Change For Change's Sake

A long while back, someone introduced me to the video below. I thought it would be worth our while to revisit it, and consider what we may learn from it.




Can't see the video?  Click here.

The video was produced an organization called “Playing for Change,” which, according to the organization’s website, is “. . . a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race.”

As I watched the video above, I was really struck by the amount of planning that must have taken place to create the seamless song while recording talented musicians in natural environments across the globe You have to believe that Mark Johnson knew what the end result of the production would be. No doubt much time and preparation went into deciding what equipment to use, how to transport the equipment, where to record, which musicians to record, etc. Clearly, planning was, and remains, a huge part of making Playing for Change successful.

It started me thinking about the nature of change, and how we must be careful to plan and prepare if we want change to be successful.

Now maybe you are saying to yourself, “Wait a minute, Mark! Aren’t you the one who is always out there pushing for change in our system? Why so cautious all of the sudden?”

Yes, I believe the system of funding and delivering services is in need of a dramatic overhaul. But I don’t believe in change simply for change’s sake. I believe in change that has a purpose and goal behind it, change that is implemented after a great deal of thought has been put not only into the how and the why of the change, but also what consequences (positive and negative) are likely to occur because of the changes. We should have a shared vision of the result of a change, before implementation.

I am saying this now because I believe we are at a crossroads in our State when it comes to funding and delivering services to some of our most vulnerable citizens. Community Centered Boards, providers, and funding agencies all seem to acknowledge that it is time for change. The opportunity is here to truly improve our system, and thus improve the lives of those we serve.

But I worry that some proposed changes may be the result of knee jerk reactions, without proper consideration as to what the changes will really bring about. We’re not having the important and necessary conversations about outcomes. We’re not setting goals, goals that will keep us focused even if the strategies to reach those goals change over time.

Before we start making changes and completely overhauling any system, we need to do our homework, plan first, and establish our goals. If we want to create a seamless song like the one in the video, the planning we do first will make the difference between a beautiful rendition of the song and a cacophonous mess. We’ve already done the latter, I think aiming for the former this time will benefit us all.

Then again, what do I know?