According to William Zinsser

“The essence of writing is rewriting.”

We can probably take that idea into every area of our lives. The essence of learning is relearning or trying again. Organisational change is all about relearning. And even the relearning needs relearning. Too often we approach it in a mechanised, robotic manner forgetting we’re dealing with humans. And forgetting organisations do not exist in vacuums.

And just like many good writers talk of ‘seeing where the words or story takes them’, so do good change leaders. Characters in stories develop over time and the narrative evolves. The same is true in change. We set out on a path, often with a goal in mind, but path is never straight. It evolves.

And yes, just as rewrites can be frustrating and annoying, so too can the ever evolving path of change. But most good stories have moments of delight and joy too, and so do most change journeys. And as humans, we get to choose which moments to hold on to, to remember, to highlight. So what will you choose today?

The choice is up to us.

Photo by hannah grace