Transition Edge - Transition for Dummies (not)

Published: Thu, 06/23/22

Transition Edge

June 2022 - Year three of the disrupted decade

Transition for Dummies (not)

Thank you for being a reader of Transition Edge. Please feel free to forward it to friends who you think might enjoy it too.

I’m Grant Symons. I convene Transition Edge to help us understand how we can transition to a low carbon sustainable world using leading thinking and practices.

Being a reader of the Edge, we know you are no dummy. But, perhaps if there was an easy step-by-step guide to understanding this thing we call Transition, the world might be heading in a better direction?

Remember the Dummies books? According to a brief web search, there was Auto Repairs for Dummies in 1976, Success as a Real-estate Agent for Dummies in 1980, Excel for Dummies in 1992 and The internet for Dummies in 1993. There have also been multiple editions of Sex for Dummies.

Apparently the most recent incarnation of the brand, now owned by publisher Wiley's, started in the early 1990's and now has over 1950 titles and growing. The top 3 sellers over the years have been Windows For Dummies, Personal Finance For Dummies and Beekeeping For Dummies.

We did a quick search for 'Transition for Dummies' and unsurprisingly found nothing. Maybe one day there will be a market for such a title. In the meantime let's remember that this is the Edge and we need to be the thinkers, activists and leaders.

Good news - even in the absence of its own Dummies Guide, real transition is happening!

Increasingly we are hearing from Real Transition Leaders about their progress, applying what they have learnt and are learning in everyday situations, as they engage in this thing we call Transition.

Today we add to this progress - colouring in part of the picture and perhaps adding to its frame. It's impossible and counterintuitive to do any more now, because we are at the beginning of a 30 year journey. Seemingly this is a point missed by those eager for certainty.

But first...a definition for Transition

Let's start with the Merriam Webster dictionary definition:

a change or shift from one state, subject, place, etc. to another
- a peaceful/orderly transition of power
- the actor's transition to directing
- the patient's transition from the hospital to home

Transition or Transformation?

These terms are commonly used interchangeably. Literature reviews provide a wide variety of dimensions and scenarios that cause people to prefer one term over another, including:

Scale and complexity being contemplated
System/organisational versus personal challenge
End state versus the means to achieve it
Current state, perspectives, culture of interested parties
Timeframe for the process

In reality, the terms may always be used interchangeably. We tend to use the term Transition in a way that infers a deliberate process, logic, evidence, action and progress - towards a future state.

Transition of self

Wisdom from consultant William Bridges. Bridges has a well developed theory for individual Transition that advances the following:

Any significant Transition is preceded by a letting go or ending, which provides for a space for neutrality and a potentially exciting and disorienting phase, as new beginnings emerge.
Transition is a personal human experience. It manifests through our perspectives, beliefs, behaviours and results.
There are necessary conditions that support the various phases.
Transition is not to be confused with change. In Bridges model, Change is a physical situational state, whereas Transition is an inner psychological process.

We concur. If we are not transitioning ourselves through the process we will not make progress. We are either in transition or not, and this has consequences.

Models galore

There is a vast array of concepts masquerading as Transition (or Transformation). They have wonderful ideals, genuine intent, dedicated people, and often bucket loads of resources supporting them to keep up appearances. Such as:

Just Transition
Sustainable development goals
Climate change action
Sustainability
Environmental Social Governance
Circular economy
Green finance
Climate adaption
Degrowth
Corporate Social Responsibility
Emissions mitigation

These are all part of transition and mostly doing some good if you can look past the green-wash or mindless self interest. Just what part they play and for how long, will unfold as time goes on. As one of our team says, "Without a real personal transition, a change is just a rearrangement of the furniture"

What we can say through experience, is that if the people on the ground involved are not transitioning in their own right and the purpose of the endeavour is not completely in alignment with a resilient and sustainable long term future - it is unlikely to survive.

Like the waves of management fads that move through government departments and corporations - reality eventually catches up with lack of meaningful progress. The best people disengage or drift away, the facade crumbles and we go back to the beginning. This can be a wonderful opportunity to install a better replacement, but is often squandered if there is no change in the leadership, prevailing mindset and/or no decent alternative already on the drawing board.

Real Transition

By now we hope you are getting an appreciation of what we mean by Transition. So, what about the Real Transition?

The Real Transition is the actual Transition or as close to it as we can get at that time, that takes us away from ecological overshoot and towards an ecologically sustainable future. It may include concepts mentioned above, but only if they genuinely apply given time and place. And it comes with the constant requirement of personal transition - without it we are likely to be wasting more time and resources.

Real Transition Leaders use the principles they learn, adapt them for their context, and go on developing themselves. And through being in practice, networking and being part of the RTL community they make progress on the Real Transition. Some are already leaders and champions in their own right.

We believe our Real Transition Leaders are on to something - a meaningful development journey and community that they know will exist for as long as they want to be part of it. We will bring you real examples from them as time goes on and if you would like to join in, don't hesitate to get in touch.

“Not in his goals but in his transitions man is great.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Please recommend the Transition Edge to others today.

And if you are interested in exploring becoming a part of the RTL community lets talk.

All the best for Matariki day (tomorrow) for those of us in New Zealand.

Regards

Grant Symons - The Transition Guy

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