3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Thinking About Change
20/60/20 Rule, Heraclitean Dilemma & Letting Go
I. 20/60/20 Rule
Who doesn’t love change? For starters, those who have dedicated their lives to a cause until a random consultant comes in to tell them that they’ve been doing it wrong the whole time. In other words, when an organisation undergoes change, not everyone is on board.
According to the 20/60/20 Rule of change management, there’s a common ratio between those who love change, those who don’t and those who err. You could expect:
20% to be along for the ride and committed to changes
60% to be understanding albeit with a lot of scepticism and hesitation
20% to be disengaged completely.
While it’s probably a good reminder of how hard change is, the 20/60/20 Rule is a non-scientific estimate. Perhaps it’s time for change managers to replace the rule with something more rigorous…?
On a similar note, check out my essay about Chesterton’s Fence: How to Enact Change.
II. Heraclitean Dilemma
Named after Greek philosopher Heraclitus, Heraclitean Dilemmas are philosophical puzzles about change derived from a simple observation:
You can’t step into the same river twice.
A river is continuously changing. Its course and the shape of the stream bed may appear the same. But as soon as you step into the waterway a second time, it will have changed ever so slightly. Not to mention the original water molecules which have long been washed away.
In a similar way, we are no longer the same people that we were when we first stepped into the river. This creates a new problem: How are you supposed to change let alone understand something if it’s in constant flux?
III. Letting Go
Change can be a daunting experience. English philosopher and Zen enthusiast Alan Watts knew a counterintuitive truth about accepting change you cannot change:
The principle is: The more you give it away the more it comes back.
Now you say I don’t have the courage to give it away. I’m afraid. And you can only overcome that by realising: You better give it away because there’s no way holding on to it. The meaning of the fact that everything is dissolving constantly, that we’re all falling apart, we’re all in the process of constant death.
You see, that fact that everything is in decay is your helper. That is allowing you that you don’t have to let go because there’s nothing for you to hold on to. It’s achieved for you in other words by the process of nature.
—Alan Watts
If you’re interested in Zen, check out my article about 5 Zen Stories Worth Contemplating for Years (Or Not at All). 🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com
P.S.: Next week marks the 100th 3 Ideas in 2 Minutes newsletter. Stay tuned for something special.