You’ve just stepped into a new management role. The urge to reshape everything is irresistible. But here’s the catch: rushing in might do more harm than good.
As managers, our egos often hijack us when taking over new teams or organisations.
We want to make our mark. And fast.
But Chesterton’s Fence, a powerful philosophical principle, offers a reminder: before changing anything, understand why it exists.
Considered, intentional change is great. Impulsive change is not.
As managers, we can be egotistical when we take over new teams and organisations.
We’re impatient to mould things into our own shape and style.
This is problematic when we haven’t first understood why things are as they are.
Chesterton’s Fence is a philosophical principle that says we should understand the reasons behind existing systems and institutions before making changes.
It’s a principle of political conservatism, which – irrespective of our political views – can guide us when taking on new management roles.
Because – when we take on new management roles – we usually have entirely human urges to:
- Assume that the status quo is old and crap
- Impatiently fiddle with things and get our fingerprints over everything
As new managers, we will bring valuable new ideas on what can be improved in a team or organisation.
However, we will do that best when we keep Chesterton’s Fence in mind.
By making sure we understand why a team’s systems, structure and processes have evolved the way they have, we will be able to:
- Identify the most impactful improvements
- Influence others with credibility, given our understanding of the status quo (instead of pissing everyone off by saying everything’s old and crap)
- Ensure we don’t waste time and goodwill making changes for the sake of it
- Keep our egos in check
So, when taking on a new management role, consciously:
- Resist the impulse to start changing things immediately
- Stay curious: when something doesn’t make sense to you, ask questions
- Identify the most impactful improvements, get feedback on them and implement them
Considered, intentional change can transform a team.
Impulsive change rarely does.
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