Change is an inevitable part of business, especially for small to midsized companies striving for growth. Yet, how you approach change can determine whether your business thrives or spirals into chaos. Companies that embrace change can risk overwhelming their staff with too much volatility. And companies where organizational shifts are rare can find their staff wary and resistant when needed transformations are introduced.
So, how can organizations successfully navigate change while caring for their people and accelerating progress? The answer lies in finding the right balance—one that allows for continuous improvement without overwhelming your team.
Could organizational health and behavior benefit from microdoses of change? Precise, collaborative modifications to processes and cultural routines help individuals and companies achieve their shared objectives.
I’ll admit, I was initially skeptical of the idea that “going slower to go faster” could be effective. As a high-action, quick-start Maverick with an entrepreneurial mindset, I’ve always had a tenacity for getting things done and a tolerance for risk. And it’s not just me. Businesses guided by bold mottos like “embrace change” and “fail fast” have attracted much attention.
But when it comes to a workforce of humans, discussions of change can be emotionally fatiguing before the real effort of change ever begins. Microdosing the change itself reduces volatility, maintains trust, and reveals value that motivates a team to persevere through the process of change. This is why, over time, I’ve come to see the value of micro-dosing change.
The concept of micro-dosing change—introducing carefully planned and managed adjustments over time—offers a transition that balances the human aversion to change with the need to accelerate progress towards desired outcomes.
At first glance, the idea of micro-dosing change might seem counterintuitive. How can smaller, incremental changes accelerate progress? Shouldn’t bold, sweeping transformations be the fastest route to success? The reality is that while large-scale changes may promise rapid results, they often lead to significant disruptions, resistance, and even burnout. Micro-dosing change, on the other hand, allows your team to adapt gradually, fostering a culture of continuous improvement without overwhelming your people.
In a rapidly changing market where your business is expected to be at the forefront of an industry, this resistance to change can be fatal. When competition arrives with innovative solutions and the tides of your industry shift, a company stuck in its ways is likely to get left behind. Unable to respond swiftly to new challenges, the business may find itself slowly drained of resources until it ultimately flounders and sinks.
When change is happening too quickly, it’s easy to lose sight of the organization’s core objectives. Instead of moving forward, the company may end up spinning in circles, creating a whirlpool that sucks everyone down into a dark abyss. In these situations, the instinct is often to introduce even more change attempting to regain control, but this only accelerates the downward spiral.
Operationalizing change in a growing company requires careful coordination. When your team is small, it’s relatively easy to implement new ideas and innovations quickly. But as your organization grows, these changes become more complex, requiring buy-in from multiple stakeholders and careful planning to minimize disruption. At the same time, when change is necessary, all interrelated operations must transition simultaneously or else a change in one area will break adjacent efforts. Getting everyone involved so it’s a team initiative not a leadership initiative will help an organization pace the change properly for everyone impacted.
To successfully micro-dose change, start by identifying the most critical areas for improvement. What processes are holding your company back? Where is there the most resistance? Once you’ve pinpointed these areas, break down the changes into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of trying to overhaul an entire process at once, focus on making small adjustments. Let those soak in for an appropriate period of time. Not months because you will lose transition momentum, but rather weeks so you can absorb the change before making the next adjustment.
Micro-dosing change isn’t just about making gradual adjustments—it’s about fostering a culture of continuous improvement. By consistently looking for ways to optimize processes, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration, your organization can stay agile and responsive in a rapidly changing market. Over time, these small changes will add up, leading to significant improvements in performance and positioning your company for long-term success.
So, while the idea of micro-dosing change may seem modest, its impact can be profound. By taking a measured, thoughtful approach to change, you can avoid the pitfalls of both resistance and overload, ensuring that your organization remains on course for sustained growth. That’s why the next time you’re faced with the need for change, you should consider pacing the rate of change—you might just find that it’s the fastest way to get where you want to go.