Page 131 - Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience

100 Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilence

result, such change tends to be more resisted or more commonly ignored
in the planning process (Miller, 1984).
A second group of individuals believed that massive change was the
way forward in order for the organization to sustain itself. In confirmation
of Mintzberg’s (1994) theory of planning, this group also believed that the
formal strategy work was created to slow down the emergent changes that
had occurred right after the storm.
It is easy to see these two as opposing points of view; however, the chal-
lenge and the potential for positive change resides in positioning these
two points of view as a constructive tension (Brown & Eisenhardt, 1998).
Progressive organizations do not envision opposing points along a linear
continuum, but rather they attempt to bend the line into a circle allowing
these two points to touch each other. The minimal space between what
were two end points are now a space for innovation and creativity. The
outcome for organizational sustainability was common amongst the two
groups. The imperative was to capitalize on the energy of each group, seek
common ground, and bring forward the strategic offerings from each
group that would serve the longer-term goal of sustainability. The group
that was advocating to maintain the status quo was asked to reframe their
position to the core of what is needed to sustain going forward. The group
seeking massive change was challenged to think about the organizational
capacity to support a large-scale increase in distance learning, in essence,
balancing the long-term vision with organizational realities.
Quinn (1980) supports the notion that organizations will typically hold
on to the past, as he argues that strategy is an incremental process confirm-
ing and codifying the implicit strategies residing within the organization.
Incremental change supersedes transformational change, the grand ideas
that are typically stated as organizational vision but are rarely achieved.
Quinn (1980) commented:

A good deal of the corporate planning I have observed is like a ritual rain
dance; it has no effect on the weather that follows, but those who engage in it
think it does. Moreover, it seems to me that much of the advise and instruction
related to corporate planning is directed at improving the dancing, not the
weather. (p. 122)

In the case of this particular college, there was little to incrementally build
upon; the slate was washed clean (no pun intended). The ground was ripe
for transformation. Distance learning prior to the storm was marginalized.
It was now in the forefront and those who were skilled in this arena were no
longer in the periphery but in the center of a critical strategic initiative.