During the past few years, organizations have had to pivot, change, and adapt like at no other time before. And the need to change and evolve is only going to continue in 2023 as organizations deal with economic uncertainty, an escalation of geopolitical risks, the rise of disruptive digital technologies, and ongoing shifts in the way we work (McKinsey). But it’s well documented that 70% of organizational change initiatives fail, and according to Harvard University, some of the reasons they fail are 1) Starting the change process with an incomplete or poorly-defined strategy, 2) Following a strategy that is too rigid or inflexible, and 3) Failing to identify and address resistance.

In this article, I make a case for organizations to take a more spiritual approach to organizational change rooted in intention, mindfulness, and insight that can help address some of these reasons, using Buddhism’s ‘Five Strengths’ as a framework. The Five Strengths are a set of qualities that work sequentially to support the realization of one’s true potential, and while it is generally focused at an individual level, I believe it can also be applied to an organization. Below, I go through each of these Strengths and discuss what they mean for an organization as it undergoes the process of change.

Strength 1 – Faith:
Faith is understanding that there is a need for some kind of change to take place, and trusting that this will help with meeting the organization’s goals. This is the time to question the current state, analyze where you are today, and explore all the different avenues that can help you achieve your goals so you can land on the best way forward. It’s also the time to look back at previous change initiatives and the learnings you had from those. The objective here is to strengthen your faith and commitment to the cause, remove any doubt about the need for change, and determine the strategy to implement. This faith becomes your anchor as you progress through the change effort and face any obstacles that will invariably come in your way during the process.

Strength 2 – Effort:
After identifying your change strategy and approach, you set your intention and desired outcomes and direct your effort and energy wholeheartedly toward implementing the change. You set your plans in motion, mobilize your teams and resources, and are fully present as things unfold. You persevere in the face of challenges and trust that the process is unfolding the way it needs to, cognizant that there are many factors outside your direct control that can impact the process. You are, however, in control of how you react and respond to events, which we discuss more in steps 3 and 4.

Strength 3 – Mindfulness
This step is about keeping a pulse on the internal and external environment as your change process unfolds. You’re actively aware of all events and situations and you look at them from a place of equanimity. Through mindfulness, you practice looking at things just as they are without judgment. “For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.” – Thich Nhat Hanh. You’re mindful of how your biases or prejudices may be influencing your view of events and you aim to embrace the situation fully because from there you can make balanced decisions.

This is where you practice active listening. You’re receptive to the feedback you’re receiving knowing that feedback is essential to refining the change experience. You aim to create an environment where people feel safe opening up with their thoughts and feelings about the way the change is transpiring, and you seek to understand their perspectives. You practice active listening externally as well to understand how outside factors such as market dynamics are influencing your organization and the change process.

Strength 4 – Concentration
“Where your attention goes, energy flows and results show” – T. Harv Eker

Having taken in all the information and mindfully observed the change process unfold in step 3, you direct your focus toward the areas that matter most. You consider what can have the strongest influence on the success of the change project, using learnings from previous change projects or data you have on hand, and prioritize creating an action plan for those. For example, you may have realized that your people felt disconnected from the change process or they have concerns about how this will impact their job moving forward. Based on this, you can explore ways to involve them more, reassure them about job security, and create a training and development plan that will address any skill gaps.

Strength 5 – Insight
Through Mindfulness and Concentration, you understand how various factors shape and impact an organization and a change process. You also realize that things are always in flux and are always changing, with or without your active involvement. Market conditions, the economy, geopolitical situations, and people’s attitudes and behaviours are never constant. Buddhism calls this phenomenon ‘Anicca’, or the law of impermanence. The term ‘Change management’ itself is paradoxical. Change can’t be ‘managed’ per se, it can however be experienced, facilitated, and influenced; you can direct change towards more productive outcomes. This is similar to being on a raft on a river where the stream is flowing in one direction, and while you can’t change the direction of the stream, you can steer the raft towards clearer waters.

This also leads to another insight in Buddhism – that of interdependency. An organization is shaped by a myriad of factors that are connected and together form its reality. Buddhism encourages us to recognize and be in tune with these factors rather than resist their influence or hold on to the idea of a separate, solid, unchangeable entity. Nothing exists in a vacuum.

When organizations operate from a place of faith, equanimity, and flow, it instills a sense of lightness that allows them to operate with freedom, similar to loosening a tight grip on a stress ball, which then fosters an environment where creativity can flow, cultures can quickly adapt, and people can put their best foot forward – necessary ingredients for change initiatives to succeed.