As human beings, we exist within our conversations. Our lives, our organisations, and even our futures are shaped not just by what we do, but by what we say. We often hear that a picture paints a thousand words, but in truth, a single word can paint a thousand pictures.
If someone asked you right now where your commitment is, how would you respond? Some might say it lives in their their values, or in their sense of purpose. If you’re a leader, you might say it lives in the motivation and spirit of your team. But for commitments to truly have power, they can’t just live inside us. Commitments must be spoken. They must show up in your conversations.
If you want to know how well an organisation is really doing, you don’t need to look far. Just listen. The everyday conversations happening across the business tell the full story. Because an organisation is, at its core, made of its conversations.
What moves us: Facts or interpretations?
When something goes wrong or a challenge arises, we often find ourselves talking about it. But in these conversations, we always face a choice. We can talk about what actually happened (the observable facts). Or we can tell a story about what happened (our interpretation).
Interpretations are usually wrapped in emotions and judgments. You might hear someone say, “We should have had that meeting on Monday. It was cancelled, and now we’re behind.” The intention might be to explain, but what’s really happening is blame. The problem is, these kinds of stories don’t change reality. Monday has already come and gone. The meeting didn’t happen. That’s it.
If we let go of how things “should have” gone, we free ourselves up to deal with what’s real. That clarity helps us stay focused on what’s missing, what’s needed, and what’s next. Instead of arguing with the past, we can take action in the present. That’s how breakthroughs happen.
From complaining to creating change
There’s nothing wrong with a little light complaining. Sometimes it’s just a way to bond or blow off steam. But when we truly want something to change, we need to stop circling the issue and start moving forward.
Let’s say an employee’s line of thinking is, “I’d love to go to that strategy meeting, but I never get invited, therefore they don’t want me there.” It sounds like disappointment, but it’s really an interpretation. The only fact is that they weren’t invited. That’s it. Everything else is a story layered on top.
By stepping back from that story, they create space for new action. Have they ever asked to attend? Have they shared what they could contribute? The answer might still be no, but now they’ve taken a step forward rather than staying stuck.
Complaining almost always grows in the soil of interpretation. Most of the time it’s just coiling like ivy around our ability to change the circumstances. But when we strip away the story and get back to the facts, we can start asking better questions. What’s missing? What would it take to get it? What action can I take now? That’s where change begins.
Let go of “how things should be”
This doesn’t mean we should ignore people’s assessments or pretend that opinions don’t matter. In some contexts they can matter a great deal.
The problem comes when we get stuck in them. When we spin our wheels in the same story over and over again, we lose momentum. We stop driving toward the future.
New employees often cling to their idea of how things are “supposed to work” in order to fit in. Similarly, longstanding team members might hold tight to traditions that feel comfortable and familiar. But the faster we can unhook from these interpretations, the faster we can respond, adapt, and act.
It’s often the leaders who learn to step outside the invisible rules of the system who rise most quickly. But imagine if it wasn’t just a few individuals. Imagine an entire team or organisation capable of recognising what’s missing, aligning around action, and refusing to be held back by old stories. That’s a seriously high-performing team.
The future belongs to the agile
The world is shifting fast. Markets change. Technology evolves. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. That’s why agility is more valuable than ever. And to be truly agile, we need to stop clinging to how things “should be” and start working with what is.
The old mindset of ‘predict and control’ might feel safe, but it doesn’t serve us anymore. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for certainty. We need to act, adjust, and reinvent as we go.
Our power lies not in being right, but in being ready. Ready to respond. Ready to adapt. Ready to create something bold.
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