Smart Change Blog

Latent Heat in The Change Process

Several months has now passed since my last blog post. During that time, a number of ideas have been ruminating in my being, mostly about leadership and the change process. Sometimes I turn to science for insights. Such was the case a few weeks ago. I explored the concept of latent heat - the amount of energy in the form of heat that gets released or absorbed by a substance during a change phase. The thermochemical term latent heat now substituted by another - enthalpy of transformation - still holds interest for me as a metaphor for the energy of change. A man named Joseph Black introduced the term back in 1750 as a way to describe the "hidden" energy that lies within. It occurs to me that people have "latent heat." We have dreams and desires that are in part released into our workplace. Change occurs when we complete the process, when our energy is absorbed by the work itself and the opportunities that also lie hidden in the change process. Change occurs when the latent heat is not diminshed, used up by the change, but instead is allowed to flourish and to push new boundaries of innovation.

Have you ever noticed that a glass of ice will eventually melt unless it's placed in a freezer or an extremely cold refrigerator? I know, you probably don't spend your days thinking about these phenomena. Without the constant lowering of the temperature to maintain the status quo - frozen water - the ice would melt. There is latent heat in the water. The concept of cold is only the lowering of heat - a bit like this February morning in Atlanta! As the sun applies external warmth the heat hidden in the day will emerge and we will experience the warmth that was there all along.

During a change process in an organization, individuals teams,departments, divisions can become aware of the "heat" or energy for change that lies hidden. The heat lies within the thoughts, beliefs and emotions that we carry into the change event. The energy of fear is strong enough to cause extraordinary heat; fear is stimulated by perceived injury or harm. Often the fear energy is deflected into complaints and doubts about the efficacy of the change. Comments such as "I don't see the point in this" or " This will never work" are indicators of latent heat deflected into a fear mode. The leadership challenge is to discover the latent heat, and to find ways to absorb that heat into the change process.

The energy of regret is too a strong emotional reaction to the splitting of a sense of stability that comes from choices made. When we hear comments like " There was a better way to do that" , " How was that decision made?" or " Did we make the right decision?" we are hearing evidence of the latent heat that is being cooled by an uncertainty surrounding the choice. Regret delays absorption of heat energy into the change process. When we take the time to include multiple perspectives on the process for change, we can minimize the cool reception to the change, and maximize the likelihood of absorption of energy into the change. We can also remember that in our yin/yang world that choice will naturally generate regret. That awareness and acknowledgement helps us to temper any self-criticism, resistance or anxiety for the natural feelings of regret.

Inherent in any change process is latent heat, almost always fueled by self-interests that are seeking ways to be realized. Langston Hughes asks the question:What happens to a dream deferred? Dreams  are thoughts that are seeking a way to become real. Leaders have a responsibility to acknowledge the latent heat in individual dreams and to respond with development strategies. The development of an employee or prospective leader is another way to effect the absorption of energy into the work. Heat lying dormant or hidden is wasted energy. The true leader is a servant who is able to mobilize the heat within a person, merging self-interests and organizational directions. What happens to a dream absorbed? It evolves and contributes to the overall energy of the organization.

I welcome your comments.

The Search for Significance

Power and significance are not all they've been cracked up to be- particularly if you're looking for these items outside of yourself. Thich Nhat Hanh in his latest book, The Art of Power (2007), reminds us that power is within the present moment... of our lives. We have access to power always in how we choose to experience our lives and our relationships to others. In today's workplace, power is seen as a commodity that only a few have access to based on their position. I agree with Thich Nhat Hanh in theory, because I believe that power is an inner experience. The trouble with the theory is that we are influenced by the power of others. I don't have any more power than anyone else, so when I connect with another there is a likelihood that I will be influenced by that person. There is only one way that I'm aware of to manage that influence - saying "no" to anything that does not feel good, but almost in an instant recognizing and imagining what I would prefer, in other words, finding something to which I can say "yes."  William Ury, Harvard professor and principal in the famed Harvard Negotiation Project, has written a book called The Power of a Positive NO (2007). The word "no" has great power if it leads to "yes." Being clear about what you value, what you want and how you feel are keys to uncovering the essential power of "no."

The power is in the choices we make, so when we use our emotions, our compassion, our inner power, to make choices that are meaningful for us, we are fully engaged with our work and life experiences.

Unfortunately, compassion in particular is often left out of the workplace, especially in workplace relationships. We look at people and judge them; instead we could look with them in the direction of our future work, and feel the power of connection. When we feel connected to others, we have the power to create a powerfully dynamic and rewarding workplace.

The subject of this post is the search for significance. Power is one way in which we realize our significance. We want to be included in some way that assures us that we have value. Patrick Lencioni's newest book is entitled, Three Signs of a Miserable Job (2007).  Lencioni says jobs that don't add value, don't lend themselves to measures of success and ones that no one knows about are rather miserable jobs.  These concepts rely heavily on the external  assessment of significance in employment. But there are lessons to be learned here.

Adding value is an inside job. As long as we can see the big picture of where the organization is headed and what not who the organization values, we can assess our own value in the contribution we make to others - peers, direct reports, leaders, customers, and clients. So often a person's value in an organization is measured by the degree to which progress slows if a person must be replaced, not so much what the person adds. The opportunity that appears for us is to create value by continually showing up as authentic human spirits. What we do is only important in the context of who we are. We are sometimes, no always it seems, concerned about who gets credit for the work we do. A colleague cautioned me once that he liked a process I used so much that he might steal it. I encouraged him to enjoy using it, assuring him that I generate more that 20 new ideas each day. I was eager to share the idea, after all, I was giving him a modest estimate! For me the joy is in the creation; each new idea provides a rush of adrenalin as I contemplate the possibilities!

So there you have it - power and significance. Power drives the universe, so we have all that power to use, but we must begin our search inside. Significance, a sister, or brother as the case may be, to power is fueled by an awareness that our very existence is the key indicator of significance, and that it is our acceptance of this truth that "signifies" our presence and worthiness.

Changing Minds

I've sometimes suffered under the illusion that I can change someone's mind. I can't. But I can change my own mind, or way of thinking. When we deflect attention from our own responsibility to change our own mind, we often get busy trying to change another person's mind. One of the reasons I suppose we spend our time trying to change other people's minds, is that we're not so sure what we really want. I know, that sounds a bit contradictory, but actually the paradox is true. Our focus on changing others and their thoughts is rooted in our lack of clarity and conviction about our own thoughts. When we are clear and secure in our thinking, what other people think is less important to us.

We have too much trouble staying clear about what's working for us in the moment to spend too much time trying to change another person's mind about some future event. Powerful change can occur at the individual level of consciousness, even in organizations. It's freeing for some people in organizations to know that they don't have to change who they are in order to be certain that leaders feel O.K.  Change begins with clear thoughts, and the feelings associated with those thoughts. When a person takes responsibility for her thoughts and feelings, she can then fully appreciate the results that she can achieve based on those thoughts.

Thoughts are seeds in a garden of possibilities. Plant your seeds in your own garden, and if you choose, share your harvest with others.