When we move from A to B, we often don’t know exactly what B will look like. We might have an idea or a wish—like achieving a goal such as winning a gold medal or a Cannes Lions trophy. We might aspire to emulate our role models. But the truth is, each of us forges a unique path. No two organisations, and no two people, will have the exact same experience or arrive at the same destination.
Even more so, we can define a B that we strive for, but the reality of what it will be exactly and how it will manifest for us remains unknown until we get there. And that’s how it should be. As a famous psychoanalyst Adam Phillips claims, we don’t fully know what our potential is; it emerges as we strive to achieve it.
The Traditional Approach might not be enough
In a traditional approach to structuring the change process, we follow these steps:
From A - 1. Identifying the Need for Change -> 2. Defining the Change Vision and Objectives -> 3. Assessing the Current State -> 4. Developing a Change Plan -> 5. Communicating the Change -> 6. Engaging and Involving Stakeholders -> 7. Implementing the Change -> 8. Monitoring and Evaluating the Change -> 9. Reinforcing and Sustaining the Change -> 10. Reviewing and Reflecting - to B
This method works well when change is linear, obstacles are fully understood upfront, and B is clearly defined. However, when B is an emerging goal, shaped by the ever-changing specifics of its environment, this approach to transformation becomes both misleading and incomplete.
It is misleading because it creates the illusion that simply following these steps will result in a highly successful change initiative (80%, 90%, or even 100%). In reality, the success rate is closer to 30%, due to unpredictable circumstances.
It is incomplete because it overlooks the human factor. On one hand, this means that every change is susceptible to fear of the unknown, entrenched habits, and resistance. On the other hand, it ignores the power of playful, albeit messy at times, experimentation and discovery—the element of creativity. I strongly believe that this kind of creativity is unique to humans.
What is creativity in the process of change? It is the powerful result of disruption.
It emerges when we halt habitual ways of approaching problems, let go of outdated mindsets and behaviours, and sit in a limbo without holding back, with no predetermined answers. In this limbo, experimentation becomes a vital tool, enabling us to explore new possibilities and discover innovative paths forward.
The Open Mode of Experimentation
This brings me to a key lesson from John Cleese. In his lecture on Creativity in Management, Cleese talks about the open and closed modes of operating.
Closed mode is the normal way of getting things done and, as Cleese says, “probably where you spend most of your time at work.” Open mode, however, is the creative mode with room for experimentation and playfulness.
Here is a comparison of the attributes of each:
Open Mode (Experimentation) | Closed Mode (Execution) |
Relaxed | Actively anxious |
Playful | Serious |
Less purposeful | Purposeful |
Expansive | Narrowly focused |
Curious (for its own sake) | Goal-oriented |
Creative | Systematic |
More inclined to humour | Not much humour |
Where mistake is a clue, not an undesired effect | Mistake is inappropriate and pointless |
While Cleese might not seem like a typical scientist, the attributes he describes in the open mode embody the mindset of the best scientists. Such experimentation isn’t done just for the creative fun though—it’s essential for testing ideas, learning from failures, and iterating solutions that meet unique challenges. Without it, we risk clinging to rigid plans that can’t adapt to the complexities of real-world change.
Unlocking Creativity for an Unpredictable Future
To get into an open mode, according to Cleese, you need:
Space – Think of it as an oasis with everything you need to get into the creative mindset.
Time – Clarity on when to start and stop.
Time – Stick with the problem longer, even if the first idea that comes to mind seems good enough; prepare to tolerate discomfort and push yourself to come up with something great.
Confidence – Freedom to play, and safety to make mistakes, with trust as a crucial ingredient.
Humour – Catalyses creativity by promoting flexibility, reducing stress, and fostering a playful mindset.
It takes courage to sit in the limbo between a discarded past and an undefined future. But in doing so, something magical can happen—the possibility to create something genuinely new.
Something uniquely meaningful to us, our organisations, and our societies.
Something unburdened by the past.
Something that can truly move us forward.
Something creative.
This is the mode of transformation we need for an unpredictable future.
#Creativity #ChangeManagement #Innovation #Experimentation #Transformation #Leadership #JohnCleese #FutureOfWork #CreativeThinking #BusinessTransformation
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