Will another sacking or resignation make a difference?

Recently, I have felt heavy-hearted and angry to hear the lived experience of people living with decades of trauma as a result of the culture and the way power has been misused in the Church of England. This morning, I heard one of these survivors of grooming and abuse say that when Archbishops resign, it sends a powerful message, and I appreciate and respect this perspective. In some cases, a “change at the top” of a team or organisation is absolutely part of what’s needed, for many reasons. Sacking someone may apparently “deal with” an issue, and provide some sense of satisfaction that “justice” or “accountability” has been achieved. Procedural and technical changes may also be necessary.

And yet... even this combination of responses is often not enough to really shift the culture. Sometimes, a resignation or dismissal can be like a sticking plaster for deep wounds. It just isn't adequate for addressing unresolved causes of harm. Procedural recommendations can help close loopholes, however they can also become a distraction from the uncomfortable dialogue needed to reach genuine accountability and change.

Accountability is usually far more complex than a knee-jerk process of “heads must roll”. If I am to be accountable, it involves my taking responsibility, explaining and owning my actions, understanding and acknowledging the impact of my behaviour. Crucially, then learning from it, adapting my approach and being curious about what I can do to alleviate the pain of people I have harmed.

Imagine creating a culture in your team or organisation where everyone takes responsibility for everything they say and everything they do. Perhaps this might seem humanly impossible? For a moment, envisage that it is utterly humanly doable. To start making this the reality:
… what do you need?
… what do your colleagues need?
and so
… what conversations will you choose to have?

So, what would this type of dialogue involve? A complex question. It starts with steps which might sound small, but which are courageous shifts in harmful patterns of power.

Step 1. Notice when Blame becomes the default response in your everyday work. How well is Blame serving you and other people?

Step 2. Add Curiosity into the mix. If Blame meets short term needs yet isn’t really getting to the heart of the issue, what small nudge in your approach could you try, to shift from Blame to Curiosity a little more of the time?

I invite you to gently give this a go. How can you be the culture change you want to see?

For practical resources, click here

Image by Sabetheli from Pixabay