Marcus Splitt
Germany
Nothing is as steady as change
Some time ago I was working with a project team that tried to set up new activities for their city. The need was to develop new ways of looking at the inhabitants of the city in order to come up with new ideas for social service projects. We used the yearly summer festival of the city as a framework to create a new perspective and connections within the city. In preparation there were some interviews with the Mayor and other influential people in the city. As next step we developed a design for a 3 day program for the summer festival. During this experience the project team was able to integrate new paradigms and views of their city. This led to a change in the strategy they choose to reach their goals. It was not about creating activities for them, but about having a dialogue with them. So we shared and developed a scenario of how they could connect their activities with the city and its inhabitants.
My experience is that individuals and organizations miss a lot of opportunities because they are not choosing to step into the journey of change or development. By wanting to keep all options open, or not to change a running system, as the saying goes, we sometimes forget to choose! In my opinion, that’s mostly because people don’t know their inner drive or focus anymore… So it’s about to return to ones core and substance.
That question is not just an individual questions. It also plays on the level of structure and the level of organization. Those three levels always interact: they influence, affect, protect or harm one and another. Therefore, I call these three levels ‘organisms’.
No change without development, no development without change.
This example shows the principles that drive me. Mostly, it’s about connectedness: making the dynamics of the three levels visible, opening up someone’s personal interest and creating an environment of common sense, a spirit of doing it together. Acceptance and security are two ingredients necessary for that process, to dare taking a next step. That can start with a dialogue, a hike or a game. It needs to be experienced. It’s like a mozaique: bring in your opinion, and view the whole.
Future
In the near future I hope to continue my work with all three levels, in order to help organizations and individuals to deal with change processes and to stay connected to a fast changing environment. I’d also like to apply these things on a larger scale: for instance the region or society the company exists in. To be alive as an organization also means to contribute to society. To create an alliance, to attach yourself on all three levels to a challenge and to change it from there on.