Inviting agency
Change initiatives are often presented to us as grand visions – a tantalising promise of a brighter future, a saved planet, heightened productivity, or achieving zero harm. These visions are typically bundled with a sense of urgency and superiority, aiming to compel us to ‘buy into’ the proposed change. This conventional approach implies that transformation can be achieved by downloading and accepting change, leaving us as consumers of someone else's vision.
Yet, there’s an inherent truth that many of us resonate with: our hearts are set on fire when we create something, when we nurture growth, or when we contribute positively to our surroundings. This ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ resides within each of us, waiting to be tapped into. We care deeply about what we create; it’s in our very nature.
The problem lies in our default setting: most of the time, we are configured as consumers, or subjects even, but not creators. We're rarely given the chance to engage with our emotional, intellectual, and creative capacities fully. Co-design and consultation efforts are often little more than manipulative ways to create buy-in, or tick a box, rather than based on recognition that a few select experts are unlikely to figure out what is needed. But what if change initiatives could tap into this dormant creative force within us? What if, instead of asking people to ‘buy into’ change, we invited them to join in, co-create, and contribute autonomously? What would that look like?
Opportunity, not vision
Entrepreneurialism is awoken by opportunity, a challenge, something to go after. In our experience, this can be framed as a purposeful invite to address a complex issue - an authentic recognition that we don’t know what will work but need each other to figure it out. Such as:
How can we create a thriving infrastructure sector?
How can we become a more effective regulator?
How can we create a first class arrival experience?
Vision statements, on the other hand, have interventions and outcomes already been worked out and there is not much need for entrepreneurialism.
Conversations, not persuasion
What is important to a change-maker to sell or persuade people to adopt, is unlikely to have an equal priority to other stakeholders. And unless people can see how a change effort will create value in their lives or work, they are not very likely to become supporters of proposed changes. They may tolerate you or otherwise not stand in your way. But that’s about it.
However, if your change efforts can help people progress whatever change they desire, even minutely so, not only are they more likely to support you, but they are even likely to recruit others to see the benefit of what’s coming.
Change makers interested in unlocking entrepreneurialism for change, start change processes by finding and defining collective ambitions and shared portfolios of meaning, motivations and needs. Conversations and dialogues needs to happen between all the connected parts of a network, to tease out emotions, reasons, ideas and insights. A suitable process is necessary to harness what these conversations entail (e.g. World Cafe, Appreciative Inquiry, etc)
Space, not hierarchy
The entrepreneurial spirit does not thrive under hierarchy, download requirements, or commands. It grows stronger the more it is in service of opportunities, needs, values, and flows. For this to happen, heroic leaders and change champions need to step back and then forward in a more hosting role to create an environment where individuals can gather organically, self-organise around shared interests, and freely contribute. By fostering this open space, individuals are empowered to share their distinctive perspectives and ideas, transforming the change endeavour from a rigid top-down directive into a vibrant collective pursuit.
This space hosting approach stands in stark contrast to traditional change facilitators or champions, roles that might be necessary in the absence of individual agency but fall short of the transformative potential offered by the entrepreneurial spirit.
Conclusion
The path to meaningful change lies in recognising and nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit within individuals, teams and communities. By inviting active participation, focusing on shared meanings, facilitating meaningful conversations, and creating open spaces, change initiatives can evolve from top-down mandates to inclusive, transformative journeys, driven by the collective creative force of all involved stakeholders.
