The Problem with Dictating Change: It Confirms Rather Than Changes the Environment

Through guiding several organisational transformations, I've observed a contradiction of often good intention that fascinates me.

When leaders dictate their desired change, they often reinforce the environment they're trying to transform.

The Confirmation Trap

Imagine: An executive team identifies performance issues and wants to implement agile methodologies. They bring in experts, announce the change, and expect teams to fall in line. What happens next is predictable yet consistently overlooked. The dictated approach to change sends a powerful message:

"We don't trust you to be part of the solution."

This top-down mandate confirms existing power dynamics and organisational habits rather than transforming those things.

Teams experience the change as something done to them rather than with them, creating resistance that becomes labelled "bad company culture" when it's a natural response.

Breaking the Cycle

Effective transformation requires breaking this cycle. When leaders co-create change with their organisations, they model the collaborative environment they wish to build.

This approach doesn't mean abdicating leadership—quite the opposite. It requires more courage to open the process to multiple voices and perspectives.

Co-creation acknowledges that those closest to the work often have the most profound insights into what needs to change. It builds ownership across the organisation rather than concentrating it at the top.

Most importantly, it demonstrates trust—the foundation of any high-performing organisation.

The Path Forward

If you're a change agent, ask yourself: Am I confirming or truly changing our current environment?

The answer lies in what you're changing and how you're approaching the change itself.

Remember, the medium is the message. How you transform speaks volumes about the organisation you're changing into.

Let's navigate stormy weather together,

Gabriel