Continuing on transitions
Often i hear programs started with lot of fanfare and then all of a sudden the environment is rife with rumors and disappointment. Characteristically marked by low motivation, low productivity and fatigue; people seem lost.
This is the neutral zone where people are in suspended animation trying to cope with life cut of from old ways of being and in anticipation of the new order. Well covered weaknesses are suddenly brought out into the open. A major concern in this state of affairs is that priorities get confused, risk of miscommunication. Under this polarized environment, it is easy for consensus to break apart and people say to themselves "get off the sinking ship Asap".
However, the neutral zone is also a time to plant seeds of innovation into the organizational psyche. It is a time weakness when organization culture is weak and offers minimal resistance to new ideas. In a well managed neutral zone, reorientation and redefinition may be effectively achieved. When people are ambivalent it is necessary and critical to address their doubts and reinforce the directional strategies.
When people pass through no-man land, they feel confident when they are able to remain interconnected. Training helps. Letting people know that we are all in it together helps them relate and bond better. The neutral zone is also a time to seek creative ideas inside the organization. Over the years in most companies the organizational immune system(the culture of business as usual) chokes off creativity. A neutral zone is a great platform to shake that feeling of status quo.
"When old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart; and where old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders"... Rabindranath Tagore
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