Stability isn’t the goal

Organisations often chase stability; a blissful equilibrium where everything is working.

But what if stability isn’t the goal? What if success depends not on resisting change but on being designed for it, and continually embracing it?

Change is inevitable. Markets shift. New challenges emerge. People come and go. The organisations that thrive aren’t the ones that cling to structures, strategies or control. They’re the ones that build the cultural and structural foundations to adapt, evolve and respond intelligently - again and again.

So, how do you build an organisation that’s ready for change?

1. Enable people to bring their whole selves: When people are reduced to job roles or narrow expectations, organisations fail to tap into the enormous capacity that people have - not just to absorb change but to positively shape it. Encouraging people to think beyond their role, contribute their unique perspectives and influence the direction of the organisation creates adaptability at every level.

2. Ditch long-term rigidity: Holding onto fixed strategies, long-term plans and even static purpose and values can make organisations fragile. Instead, change-ready organisations treat strategy as evolutionary - continually revisiting and adapting it as the world shifts around them.

3. Decentralise leadership and decision-making: Hierarchy, when it creates bottlenecks, limits adaptability. When authority is too concentrated at the top, organisations become slow - stuck in systemic holding patterns that prevent them from responding to new challenges. By devolving decision-making and empowering teams to act, organisations remain more fluid and responsive to issues sensed on the ground.

4. Make learning and reflection part of the system: People may find it hard to adapt or contribute to change if they don’t understand the nature of change itself. Building a culture that educates, empowers and encourages continuous reflection allows people to actively shape the organisation’s evolution in real time, rather than just react to it.

A thought which I find comforting is that there is no constant, stable state for a system. It is inherently changeable. So we can stop wrestling with it, and instead seek to make adaptability part our organisation's fabric - structurally, culturally and through leadership.

What helps you or your organisation be more change-ready? Drop a comment below.