Navigating Change

Photo by Darren Lawrence on Unsplash

Have you ever seen the Tom Hanks’ movie Cast Away? 

In short, it is about a guy who gets stranded on a deserted island, Robinson Crusoe style. After his FedEx cargo plane crashes, he attempts to flag down passing ships to no avail. He turns to opening the packages on the plane to help him survive. One of his finds is a volleyball that he aptly names Wilson. Rather than using it as a physical exercise tool, he draws a face on it and talks to it to ease his isolation.

An odd choice, perhaps, but given the extreme shift in conditions his perspectives had to change. This impacted how he approached problem solving, resource allocation and skill development. 

When we experience seismic shifts in our own lives it is absolutely scary. It can make us feel unsettled at best or stricken with panic at worst. On the flip side, it can bring out the best in us, stimulating out of the box thinking and resilience. 

In the business world, hopefully no one has actually had to figure out how to survive on an island for an extended period of time, but many organizations have had to navigate uncharted waters. As the seas of commerce change, the captains of industry have to lead their crews to prosperity. 

G2 Solutions spent some time with the wonderful leaders at Hospice Austin as they reflected on their own organizational voyage. Hospice Austin’s staff and volunteers provide a high standard of creative, compassionate end-of-life care to those in need regardless of age, diagnosis or ability to pay. They opened their doors in 1979 and were the only hospice care provider in the area. Since that time, they have served thousands of terminally ill patients and their families making an indescribable difference to the community. 

Today they are navigating very different seas. There is an intense level of competition, their leadership has gone through transition, the healthcare environment has transformed and the city of Austin is a very different place then when Hospice Austin set sail. 

The Hospice Austin team offers nuanced and essential care to patients and their families when they are the most vulnerable. With such important work to do, it could be tempting for them to just put their heads down and go about their work.

Instead they took time to stop sailing, drop anchor and reflect on how the changes both internal and external have impacted the day to day lives of the leadership team. This type of attention to team development is part of why Hospice Austin delivers quality care year after year.

They understand that the stresses they encounter each day affect how people do their work. It impacts the degree of trust and security they feel in the workplace, how they interact with co-workers, and the level of energy and focus they bring to their jobs. 

G2 Solutions had this wonderful team reflect on the following questions.

1. What feels harder now than it did before? 

2. What feels better?

3. How have your reactions to these changes influenced how you show up at work?

G2 Solutions conducted one of our “gallery walk” exercises. People wrote their responses on post-its, putting them on posters with the corresponding question. After everyone placed their answers, the whole staff walked around the room reviewing their colleagues' reflections. The impact of the journey their organization has taken was tangibly displayed and they were able to see the commonalities of their experience as well the differences. They identified themes which could help them chart their course forward. This exercise provided a strong foundation for important discussions throughout the day.

We love helping organizations find their direction through smooth or choppy waters. Contact G2 Solutions today and see how we can help support and enhance your leadership crew.