Every day brings fresh challenges and navigating them can feel daunting. For lessons on driving change, we can look back to childhood days on the playground, specifically the overhead ladder. Perched high above the ground, this playground feature challenges kids to reach forward, swing with strength, and let go to grasp the next rung. It’s a powerful metaphor for crossing the chasm of change to reach a new destination. The journey isn’t about leaping an unbridged divide but using the tools we have to move forward, rung by rung, by reaching, strengthening, and letting go.
Overhead Ladder Rules for Change:
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Reaching is only the first step. Declaring a change, forming teams, crafting plans, and building slides feels like progress. The excitement of envisioning a new future is real, but it’s an illusion of progress if it’s all you do. Reaching is essential, but what follows matters more.
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Letting go starts the real journey. On the playground, progress begins when you release your lagging hand to grab the next rung. In organizations, letting go of old habits, systems, or processes is often the hardest part. We want to carry everything with us, but we can’t. Mastering the art of letting go accelerates your path to the future you seek.
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Strength comes from swinging through. Change requires new motions, and they take effort to learn. Try moving a waste bin from the left to the right side of your desk and notice how often you instinctively reach left. Change is like that: it’s messy in the middle. Do you approach new processes with gratitude for your team or frustration with the shift? When obstacles arise or milestones are missed, do you revert to old ways or push forward? Perseverance through the mess turns moments into days, weeks, and months of progress.
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Repetition builds momentum. Change is hard work, but practice makes it easier. The more you reach for the new, let go of the old, and work to embrace the next step, the stronger you and your organization become. Repeated effort makes change faster and more seamless over time.
Embrace the Era of Continuous Change
Over a decade ago, John Kotter declared the end of episodic change. Today, continuous change is the norm, and organizations that excel will be those that adapt rapidly. Joyful change fosters stronger teams and better results. By reaching, letting go, and swinging forward together, we build the capability to thrive in a world of constant transformation.
Reach. Release. Repeat.
