What happens when we're no longer in the Room Where It Happens?
I’m based in a government city, and when the government changes, so does a whole lot of other stuff. Many people are drawn to Public Service work because they want to be part of making a positive difference for Aotearoa New Zealand. Like Arron Burr in the musical Hamilton, it’s a chance to be in The Room Where It Happens (perhaps with a little less flair!) So when the Room Where It Happens changes and you’re no longer in it, what then? It’s unsettling for many, no doubt about that. A different direction, new priorities and, for some, a real test of how they reconcile their values with the initiatives they are being asked to implement.
When we boil it down, that feeling of being unsettled comes back to how our brains respond to change. When things are carrying on as usual and we practice the same habits as we’re used to, we need less energy to process it all; our brains don’t need to work as hard. You’re likely to see people being purposeful, proactive and present about the work they are doing, because they’ve got the energy to engage the creative part of their brain.
When something new comes up, or we’re asked to step into the unfamiliar, it’s all systems go for the more primitive parts of our brain. We’re on the lookout for all the threats associated with this new way of being. We need to learn new habits, think in different ways, navigate new paths. All of that uses more energy and it can be exhausting. In some cases, you might be seeing it play out as really unhelpful behaviour – perhaps ranging from argumentative to apathetic to maybe even plain absent.
There are a range of things that might be going on below the surface for people during times of change. Here are some things I’m seeing people experience at the moment:
What’s our response to this as leaders? I think it’s to notice what’s playing out with our people, and start to help them shift from a feeling of loss to a focus on how they might create gains in the changes they are experiencing. Here are some examples:
Feeling invisible? How might they bring aspects of their expertise to a new initiative your organisation is starting out on?
Overwhelmed by the unknown? Create a plan with them that sets out what the next 6 months looks like as we know it. Then be relentless about meeting for all your 1:1s and update the plan as you go.
Hating not being in control of things? Ask them to design the roadmap for how your team will deliver on the priorities you’ve been set.
Feeling a loss of connection? Challenge them to identify one person a week for a simple coffee catch up. It doesn’t have to be work-related, but it could be very targeted. Perhaps with people who can give them some insight about what’s happening at other organisations so they feel more connected to the bigger social picture of what’s going on currently.
The key here is to get below the surface behaviour that can trick us into thinking a person is wilfully out to ruin our day. It’s about understanding the drivers that have seen a valuable member of the team start to slip into being more challenging. Nearly every time, you’ll find that it’s a response to what they are experiencing in the environment around them: they might feel that recent changes mean they are winning and it’s rewarding, or losing and under threat. When you know that, you can start to focus on what will make things feel more rewarding for them (see the key areas above), and move them towards that more helpful behaviour.