“Strong views, held lightly…” – a line from a post in a WhatsApp group that had erupted like a volcano, where many strong views were voiced, stays with me. How do you navigate forward when there are two different points of view, and not enough context or information to go on? This is a situation that I found myself in (initially) as a passive spectator. An eruption of words and emotions that spewed forth in the group caught me unaware. The world of WhatsApp groups is filled with heated and emotional exchanges, often a space where contradictory views prevail.
It was a place where my silence could be misinterpreted to mean anything from “I agree and support xxx” to “I don’t care about xxx, this is not my fight.” “Should I stay and say what I felt, or should I exit the group?” “Should I share my point of view, did I know enough, was it my place to speak?” and other questions popped into my head. “Am I adding to the noise, or is my voice important?” No right or easy answers, but it was a learning moment – about who I am, how I see my world and others in it. Amid this message flurry, when I least expected it, the wisdom of this line, “strong views, lightly held,” shone through.
The idea of being firm but flexible, rooted in my point of view, but willing to move if I so choose, took hold. To metaphorically uproot myself and to see it from another’s point of view while holding my own, felt solid. It helped me figure out how I wanted to show up, for whom, and for what purpose. Armed with this insight, I ventured into the heated message flow.
The social media universe is the cosmos of contrarian viewpoints, information, and misinformation. Knowing how and when to engage in this parallel universe is a skill that organisations have to build. In a world filled with uncertainty, where change is happening so fast, my ability to navigate the unknown is informed by this wisdom. The approach of having a strong view (my goals) and then holding them lightly appeals. Why so? Because it allows me to be adaptable. On one hand, I am strong in my commitment to purpose, but on the other, I can tread lightly as I step forward. From this firm but flexible place comes resilience and growth.
The quote “strong opinions, weakly held” is widely credited to Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster and Stanford professor, who introduced it in the mid-1980s as a decision-making mantra for dealing with uncertainty. Saffo’s idea was to form strong, tentative opinions based on current info, but be ready to change them quickly when new evidence appears. Some sources also mention Bob Johansen from the Institute for the Future as an early promoter of the concept. Their wisdom, possibly distilled and internalised by one of the members of the WhatsApp group, was like a lifeline to me. It helped me steady myself and anchor around what I felt was the “right” approach.
Change communications is also best approached with this idea. A clear and strong anchor point and a set of change advocates who are willing to experiment, learn, and show the way. Change does not happen with the sharing of new information (even when it is understood). Change happens in small pockets when people meet with success. They become believers, and then they become way-showers for others to follow. The line “Liquid and Linked” comes to mind, like a river flowing effortlessly down towards the ocean, finding the path of least resistance, moving relentlessly. Sometimes progress will be slow and meandering, at other times there will be a waterfall of change, but in the end, the destination is reached.
For example, everyone knows exercising is good for one’s health. And yet so many people don’t exercise. But if your team members all go for a short walk after each meal or if they all make time to hit the office gym, chances are you will join them on occasion. If that feels good for you or even if it feels tough, but you experience some benefits, then you embrace the change and become one of the advocates. You join the river that is flowing, and become another drop in the ocean of change.
If you want to drive organisational culture, if you want to change your team’s behaviour, hold strong to your goal, but tread lightly as you drive the change. The view can be strong and clear, the energy of holding that goal or viewpoint with lightness is what cuts through the darkness and shows the way. A lightness of being, coupled with the ability to stay strong in one’s commitment to actions aligned with one’s purpose, is often the best way forward.
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