Reflections on Letting Go: Enabling Adaptive Organizations

Illustration of a canal, a bridge, a path with tree trunks, bare of leaves, late autumn

To accept what is
Letting go of what is not
Like leaves in autumn

When was the last time you saw a tree argue with autumn? Nature offers us profound lessons about change – not as something to force or resist, but as a natural flow of letting go and becoming. In organizations, we often forget this wisdom, gripping tightly to “the way things are” even as the seasons of business shift around us.

The Nature of Organizational Change

Like a forest ecosystem, organizations are living systems that constantly adapt and evolve. But unlike trees that naturally shed their leaves when the time comes, organizations often need help recognizing and releasing what no longer serves them.

Signs of Natural Adaptation

When organizations are adapting well:

  • Change flows through existing networks rather than being forced through hierarchy
  • Old patterns and processes naturally fade as new ones emerge
  • Innovation appears at the edges where current practice meets new needs
  • Resistance provides valuable feedback rather than being seen as an obstacle

Just as nature moves through seasons, businesses that are adapting well have natural cycles of growth, consolidation, and renewal:

Growth 

  • Market expansion
  • Talent acquisition
  • New product development

Harvest 

  • Revenue realization
  • Process optimization
  • Knowledge capture

Rest

  • Strategic planning
  • Capability building
  • Infrastructure updates

Signs of Blocked Adaptation

Watch for these signals that adaptation is stuck:

  • Rigid adherence to outdated practices despite clear external (Market) and/or internal (Employee Engagement) signals
  • Change initiatives that feel forced and rely heavily on mandates and compliance
  • Persistent resistance patterns that aren’t being understood or examined
  • Energy spent maintaining the status quo versus exploring possibilities

Three Practices for Natural Adaptation

1. The “Seasonal Audit”

Regularly assess your organization:

What needs to fall away?

  • Legacy processes (measure: utilization rates, maintenance costs)
  • Outdated structures (measure: decision latency, employee feedback)
  • Redundant activities (measure: time spent, value delivered)

What’s ready to bloom?

  • Emerging capabilities (measure: skill development, innovation metrics)
  • Market opportunities (measure: pilot results, customer interest)
  • New ways of working (measure: team effectiveness, engagement scores)

What needs nurturing?

  • Strategic initiatives (measure: milestone achievement, resource adequacy)
  • Team potential (measure: capability gaps, growth indicators)
  • Cultural evolution (measure: behavior change, sentiment analysis)

2. The Energy Tracker

Notice where and how organizational energy flows (or gets blocked):

Sources of Energy

  • What sparks enthusiasm?
  • Where do people volunteer time? 
  • Which projects gain momentum easily?

Energy Drains

  • Required activities with low engagement
  • Processes that generate consistent complaints
  • Initiatives requiring constant push from leadership

    3. The Natural Experimenter

    Work with rather than against system tendencies and business cycles:

    Principles for Natural Change

    • Start small
    • Follow the energy
    • Learn from resistance 
    • Amplify what works

      A Story of Natural Change

      I recently worked with an organization struggling to implement a major change initiative. Their breakthrough came when they stopped trying to force a preset solution and started paying attention to where change was already happening naturally. By amplifying these natural movements and removing obstacles, they achieved more in three months than they had in a year of forced change.

      The Bigger Picture

      Organizational adaptation isn’t just about managing or forcing change – it’s about:

      Measure What Matters

      To track your organization’s adaptive capacity, measure stuff.  “Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.”

      Example key indicators include:

      1. Adaptation Speed

      2. Change Effectiveness

      • Adoption rates
      • Sustainability of changes
      • Return on change investment

      3. System Health

      Remember: The goal isn’t to force change but to create conditions where beneficial change occurs naturally and efficiently. Be mindful of perverse incentives as you set up your key metrics.

      Develop More Natural Adaptation Patterns (Read More)

      Your Turn: An Adaptation Experiment

      This week, try this: Instead of pushing for change, become a student of your organization’s natural adaptation patterns. Notice:

      • Where is change already happening? (areas of natural, informal, spontaneous evolution)
      • What’s naturally falling away? (areas of natural obsolescence, declining participation, decreasing effectiveness)
      • Where is new growth emerging? (areas of increasing energy, emerging practices, innovation)

      Then share your thoughts and experiences so we can learn together on working with, instead of against, patterns that support effective change. I’d love to hear your stories. 

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