Throwing mud at a wall

Throwing mud at a wall is a metaphor I use again and again. As a description of what I do and as a metaphor for creating change in organizations.

When you throw mud at a wall most of it falls off immediately. Some will stick for a little while then falls off. A little sticks permanent. Perhaps too little to see. So you throw some more and the same thing happens. Sometimes it looks like no mud has stuck but actually a little bit has even though you cannot see it.

Every time the mud falls off it is sad, even depressing but you have to keep throwing. Thats all you can do really.

You keep throwing, the more mud that sticks the better the chances that more will stick next time. Gradually, slowly, sometimes imperceptibly the mud builds up. As long as you can maintain your energy, stamina and resolve, you keep trying.

It can be depressing. Sometimes you can stay positive and you give up. Perhaps you move on to another wall.

In this blog, in my books, in my tweets (thankfully vastly reduced recently) I throw mud. Yes, I am a mud slinger, some people think I doing it with bad intentions. But my intentions good, I see a world that needs to think differently.

And when I’m hired to help companies I see it much the same way. I throw a lot of ideas at people, I suggest lots of changes, I throw mud at a wall and most of my ideas fall off. Much of what I suggest gets ignored. No matter how much I talk I have no authority, people are free to ignore me.

Some places I’m very successful, some less so. When I’m inside a company I try to be a bit more directed with my mud throwing, and I limit the ideas I’m throwing. But still it is a question of stamina and resolve. Some places are just more receptive to new ideas than others.

And actually, this is my model for all organizational change. To my mind, all us “change agents” (yes I hate the term too) can do is make suggestions. Throw ideas at people, if they like the ideas, if they think the idea might help then they might adopt it. But they don’t have to. It is hard to force change on people, if you try they may say they will change, they may go through the motions but sooner or later – when your back is turned – the mud will fall off.

Individuals have free will. Most of them want to work as best they can. So if some “agile coach” turns up with an idea workers don’t think will work they are free to ignore it.

I’m not a great believer in authority: just because you are blessed with the title “Manager” (or “Director” or “Executive” or even “President”) doesn’t mean people will fall your orders immediately and without question.

The best way of getting your mud to stick, getting your ideas and changes adopted is to help people understand how such changes will benefit them as individuals. Benefit them in the work they do, the quality of their life-work balance and the pride they feel in work.

Conversely, there are some people, even some organisations, who are totally unreceptive to mud. They go out of their way to avoid it. It is hard enough throwing mud which doesn’t stick, but when people don’t want it to stick, well, I’m probably better off going elsewhere.

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