New life and change management, part 1
Watching an offspring of yours become the parent of an offspring of their own is one of the most surreal feelings one can have as a parent. I’ve been experiencing this wonder ever since I attained my newest, and probably most prestigious, title, last month. Grandma.
I chose the word “offspring” carefully, because it somehow seems odd to refer to the father of a child as a “child”. This is the beauty of the English language – if one word seems weird, there’s another that will fit the bill.
Our family is completely smitten, marvelling at the miracle of birth; at how beautiful a baby is, his tiny hands and feet, silky soft skin, downy hair, and sweet baby smell. I’m struck by how one’s offspring adapts so effortlessly to a drastically changed life, and by how miraculously human beings progress through life, from birth to adulthood.
I’ve learned something about myself too. Never one who can sit in one spot and manufacture anything with a needle, I prided myself on having no sewing talent, nor desire to learn. This was true until I received news of an expected baby. Abandoning all previous notions, I equipped myself with tools and proceeded to make the title of grandma fit - in a special (stereotypical) way: I began to crochet. I can’t say that I love it, or that I will continue, but at least I produced a few tiny wearable items for the wee one. That was a huge change for me, and it got me thinking.
I’m struck by the similarities between adjusting to a newborn baby (the ultimate disruption!) and corporate change management.
In business, we talk about change management with a sense of clinical precision. We plot timelines, anticipate resistance, design communication strategies, and build steering committees. We treat change like a machine that just needs the right oil.
Then, a new baby arrives, and you realize that every framework you learned in business school or at work was perfect preparation for parenthood.
The birth of a baby introduces a complete restructuring of daily operations, shifting team dynamics, resource constraints, and an entirely new set of deliverables (usually involving keeping a tiny human alive and happy). You can try creating surveys or balanced scorecards, but how you’ll find the time is anyone’s guess!
The chaos of the first few weeks with a newborn matches perfectly with the classic principles of change management. And, while disruptive at the beginning, eventually it all settles down and becomes routine. Until it needs to be changed again. And, change being constant, on it goes….
In my next article I’ll share musings on how the beautiful, exhausting reality of having a baby compares to managing organizational change. It’s pretty remarkable how many parallels one can draw on this. Stay tuned!
Email me: bernadette@gogettercoaching.com .