Crossing the Edge of Change

A fluent approach to Navigating Real Change

The edge of change is that boundary between what’s familiar (our primary way of being) and what’s unfamiliar (the secondary, still-emerging possibilities). It’s like standing at a horizon you can’t quite see past—right at the limit of what you know about yourself, your team, or your organization.

Edges show up any time you try on a new behavior, adopt a fresh perspective, or challenge the way things have always been. They’re not just part of change—they’re part of life. As long as people and organizations keep growing, there will always be an edge, always a next frontier to explore.

Edges aren’t necessarily about whether we can do something; they’re about whether we can expand our awareness and attitudes enough to try. For individuals, edges can trigger a crisis of identity—who am I now? In relationships, they can stir a crisis of myth—who are we together? In organizations, they often show up as restructures, mergers, or shifts in how we work.

And here’s the truth: before a new way of being can take root, the edge has to be crossed. The more we ignore, dismiss, or sideline that new possibility, the bigger and harder that crossing becomes.

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Below are 9 actionable approaches, fluent moves, leaders can use to help their organization navigate change:

1. Visualize and Voice Definition:   Invite them to mentally explore the other side before committing.

When to Use: When fear or uncertainty is high and the group needs a safe way to picture success.
 

Risk: If overused without action, it can become wishful thinking with no progress.

Example: Ask the group to imagine it’s one year after the change and everything went better than expected—what’s different?

2. One Click Over Definition: Find the easiest, lowest-risk step over the edge.

When to Use: When the gap feels too wide or overwhelming.

Risk: May create the illusion of progress if steps are too small and disconnected from the bigger change.

Example: Start using one feature of a new tool in a single pilot team before rolling it out companywide.

3. Scout and Share Definition: Send a few trusted people over first, then have them return to share their experience.

When to Use: When the group trusts certain individuals and needs proof from peers.

Risk: If the “scouts” have a bad experience, it can increase resistance.

Example: Two leads attend training, test the method, and share benefits and challenges with peers.

4. Side-By-Side Definition: Alternate between the old way and the new way to build familiarity.

When to Use: When you want to compare methods side-by-side without immediate commitment.

Risk: Too much switching can cause confusion and slow adoption.

Example: Identify a pilot with clear learning objectives and business outcomes, then compare experiences.

5. Belief Bump Definition: Use encouragement, recognition, and belief to nudge them across.

When to Use: When the system is capable but hesitant and needs confidence.

Risk: If praise feels forced or insincere, it can backfire and breed cynicism.

Example: Publicly praise their readiness for the new process, expressing confidence they’ll set the standard.

6. Try It On Definition: Try the new space temporarily without the pressure of permanence.

When to Use:  When commitment fear is high or past changes have failed.

Risk: If treated as temporary without follow-up, people may revert quickly.

Example: Experiment with a new planning method for a period of time, with the option to revert if it doesn’t work.

7. Practice the Pattern Definition: Move over the edge in multiple small stages.

When to Use: When large change would be too disruptive all at once.

Risk: If progress is too slow, urgency and momentum can be lost.

Example: Shift to hybrid work gradually—1 remote day/week, then 2, then 3.

8. Harmonize the Timing Definition: Deliberately hold people back until they’re ready or until the right time.

When to Use: When early crossing could cause failure or undermine credibility.

Risk: Can frustrate eager early adopters and cause them to disengage.

Example: Delay a change initiative until the organization has capacity to support another change.

9. Carry What Matters Definition: Respect and preserve what’s valuable in the old way while crossing.

When to Use: When parts of the current state still serve an important purpose.

Risk: If too much of the old way is preserved, change may not stick.

Example: Retain weekly leadership check-ins while empowering teams to make day-to-day decisions.

Fluency isn’t linear—and neither is change. Just as we don’t become fluent in a new language through a single tactic (e.g., only reading or only listening), we don’t adopt meaningful change through a single behavior or message. People build alignment, clarity, and confidence by hearing, seeing, practicing, and speaking the new ways— repeatedly and in varied ways.

Using multiple fluent moves allows leaders to:

• Meet people where they are—emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally

• Reinforce the message in different formats and moments

• Build organizational fluency step by step, like layering vocabulary and grammar

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Curious how ready your organization is to cross its next edge of change? Take our 12-question Org fAM Assessment and find out.