Should a strong process provoke anxiety?
Part of whole system change is dealing with the emotions which the process evokes within the participants. Feelings can range from euphoria to anxiety. This blog is about how these feelings are functional in terms of getting results.
As participants - all stakeholders like management, employees, clients etc. - engage in a co-creative process, they embark on a journey that is unpredictable. A good metaphor to describe this journey is the rollercoaster.
Don’t be fooled, the trip starts from the moment organizational leaders discuss the possibility of initiating a co-creative process within the organization. Getting formal and informal leaders truly and wholeheartedly convinced of the 6 principles of co-creation can be an intense process in itself. Particularly applying “Control what you can and let go of what you cannot control” can be a challenge. It’s the “letting go” part which of course is difficult for all participants and management in particular. Further down the line, there are always moments during a co-creative process, when management, participants and even the facilitator might feel quite inadequate.
Through my experience, I have learned that a good process is designed in such a way that is provokes all sorts of feelings and facilitates people to move through the four rooms of change.
These are some arguments:
In the moment when people find the strength to show vulnerability, real connection can be made. With connection being the foundation for common ground, the importance of connection cannot be overestimated.
As people help each other out when dealing with difficult emotions concerning a certain issue a group faces, connection is stimulated further.
Strong emotions surface when something important is being addressed. Therefore strong emotions are a sign of commitment. Who does not welcome commitment?
A co-creative process is a lever to get out of an impasse or inadequate habits which have to be unlearned. There cannot be renewal without confusion. People have to spend some time in the confusion room before they can enter the renewal room.
When thinking of initiating a co-creative process, here are some tips concerning emotions:
Accept that emotions will be part of the process. Learn to welcome them as a sign of actual change.
Be patient with the emotions expressed by yourself and by others. We all learn at a different pace.
Simply asking different stakeholder groups to discuss and share with the other groups what they are proud of and what they are sorry for is guaranteed to stir up emotions and create an opening for an honest dialogue.
In conclusion, if, during the intervention, participants do not go through the motions, the process probably was not effective enough:
A good process is designed to touch people on a personal level
Without confusion there can be no renewal
Strong emotions are a sign of commitment
If you want to learn more about how co-creation can be beneficial for your organization, please contact me lesley.vanleke@vanlekeadvies.be or call me at 0478 51 96 66.