By, Mark C. Coleman
Take Aways:
Change can feel intrusive and unwanted. Managing swift and uncertain change requires organizations to relearn how to listen, engage, and empower – from within their mansion walls and across the most susceptible constituents and challenging stakeholders whom they serve. To succeed in these next few years, organizations must recalibrate their mission with their values and their plans for future growth and impact.
The disorientation of a thick fog settles into all our lives, from time to time. With unwavering faith, codified by our confidence in ourselves and our relationships, we can push through the furor of fog to reveal that the path forward that we seek has always been there.
The pursuit and definition of prosperity was on the ballot this election cycle. Americans and all global citizens are undergoing a difficult and demanding process to redefine prosperity in a rapidly changing world. We must be vigilant in this time of swift change, to ensure that all people and voices are seen, heard, and engaged toward where we go from here.
Interpreting the Furor and Fog by Reconnecting with a Friend
This past week I had the pleasure of lunching with a dear friend and colleague, the Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D., Vice President and Dean of Hendricks Chapel and Professor of Practice, Department of Religion, Syracuse University.
I met Dr. Konkol for lunch on the Syracuse University campus. We grabbed a bite at the wonderfully renovated Schine Student Center, and then sat down at his office in Hendricks Chapel for an informal conversation. We covered a great deal of ground in the hour we shared. We spoke about a wide range of topics spanning our families and careers, the promise and existential threat of artificial intelligence, and the philosophical underpinnings of the human condition as viewed through the lens’ of religious ideologies.
Dr. Konkol provides leadership at Hendricks Chapel which is the spiritual beating heart of the Syracuse University campus and extended community. Hendricks Chapel is student-centered and a global home for religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical life. Guided by an unwavering mission and adept leadership, the Chapel serves as a hub for holistic life, preparing engaged citizens, scholars, and leaders for participation in a changing global society.
Hendricks Chapel serves many incredible purposes. On a personal level, I have found Hendricks Chapel to be a place of connection and understanding, compassion and care, discovery and growth, and much more. Given the political and societal changes that are underway in the U.S. and around the world, the incredible people and work behind Hendricks Chapel is needed more than ever.
If you have never had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dr. Konkol, trust me when I say, he has an uncanny ability to evoke trust, confidentiality, truth, empathy, and joy. He personifies the “judgement free” zone, in that he represents one of those unique individuals who you find yourself sharing freely with, because the conversation feels, and truly is, ‘safe.’ I met with Dr. Konkol to reconnect with a colleague, but soon found myself as a patient and patron, benefiting from the instinctive wisdom he bestows, which can only be attained from years of dedicated experience serving as a devout spiritual leader, internationally, and within the Syracuse community.
Our conversation shifted to the recent Presidential election, and Dr. Konkol shared a metaphor that stirred this personal reflection and inspired the poem at the end of this post. I asked Dr. Konkol if he has seen a change in the attitude or ‘temperature’ of the campus, since the election. Dr. Konkol reflected that the outcome of the election is clearly important, but it is also critical in how individuals and institutions listen, learn, grow, and lead from this moment forward. Dr. Konkol revealed that it is convenient, if not easy, for any individual or organization to be a ‘thermometer,’ that is, a simple gauge for measuring and reporting on the temperature of the election outcome, or ‘state of society’.
We all have had a reaction and opinion regarding the outcome at this point. Some people are, quite literally, hot. Others feel like they are finally at the right temperature and temperament. Hopefully the political temperature will not continue to rise, and people will become more conditioned to the changing ambient conditions, even if it is not their favorite season (politically speaking). The political rhetoric has been super charged for a long time, and people are burnt out on the pendulum of extremism, something I have previously written about.
We had a good laugh for a moment. As two longstanding residents of Upstate New York, we both had experienced the relatively critical and discontent culture of Upstate residents, particularly when it comes to weather and the changing seasons. Upstate residents are staunch weather and Syracuse University sports fanatics. But ask a Central New Yorker how their day is going, and chances are they will mention the weather before last night’s basketball game. “Well, it’s sunny today! But it’s colder that last week, and the forecast is calling for snow showers on Friday!” Catch them on a seemingly perfect, dry warm day, and the likelihood is that it too warm and, “we could use some rain! Are you going to the game?” You get the picture; people like to be thermometers to changing conditions, meteorological, political, sports, or otherwise.
Dr. Konkol then noted that it is far more challenging, but essential, for individuals and institutions to be more like a thermostat. A thermostat is a gauge that doesn’t just monitor the external temperature, it is a device that intuitively adapts and proactively changes the ambient condition. With a thermostat the temperature is adjusted to be cooler, or warmer, and programmed, depending upon the level of comfort we seek throughout the day or year. From an individual and institutional perspective, we need to be more like thermostats which can intuitively adapt to changing temperature and modify the environment to the user’s comfort level. Conversely, thermometers only provide a single static measure of the temperature.
Change is always happening. Someone once said, if there is one constant, it is change. When change happens, and specifically, change that we may not agree with, we have a fundamental choice. We can sit idly by and react like a thermometer, pontificating grievances; or we can choose to dial up or down our engagement with the change in more productive and meaningful ways.
Accepting change does not mean that you necessarily agree with change. Change represents and opportunity to reflect upon, rejuvenate, and recalibrate your values, so that you can remain more agile and adaptive to the changing world around you. Thus, change management is as much an exercise in temperance and understanding as it is in reaction to external mediums. Dr. Konkol explained all this far more eloquently than I have summarized here. His metaphor, however, was timely and deliberate, and certainly resonated with me.
Most would agree that this past election season was tumultuous and exhausting. There is much we stand to learn about ourselves and each other, in reflecting upon whether we have (and continue to be) serving as thermometers or thermostats in our daily lives. Let me say, if you ever get the itch to reach out to a friend or colleague to simply catch up, do it. And may the time you share with your colleague be as welcoming and inspiring as having a conversation with Brian Konkol.
The U.S. Election Thermometer Just Signaled Massive Social Change
The U.S. election is readily afoot the hours following the November 5th election result. Definitive announcements on policy, cabinet picks, and immediate executive decisions gushed from the Trump transition team at rate unseen in prior post-election cycles. Regardless of his motivation or what he learned from his first Presidential term, Trump’s 2024 post-election demeanor is one of clear decisive intent. Voters made their choice, and he is raring to make change, quickly.
As many Americans celebrated and cheered the election result, others stood absolutely dumbfounded and dismayed. Yet, in the days and weeks following the election, reality for those that did not vote for President Trump would begin to set in. Millions of voters would feel misguided and estranged from their personification of America. How is it that so many would misread and misunderstand the multifaceted change that millions of others so desperately want to see happen? The post-election analysis of America and its fragmented citizenry has, in just a few short weeks, already been significant. I’m confident this election result will continue to witness a high degree of analysis and interpretation for years to come.
In reflection of my conversation with Dr. Konkol, election cycles can also generally be characterized like a thermometer. Elections are a gauge by which to measure the temperament of citizens against the leadership in office. If citizens like the incumbent administration’s performance, they vote in favor of keeping the incumbent in power. If citizens dislike the performance, they vote for change. This election cycle was, however, much different than the simplistic binary temperature gauge of political alignment against progress and values. The visceral undercurrent of this past election was (and remains) a ravenous call to recalibrate American prosperity, defined not only by an economic metric, but one that also envelops national security, conservative values, and a push for policy pragmatism, even over pluralism.
The long-term aftermath of a Trump victory is difficult to predict. A Trump Presidency 2.0 will make significant near-term policy changes pertaining to domestic security, global defense and diplomacy, the economy, education, public health and healthcare, and regulatory controls. At face value, some of the changes stirring align with the pendulum shifts associated with the political cycle. This most recent shift to populism signals a swing in American tolerance for more liberal values.
Change is dynamic. It is also interesting in that it can provide both stability and uncertainty simultaneously. The Trump victory poses to have systems-level disruptive implications for education (Universities and K-12), healthcare (pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, insurance carriers), infrastructure (energy, telecommunications, water, and transportation), and national security (automation and decentralization of defense, and warfare), among other institutions.
Most long-standing and large institutions are always subject to change, and subsequently, they have survived by adopting incremental changes in how they interact with politics, the market, and society. Institutions have historically adapted generally in-step with the every-changing needs of their constituents. Not everyone agrees with this sentiment, however. Post-election, the Trump transition team has amplified its messaging to radically transform the U.S. government. The sentiment is that managing change through incrementalism is the antithesis to the more expedient results that most American’s desire for recalibrating the economy, for example.
Managing Change Requires Us to Be More Like a Thermostat, Intuitive and Adaptive
Time will tell the full intent, swiftness and severity of change that a Trump Presidency 2.0 will bring upon major institutions and the broader U.S. and global society. One thing is certain, however. Managing change will look a lot different over the next 100 days than it did four years ago when the Biden administration transitioned into office. The state of mind of the U.S. populous has shifted into action. The ground game and rules for pursuing and attaining prosperity are fluid and evolving. This is after all, democracy at work, at least for the time being.
From here on out, applied intuitive and adaptive change management is the name of the game. That means, be ready for anything, anytime, and anywhere. Further, this means institutions need to adopt a preventive, predictive, and proactive posture toward the pursuit of their mission, and attainment of long-term prosperity. For some, this moment of upheaval will be an exhilarating and long-awaited time for rejoice and of renewal. For others, this may be a time of reflection and repudiation.
And yet for others, this may be a time of agonizing abhorrent retreat. Smart institutions will acknowledge that there is no bluff to be played here. Trump has shown his ‘Trump card,’ and has had over four years building upon a populous base, all calling for a sharp realignment of American values. In doing so, incremental institutional change management has been called out and is now rendered a relic of the past.
Unwanted change can cripple and immobilize action, particularly when people and institutions are at their most vulnerable state. Change management is a state of mind. Those that manage change well are resilient in the moment. But more importantly they are highly adept, much like Dr. Konkol, at recalibrating their mindset, mission, and management to remain adaptive to navigate ambiguity and uncertainty. In the inspired poem, “Feeding Faith in the Furor of Fog,” below, I attempt to creatively relate massive change to the disorientation of fog, but also acknowledge that the fog is a temporary necessity in fueling a stronger conviction going forward.
Recalibrating Prosperity
The pursuit and definition of prosperity was on the ballot this election cycle. Americans and all global citizens are undergoing a difficult and demanding process to redefine prosperity in a rapidly changing world. The convergence of advanced technology including artificial intelligence (AI) with the shifting sands of geopolitical ideology is actively shaping the world, including humanity’s vision for ‘planet prosperity,’ that is, our intentions for peace, truth, and justice.
Underlying the ever-changing and dynamic political and economic landscape is our relationship with one another and that with the natural world. There are no limitations on how we attain greater prosperity, except those that go against the laws of nature, or which subjugate our collective humanity and the common good. We must be vigilant in this time of swift change, to ensure that all people and voices are seen, heard, and engaged toward where we go from here.
To succeed and thrive, organizations must now move beyond the simple monitoring of the temperature (serving as a thermometer) of their constituents. Organizations must relearn how to listen, learn, engage, and empower – from within their mansion walls and across the most susceptible constituents and challenging stakeholders whom they serve. To succeed in these next few years, organizations must recalibrate their mission with their values and their plans for future growth and impact.
* * *
Feeding Faith in the Furor of Fog
A thick fog blankets over life from time to time,
Clouding life’s perennial sunrises and sunsets.
Deep roots provide the foundation to reach beyond the fog,
So that life nourishing light converts to energy and provides strength,
Illuminating a path of purpose, prompting personal growth.
But then, there are seasons of life,
Where even the most prepared find themselves ill-equipped,
When the rise or our reach fails to meet the light,
As gracefully as it once did.
Engulfed by a relentless fog,
Once clear paths now are,
Unseen and out of reach,
And the mind roils in a deep sea of uncertainty.
The light of enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose fade into a hazy abyss,
As a shroud of fear and anxiety of the unknown consume,
Then, contort conscious perception and immobilize action.
Grounded by deep roots and extended by an affirming reach,
The smothering fog gives way to a conviction of knowing.
For fog is nothing more,
Then droplets of water suspended in air,
The basic elements of life itself.
It is the fog, much like the light,
That provides needed nourishment to the roots,
Opening capillaries of connection which deliver,
An innate wisdom and eternal hope,
Ever extending the reach outward and upward,
Until the canopy collides once again,
With the mercy of brilliant light.
As the crown shimmers, a rejuvenating energy flows,
Reviving and strengthening the roots below.
And the path is renewed.
Resolve lifts the cloud of panic,
Away to reveal,
That the path itself has not changed.
It remains steadfast,
As it was once before, and has since been,
But made even more devout by the understanding,
That abstractions of life’s passing seasons provide,
The faith and fervor to continually illuminate the honourable path,
Especially when it cannot be seen.
For the path, just like the light,
Has always been and shall remain accessible.
Fog and fear are temporary,
Yet essential to further extended roots and enrich reach,
Beckoning and providing courage to the crown,
To rise and shine, always,
So that we may continue to travel,
A path of righteous resolve.
* * *
Comments