Accessible Disruption - Strategy Table

Accessible Disruption Ep 1 Transcribe
Tahira Endean: [00:00:00] It is also about being able to facilitate through the different ways that people are gonna be accepting of change.
Ryan Hill: One person's disruption is another one's opportunity. And I think that's where we start to talk about converting our perspectives on what is
Anthony Vade: disruption. You know, the, the final go and the horror scenes.
Is that the reality of navigating change?
Podcast Host: The world is changing. For most human beings, change is uncomfortable and challenging to address. Whether you are a startup working on agile processes or a mature organization, navigating change within existing complex structures, the mindset and skills to adapt has never been more vital. The team from the strategy table want to help the wider world understand the need and approach to meaningful and impactful change management, helping organizations navigate disruption and make change accessible to [00:01:00] everyone.
This is accessible disruption.
Anthony Vade: Welcome to Accessible Disruption. I'm one of your hosts, Anthony Vade, co-founder of the Strategy Table, and joining me are my fellow hosts and co-founders. Firstly, the one, the only, Ryan Hill. How are you, Ryan?
Ryan Hill: I'm doing great. Really excited to be here and kick this off. This is my first ever podcast that I'm not just a guest on.
Anthony Vade: And of course, the third leg to our store. Perhaps the most important point in our three-sided delta is tahara ending. How are you?
Tahira Endean: Uh, I'm great, Anthony. I feel like the other great thing about a three-legged stool is it requires all of us for balance. So let's go with that and see where we get to with this super exciting podcast.
It's not my first time being a host, but this is one of the ones where I'm certainly looking, uh, very forward to the conversations. We're about to have
Anthony Vade: a lot of change over that time [00:02:00] in the way that we do these things. So that's, it's, it's gonna be exciting to explore this conversation with you. And without any further ado, let's just.
Jump into it. People who have clicked on this, on their podcasting platform. So first of all, thank you for clicking on and make sure you subscribe. Uh, but you would've seen that we've titled this Accessible Disruption. Accessible Disruption. It's kind of a weird combination of words to hear a, tell us a little story.
Where did this idea of accessible disruption come from?
Tahira Endean: Well, you know, we were sitting in Frankfurt at an IMEX gala and just had this really wonderful table of guests, which included me as the host and you as one of our guests, and we had other experienced designers with us, so we had. Robert Densmore and Piel Ko and Elena Ree.
And we had, you know, Rob Hosking who was really interesting and you know, we had some of the members of the EIC group were there and [00:03:00] just some really smart people sitting at the table. And we just started talking about this idea that what we have the power to do with events is to support people through change.
But that. Uh, having that space was what made it accessible because at the end of the day, disruption is entirely inevitable. So that's part of working in business and it's, for many of us, a role that we've had is taking people through that scary part and making it accessible, and that's really where this idea came from, that change is inevitable.
Doesn't have to be scary.
Anthony Vade: I think I turn to you and say, this is the first time that these kinds of disruptions has felt accessible to me. Together with people like this gathered around a table, we could actually tackle them, which was really empowering. Uh, in that moment. I think you even turned to me and you said, I.
Ryan should be here. This feels like this is, this is a table Ryan should naturally be at. And unfortunately, Ryan, you weren't at that table at that time, [00:04:00] but what, what do you take from that story and you know, what, how do you look at making a disruption accessible to people?
Ryan Hill: I've always seen myself as an agent of chaos.
In some ways. I like to be, not contrarian per se, but I like to, I like to pull the thread on things. I like to ask why, right? When people have a, an aversion to something that I don't quite understand. I'll just continue to ask why, and I feel like disruption is. The right fit for, for that kind of conversation, right.
One person's disruption is another one's opportunity. And I think that's where we start to talk about converting our perspectives on what is disruption and what does it mean for me as a person or us as a organization. And that's sort of been my whole thing. You know, even in the military, we were faced with disruptions all the time.
And one of the things that I feel like has set me apart in my career is that I. Embrace the change. I kind of lean into the disruption to the extent that I've been allowed to and try to forge new pathways or new perspectives.
Tahira Endean: I met Ryan when we did our, uh, master's in [00:05:00] Creativity and Change Leadership, and what was exceptional to me about that was our cohort, you know, from the very get go.
We were really fortunate to be in a virtual learning environment, but where we were able to create an open space for truly accessible dialogue. We had a NASA engineer. We had Ryan and some others in the military who joined along the way. You know, we had LD who talks about microdosing. You know, she was talking about the use of microdosing at the World Economic Forum.
So some serious research into that space. I. Other facilitators, we were able to create a space where we could have dialogue. And I think that that for me certainly was a, you know, I've spent a lot of time in, in a corporate or an association space where we spent a lot of time helping the client get to Yes and without.
Having a lot of disruptive conversations and to have space for those disruptive [00:06:00] conversations really just reinforced for me the value of dialogue and that power that we have when we create safe space for dialogue. I.
Anthony Vade: Uh, I think back to some of my cohorts and study and I'd have, uh, a bunch of people from the tech sector that are developing new disruptive tech business models that, uh, where you remember when Uber and Airbnb first popped their heads up and they disrupted a couple of major industries and that was a good thing.
That was good disruption if you worked for any of those companies. Uh, if it was good in the long term that that's up for conversation and debate, but where the culture is and what their perspective is on that disruption's really interesting 'cause that sort of directs us into how we might collaborate to address that, to make it accessible, to make it a, a, a positive disruption and not that negative connotation.
Tahira Endean: I think you just have to work to get people over that hump. I've often had roles where [00:07:00] it's like, oh, is that really difficult? Good. Let's ask Tehir to do it. And sometimes it is really difficult to bring people along with you to understand that actually change is not the worst thing. Um, and that. But there is that idea that until the potential greatness on the other side of the change is, is greater than the potential pain of, you know, where we're sitting at right now or the known pain of where we're sitting at right now.
It is about giving people the, the resources and the way to think about things differently and. Have new perspectives and to understand how they can be part of that process. And that change isn't just slammed down on you. That, that you, you can be part of the process. And I think that's part of what makes it accessible is if you have required change.
You know, you always, you hear, you know, oh, we, we have to get buy-in. Well, you can't volunt tell buy-in, you know, [00:08:00] it's a process.
Ryan Hill: That's a really great point that I feel like we're kind of talking. Talking about it without naming it directly. We often like to view disruption as something that, as a group we're doing, but a lot of the conversations around disruption and change, especially when you're talking about organic change, need to be in those smaller conversations, in those meetings, those team planning events, and there's a little bit of a fear for being the one that's disrupting the status quo.
Because we pay a lot of lip service to, if it's not broke, don't fix it, or things like, you know, in a hierarchical setting, like you don't want to be the squeaky wheel that's not going with the current. So there's a little bit of, of a fear I think, in, I guess bringing up that maybe we're not seeing the forest for the trees or we're heading down a path of least resistance, but it's not the path that we need to be going down long term.
So how do we have those conversations and, and kind of buck the system at a small scale to invite that. [00:09:00] Organic bottom up change as opposed to these sweeping change initiatives that are directed from, from the C-suite or from the top level leadership, uh, at scale, you know.
Anthony Vade: Yeah, we all, I think, have countless stories from working with teams, uh, in facilitated boardrooms and really seeing that hierarchical culture come out and how certain individuals on that team are limited through that, uh, collaboration process.
Uh, we're definitely gonna be getting onto collaboration at a deeper level, uh, when we move into our, uh, coming episodes and certainly talking about. Is the hierarchy appropriate in that collaboration session? And how do we manage the hierarchy so that it doesn't limit the potential, uh, outputs and benefits that can come from that collaboration with a diverse team?
Tahira Endean: Yeah, I think a lot of that is also context, right? Ryan, you've been deployed many times and you know, first of all, thank you for that kind of service. I mean, that is exceptional, but you know when there's a time when [00:10:00] you just have to follow the orders, you don't wanna disrupt. And so I think it's also understanding that that context of when change doesn't sometimes change, doesn't feel like it makes sense, and so then it doesn't feel accessible at all.
And so. Being, you know, honest about why we're changing things from a leadership level is, is also really critical. And so I think it's, you know, when we look at this idea of this, of a strategy table, the idea is to understand and clarify the change first. So. Why does something need to happen? Once we've clarified it, then you can move into those next steps where you can now start to bring people along with you to say, you know, we've recognized we need to have this type of a change.
Then how can we take you into those next steps of looking at ways that you are going to benefit from it, ways that you can be part of it, you know, that ideation stage. There's different phases that we need to [00:11:00] take people through to get to. Where you can even start to think about developing or implementing any change.
And I think that that's what's so exciting about this is that, you know, the perspectives that we bring, and not just us, but this, you know, there's a bigger collective of people to draw from that can. Help so many organizations through what is a really critical time in their growth.
Anthony Vade: Let's take this opportunity to take a short break now and hear from some of our sponsors.
But of course, if you want to hear this ad free along with extended versions, access to our book club and the chat community, you can visit strategy table.co. Or click on the link in the description. We'll be right back.
Podcast Host: Our world is changing. For most human beings, change is uncomfortable and challenging to address. Uh, keeping up in a [00:12:00] competitive business environment requires confidence in your team's. Adaptability, leaders are expected to lead adoption initiatives, evolve team member skills, and build resilience with intentional change management strategies.
But even the most seasoned leader or executive. Can find it challenging to get things started on the right foot and in the right direction. Engage with Strategy Table to kickstart your organization's change management and continuous improvement initiatives. Address and elevate your team's agility and build a confident innovation culture.
Make your team feel and believe in the shared responsibility supporting each other bravely and boldly into the future no matter what it has in store. We are not your average consultants. We are skilled guides helping you elevate your team's thinking, and turn it into impactful doing. Find more information@strategytable.co.[00:13:00]
Anthony Vade: Okay, so if we look at the word accessible as well, you tend to think of accessible in, I think, fairly physical terms a lot of the time. Like, can I access the space? Uh, certainly if you are a. A, a, a person using a wheelchair, then, uh, you have a lot of accessibility concerns with how you can encounter space.
So I think it's fair to also think that there are other ways to look at accessible from a mindset perspective as well. Like, how do I physically move my mind through a space? How do I follow a path that perhaps allows me to navigate that disruption or that challenge in a way, which then begs the question.
Tahira, what might be all the pathways to change that we could take?
Tahira Endean: Well, clearly there is not one pathway to change, so, you know, I have a favorite quote that is up that says, do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail, which is, you know, RO Ralph Waldo [00:14:00] Emerson.
So, you know, that's, there's, there's that way, you know, that's one way.
Ryan Hill: I don't wanna oversimplify it, but we can maybe bucket it. Like a 30,000 foot perspective into proactive change and reactive change. Sometimes there's change that we see needs to happen because we, we see the writing on the wall. We see that what we're doing is not working, or that there's diminishing returns, or sometimes we just have a good idea and we believe very strongly in it.
And so we take proactive steps to initiate that pathway to change, whether it's individual change, organizational change. And then there's the reactive change. You know, the system within which we exist is now. Altered. And so what was working before is no longer working or is quickly starting to fail. Uh, and so we are forced to change, you know, and a lot of things beyond our control, either politically or economically, or sometimes just socially, like they will be drivers of change too.
And that's the moment where you sort of get confronted with [00:15:00] that, adapt or die, you know, sort of headspace where people feel like. You can be stubborn and you can try to forge ahead, you know, and hit your head against the wall over and over again to do things the way you've always. Done them. Or you can recognize the, the change for what it is and lean into it, you know, embrace it and find your new niche in that industry or that community.
Tahira Endean: We have the, you know, I am running like a tough mutter of change or I am dealing with Moore's Law of change, right? So there's two. Also. The speed of change can be very, very different.
Anthony Vade: It's also looking at the environment that the pathway's going through. To your point, you could, you could be going down a pathway with your teammates together, like it's the yellow brick road and sure you have a tin man, you have a lion, you have a, you have a scarecrow, and they all have.
Their strengths and weaknesses, but you are skipping primarily along it. Perhaps you are going down that path and you hit something within that environment that's a, [00:16:00] a bria bush full of thorns that you can't quite get the rest of the, the group through and. Then leaps in your heroic consultant with their machete and they cut through the briars to allow you to continue down the yellow brick road.
But what we see so often in stories like this, as we go through this pathway, especially if we get into what. You know, change can sometimes feel like a horror genre is there's one final winner who comes through as the survivor while the rest of the team all perished along the pathway. Uh, you know, the, the final girl in the horror scenes.
Is that the reality of navigating change, uh, for us as we go through pathways? Do we have to lose to win?
Tahira Endean: No. That is highly ineffective change, isn't it? I mean, that's, again, that's the challenge is to get people through. Together. Right. So it's, you know, and honestly it's sometimes, you know, if we're looking at like a merger and acquisition scenario where you're looking at, you [00:17:00] know, where something really has to change in a very fundamental and large way.
There are sometimes gonna be people who simply aren't. Going to be part of the, what happens next on your pathway. That is a very individual situation though, so that we can't plan for, I, I don't, I don't believe, I think that if we're planning for organizational change, we need to be looking at how do I move the organization together, set goals that are organizational goals for that change, and then bring along every individual with their own unique strengths and abilities.
To commit to the role that they're gonna have in that change going forward. That sounds a little bit like skipping down the road. La la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Like not very viable. And there will be things that come along and there's gonna be organizational change or something that you might not be aware of, and that's where we get things.
Well, in North [00:18:00] America we get things like layoffs, and in Europe we get things like gardening leaves, but it's um. Understanding that life has changed. You know, there's no, there's no way around that. Organizations need to change and adapt to keep up, um, with the, all of those changing environments around them.
And that the best way to do that is to figure out how you are going to manage through a change, um, inspire people to be part of that change. Show them the pathway and then see if they want to follow and if they're prepared to maybe get stuck with a few, you know, briars in order, you know, going back to your analogy.
Ryan Hill: Yeah. I want to kind of go back to this, uh, it's you or me approach that Anthony was kinda alluding to. I think if we were coming up on an organization that has teams or divisions within it, that's approaching changes as a zero sum game where. It's me or you and I've gotta beat you. And it becomes this sort [00:19:00] of like hostile or competitive type of environment.
Like those are bigger issues that need to be addressed first. And I'm hoping that any good consultancy like Strategy Table would have mechanisms in place to identify if perhaps we need to look at some cultural or environmental conditions. To lay the groundwork for effective change. I think a lot of people wanna jump right into, we have the idea, we wanna make the change, let's make the change, and they forget that there are conditions that need to be set.
The more preparation you can do to lay the pathway for change for your organization to make it as easy for those who believe in the change and want to follow along with the change to go down that path with you, the better off you're going to be. But if you're the only one with the machete, break it to the thicket, and you're letting those branches go, uh, and they're smacking people in the face as they're trying to follow you.
Like you're gonna lose followers. They're gonna, you're gonna get discouraged. They're gonna, they're gonna give up on the vision, and you're going to essentially achieve the exact opposite of your desired outcome. You know, instead of reaching a new, [00:20:00] uh, level of success, you start to invite increased risk for failure.
And I think we can avoid that by helping people understand that change is never a zero sum game. It should always be a collaborative, participatory event. And you're right, sometimes changes are gonna be proposed and we might be the minority and we might be like, you know what? This goes against what I believe in for the organization, or it goes against my values, or pick a reason and that's fine.
The important thing is to not take that personally, just to see yourself out, you know, identify that maybe you aren't going to be a good fit going forward. Don't force yourself to adopt things you don't believe in. Approach 'em with an open mind. Ask yourself, why am I resistant to this first? Or perhaps a facilitator can help tease that out.
You know, what are the reasons for resistance? Is it because we haven't created a clear enough pathway? Have we not set the conditions? Or is it just going to be a fundamental conflict with an individual's perspectives or values? You know? And that's [00:21:00] two different things we have to address. But at the end of the day, the pathway for change.
Requires preparation.
Tahira Endean: So is our call to action for this episode exactly that. So identify, identification, and clarification of the greatest areas of resistance.
Anthony Vade: I think. I think that's a great starting point, certainly, and I think even just framing all, whether it is disruptive, whether it is reactive, and certainly with the aim of it being proactive as a journey.
That you are going on with other people within your organization, within your communities, and those other people have strengths and weaknesses and unique perspectives. And, and to even just view it as a journey that you are on, I think would give you a bit more of that flexibility that, that Ryan and to hear you both talked about rather than thinking of it as a win-lose.
Single game. It is. It is much more than that. And I think we've milked that analogy about as much as we can, but if [00:22:00] we see it as a journey together, then we have the opportunity to approach those conversations. That engagement with that view in mind,
Tahira Endean: I. All good journeys. Start with good dialogue.
Anthony Vade: Ryan, I'm sure you have examples of this from your world.
Did you know that right now you could be listening to an extended version that features an additional story from Ryan? Head over to strategy table.co to find out how you can access extended versions of this conversation, our chat community, and join our book club. Let's get back to the conversation.
Tahira Endean: I have a great quote to follow up on that from my book of quotes.
It's, uh, it's an unknown attribution, but it says, never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the arc and professionals built the Titanic.
Anthony Vade: I love it, and you bring us right back around, uh, as we talk about what it means to have a strategy table and who's at that strategy table. We talk a [00:23:00] lot about unlocking those perspectives, creating an environment where collaboration can happen, uh, and that will drive forward.
The innovation and the change that you want to see, but you've gotta have those perspectives understood both the perspectives of the challenge that you all face together, and then your individual perspectives. And I feel like we've gotta unpack that in a couple more episodes. Today will not be enough for us to look at this idea of.
Perspectives, collaboration leading to innovation. So let's, for the last few minutes of this, let's just look at what the audience can expect from participating in these types of conversations with us and accessible disruption. As a podcast hero, what are your hopes?
Tahira Endean: My hopes are that it's not just us, that we have guests who also have something really critical to say and have been on their own change journeys that can help us create a richer broadcloth really of, of, of things that can be brought to a strategy table [00:24:00] through their own shared experiences.
So I think it's. What I've always loved most about podcasting isn't being the one talking, but being the one listening. So it's, that's what's excites me.
Anthony Vade: Ryan, what are you hoping?
Ryan Hill: I'm hoping that by bringing in these different experts, these different professionals that can, you know, dialogue with us and we're starting to expand the perspectives of our listeners to see that there's a lot of folks that have been where you likely are, and there's a lot of different techniques.
There's a lot of different. Experiences out there that we can take and, and not reinvent the wheel, but, but repackage, I guess, the way that change has been accomplished before potentially even build a network ourselves. My, my vision, I guess, is to see this turn into less of a podcast and more of a community.
You know, I think that's kind of our bigger vision together as a group.
Anthony Vade: I agree wholeheartedly with both of you. Uh, I, I want this conversation that we're having to expand beyond us. I think [00:25:00] the conversation, like you said, with the audience is just as vital because it's that first point. It's about perspectives.
We see change and disruption very differently because we tend to be the kinds of people that seek it out and enjoy navigating it. That doesn't mean that we're normal. It doesn't mean that we're good, bad, or otherwise. It just means that we need to also understand the perspective of others. Who are challenged by some of those elements too.
So I want everything that the audience gets from this to be highly actionable. I want them to be able to walk away from each episode inspired. Uh, and so with that in mind, and being the first episode and being the guy that likes to do the editing, I'm gonna leave the audience with perhaps my call to action and my challenge to them for this week.
And you'll be hearing calls to actions and challenges from our guests, from Tahira and Ryan in future episodes. But I would like to challenge the audience to. Go to their teams, go to their, perhaps their boss, and certainly those that report to them, and ask the question, what do you see [00:26:00] about this challenge that I don't see?
What is your unique perspective to this challenge that we face together? And then be open and ready to hear what their response is. And if that sounds challenging for you right now, well. Hold fast because we're gonna have some episodes coming up where we look at perspectives, where we look at the conversations you need to have to have effective collaboration and start to build some systems and some frameworks so that you can take your seat at the strategy table.
And with that, shall we wrap up this first episode? Thank you for listening. Any closing thoughts, Ryan and Tahira? Don't be scared. Yeah, embrace the change. And with that, we'll see you in the next episode of Accessible Disruption.
Podcast Host: Accessible Disruption is written and spoken by Tahira and Dean Ryan Hill and Anthony Vade. All content is developed in collaboration with the team at Strategy Table Podcast production by Experience Design Change, Inc. An [00:27:00] association with the change lead network. Find more information@strategytable.co.