogger, then grabbed his bag and coat. But notice the order.

Photo by Barrett Ward