Big Changes Start with Small Pivots
Do big changes start with small, almost invisible pivots? Often, they do, unless of course there is large scale disruption. Yet even after a large disruption, small pivots still lead to big changes.
People often identify drastic changes in their life as being connected to a significant event.
After my car accident I changed my driving habits.
When I watched the safety video, I realized the importance of safety equipment.
Seeing what happened to my friend made me stop the bad behavior.
The events seem big and the impact lasting. It is the event that sparked the change, or in some cases solidified the need for it.
Big Changes
Many may suggest that their change happened in a moment. That very second that the impact registered, change occurred.
It is true for some things. Yet for other things, such as daily habits, or how we communicate, who we trust and when, and even the giving of responsibility or respect, it happens across time.
Our World has entered a giant disruption. We could argue for a long time about media hype, medical research practices, or even conspiracy theories, but the disruption has happened.
This disruption may be the event that sparks significant change.
If the future of physical gatherings calls for more distance, it may mean fewer people can attend. If work spaces need to be more spread out, then fewer can enter the building. The sign on the elevator with a capacity limit may change, not because of weight, but because of space.
It seems like it is a time for technology to make another leap forward. Not because of a new invention but because more people will adopt its use.
Small Pivots
Each moment that someone tries something new a change is born. Every day a problem presents and a solution or work around is likely to follow.
It is all like a bad habit.
Some things start to change in a moment. Some of those moments will result in long-term change that creates the new normal.
People suggest, “I can’t wait to get back to normal.”
What they don’t realize is that there will be a new normal. The new normal will develop as people adapt to change. Small pivots will get them there.
People are permanently impacted by what they saw or experienced with the car accident, the image on the safety video, or the punishment of an act of wrong-doing.
They develop a new normal.
The 2020 pandemic disruption is a change maker.
What do you see for the new normal?
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
