Tackling Transitions

Transitions abound. Mergers, amalgamations, restructures, funding cuts, changing service models, growing, shrinking, surviving. Whatever the cause, transitions mean that something is lost before something is gained. Energy is often lavished on the structural aspects of change. However, human psychology does not follow the neat linearity of project plans and spreadsheets. The flux and flow of a transition gives rise to anxiety, insecurity, excitement, hope, and sometimes grief. There are distinct phases, but the tricky thing is that people move through these phases in different ways and at different times. Transitions contain enormous potential to do and think differently about a service or product. But they need to be understood. As the transition expert, William Bridges, notes:  “Unless transition occurs, change will not work.”

Project Sisu has worked with many organisations, large and small, during times of transition.

Here are some examples.

Framing Culture

Culture is a notoriously hard thing to pin down. Is it the arts; a way of life; a combination of language, symbols and artefacts; a set of values?

It seems that the word culture is casually evoked by almost everyone.

Project Sisu has an abiding interest in and commitment to the specific ways in which cultural entities and creative practices can enrich and deepen human lives, and invigorate connected communities.

When times are tough these entities and practices can be cast as peripheral, inessential, a luxury.Yet, they are often the glue that binds people together in constructive and inclusive ways.

Framing the values and value of culture is an ongoing quest.

Project Sisu supports cultural entities through research, strategy and skills-based workshops.

Here some examples: