During our training today we did an interesting exercise. The goal was to train our stability. The way we did it was by disrupting our stability.

We were asked to stand on one leg and pull up the knee of the other leg. On the one hand, we had a ball having a bit of weight. The invitation was to pass the ball over our head from one hand to the other.

During this movement, we were supposed to remain straight and only have the hands and arms move.

The best way in this situation to remain stable was to set us up correctly. Getting into position meant to let go all the muscles and then to engage the ones necessary to create stability.

We received this instruction because of our natural reaction which would have been to try cramp all the muscles.

Things work in a similar way during a change process.

Change disrupts as it creates uncertainty. Change is a leap from one situation to another. For those involved, this creates a sense of instability. Their natural reaction is to try to keep everything as is. It’s as if you’d try to cramp all the muscles. It creates rigidity in the system. One that is challenged by any element that might destabilize it.

On the other hand, knowing that there will be disruption allows taking a different head start. It would, for example, mean to engage the people who contribute to stability while others learn to deal with the disruption.

Stability will always serve flexibility. Flexibility only challenges rigidity.