ARTICLE
The ability to navigate the never-ending cycle of change is a cornerstone of success for any organization or community. Change affects everybody, every business, every industry, every day. If you want to create a better future for your community and succeed in your professional and personal life, you must understand the driving forces of change and how to lead, embrace and manage it. Change can be hard on community leaders and community stakeholders alike if you don’t have a good understanding of the two primary forces of change: external forces and internal forces. External forces can be very challenging. These are changes that we usually don’t choose. These include driving forces that shape change like technology, customer preferences, regulations, competitor moves, or supplier and sourcing instability. Disruptions are constantly challenging us to innovate and use adaptive management skills to the highest test. External forces can also be those unintended obstacles that exist to slow change from happening or divert it to another cause. While internal forces can still be challenging, you have more control over these changes — at least most of the time. It is important to remember that any type of change can be hard, and these forces of change will push us to get out of our comfort zone and approach work differently. People tend to crave the status quo and resist things that disrupt familiar and trusted behaviors, processes and systems. It can feel risky to change, so we tend to resist things that seem unfamiliar to us. Earlier this week, I listened in on a Zoom meeting hosted by the Downtown Association (DTA) regarding development projects in the pipeline for downtown Santa Cruz. (A big shout out of thanks to Jorian and her team for putting this event on and making it accessible to the community.) A couple of the projects are set to break ground this year or next — the old Taco Bell site at the corner of Pacific and Laurel and the Front Street River project. You can see the full list of projects on the City’s Planning & Community Development pagehere: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/planning-and-community-development/development-projects I want to mention these specific projects that were the focus of the DTA’s virtual event on Tuesday morning: > 530 Front Street > Pacific Laurel Front Street > Pacific Station North Development > Pacific Station South Development > Front Street River Project > Mixed Use Library Project > Conceptual Discussion for the Warriors Arena > Conceptual Discussion for the 418 Project Every one of these projects brings a new vibrant energy to the downtown — more accessible and affordable housing, social outdoor gathering places that embrace the San Lorenzo River and link the downtown to our natural environment. Retail and additional commercial services, an improved transportation center, health and dental services and a linkage of north downtown to the ocean were all central themes of the discussion. These forward-thinking projects will have their naysayers who just don’t like or want a next generation of development in Santa Cruz. During the virtual presentation, there were over 100 participants (listeners) who used the chat function to express their personal opinions on each project. With a quick glance at the chat box, you could see individual interpretations of the projects: It's too big. Where’s the parking? Describe what “affordable” means. If it is retail it must be a local business, no big chain stores or restaurants. We don’t need to look like San Jose (always a negative response to Silicon Valley’s capital city). These projects are too much for a little beach town. Slipped in between the naysayers’ comments were some more realistic expressions of open ideas about the downtown: In response to too tall — one comment noted that the Palomar Hotel was 9 stories built in the 1930s. Comments about more cars in our downtown — when a project is compact and esthetically pleasing near public transit service — a sense of place happens — and becomes bike- and pedestrian-friendly. There is a rating system that identifies walkable and bikeable developments. All of these projects rate in the 90 percent ratio — in other words, xactly what Santa Cruz needs. The irony of the Zoom meeting was that it brought back memories of Santa Cruz history — the 1955 Flood that created the levy and the reconstruction of Pacific Garden Mall after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake — which reminded us that Santa Cruz has continued to evolve over the decades in spite of some who are settled into a last century beach town. Two of the conceptual discussions about the Warriors Arena and the 418 Project were about people and the community. Since the Warriors landed in Santa Cruz eight years ago, the organization has been embraced by the community and the Warriors in return have been an outstanding corporate partner — giving back in so many ways using the arena as a community center for food distributions, backpack stuffing parties for United Way, tending to the river clean-up, reading to our youth, and most recently as a vaccine center. They want to make Santa Cruz their permanent home and the downtown business community is excited about the possibilities. While I am not as familiar with 418 Project — from the comments at the meeting, it has been a catalyst for all ages to utilize their facility for community and healthy exercise and expression using their tagline, “A place to move and be moved.” The 418 Project has found a new home at the old theatre in the Galleria, so they are ready to be re-imagined in a new way. Reactive people use a “wait and see” approach. They tend to hope the change will pass them by or go quickly. They are often in denial and procrastinate acting and focus on the status quo. Change makes reactive people uncomfortable and they have a hard time seeing the silver lining or the possibility of benefits that might arise. The proactive approach focuses on anticipating and preparing for inevitable changes that lie ahead and seeks to minimize threats and risks before they arise. Proactive thinkers foresee the potential opportunities and how to leverage them and focus on those areas of change they can influence. Of course, we are not going to be able to predict and control all the change that comes our way, but we can be more prepared for it and look for the “silver lining.” Proactive people not only embrace change, but they tend to be change agents and change makers. They are on the leading edge of the next big thing and propose new ideas and better ways of getting work done. Change is always happening — it is a natural process — we can either embrace change and focus our positive energy on a new downtown for the future or we can wallow in the past. These projects will bring about the change that Santa Cruz needs.
The ability to navigate the never-ending cycle of change is a cornerstone of success for any organization or community. Change affects everybody, every business, every industry, every day. If you want to create a better future for your community and succeed in your professional and personal life, you must understand the driving forces of change and how to lead, embrace and manage it.
Change can be hard on community leaders and community stakeholders alike if you don’t have a good understanding of the two primary forces of change: external forces and internal forces.
External forces can be very challenging. These are changes that we usually don’t choose. These include driving forces that shape change like technology, customer preferences, regulations, competitor moves, or supplier and sourcing instability. Disruptions are constantly challenging us to innovate and use adaptive management skills to the highest test. External forces can also be those unintended obstacles that exist to slow change from happening or divert it to another cause.
While internal forces can still be challenging, you have more control over these changes — at least most of the time. It is important to remember that any type of change can be hard, and these forces of change will push us to get out of our comfort zone and approach work differently. People tend to crave the status quo and resist things that disrupt familiar and trusted behaviors, processes and systems. It can feel risky to change, so we tend to resist things that seem unfamiliar to us.
Earlier this week, I listened in on a Zoom meeting hosted by the Downtown Association (DTA) regarding development projects in the pipeline for downtown Santa Cruz. (A big shout out of thanks to Jorian and her team for putting this event on and making it accessible to the community.) A couple of the projects are set to break ground this year or next — the old Taco Bell site at the corner of Pacific and Laurel and the Front Street River project. You can see the full list of projects on the City’s Planning & Community Development pagehere: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/planning-and-community-development/development-projects
I want to mention these specific projects that were the focus of the DTA’s virtual event on Tuesday morning:
> 530 Front Street > Pacific Laurel Front Street > Pacific Station North Development > Pacific Station South Development > Front Street River Project > Mixed Use Library Project > Conceptual Discussion for the Warriors Arena > Conceptual Discussion for the 418 Project
Every one of these projects brings a new vibrant energy to the downtown — more accessible and affordable housing, social outdoor gathering places that embrace the San Lorenzo River and link the downtown to our natural environment. Retail and additional commercial services, an improved transportation center, health and dental services and a linkage of north downtown to the ocean were all central themes of the discussion.
These forward-thinking projects will have their naysayers who just don’t like or want a next generation of development in Santa Cruz. During the virtual presentation, there were over 100 participants (listeners) who used the chat function to express their personal opinions on each project. With a quick glance at the chat box, you could see individual interpretations of the projects: It's too big. Where’s the parking? Describe what “affordable” means. If it is retail it must be a local business, no big chain stores or restaurants. We don’t need to look like San Jose (always a negative response to Silicon Valley’s capital city). These projects are too much for a little beach town. Slipped in between the naysayers’ comments were some more realistic expressions of open ideas about the downtown: In response to too tall — one comment noted that the Palomar Hotel was 9 stories built in the 1930s. Comments about more cars in our downtown — when a project is compact and esthetically pleasing near public transit service — a sense of place happens — and becomes bike- and pedestrian-friendly. There is a rating system that identifies walkable and bikeable developments. All of these projects rate in the 90 percent ratio — in other words, xactly what Santa Cruz needs.
The irony of the Zoom meeting was that it brought back memories of Santa Cruz history — the 1955 Flood that created the levy and the reconstruction of Pacific Garden Mall after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake — which reminded us that Santa Cruz has continued to evolve over the decades in spite of some who are settled into a last century beach town. Two of the conceptual discussions about the Warriors Arena and the 418 Project were about people and the community.
Since the Warriors landed in Santa Cruz eight years ago, the organization has been embraced by the community and the Warriors in return have been an outstanding corporate partner — giving back in so many ways using the arena as a community center for food distributions, backpack stuffing parties for United Way, tending to the river clean-up, reading to our youth, and most recently as a vaccine center. They want to make Santa Cruz their permanent home and the downtown business community is excited about the possibilities.
While I am not as familiar with 418 Project — from the comments at the meeting, it has been a catalyst for all ages to utilize their facility for community and healthy exercise and expression using their tagline, “A place to move and be moved.” The 418 Project has found a new home at the old theatre in the Galleria, so they are ready to be re-imagined in a new way.
Reactive people use a “wait and see” approach. They tend to hope the change will pass them by or go quickly. They are often in denial and procrastinate acting and focus on the status quo. Change makes reactive people uncomfortable and they have a hard time seeing the silver lining or the possibility of benefits that might arise.
The proactive approach focuses on anticipating and preparing for inevitable changes that lie ahead and seeks to minimize threats and risks before they arise. Proactive thinkers foresee the potential opportunities and how to leverage them and focus on those areas of change they can influence. Of course, we are not going to be able to predict and control all the change that comes our way, but we can be more prepared for it and look for the “silver lining.” Proactive people not only embrace change, but they tend to be change agents and change makers. They are on the leading edge of the next big thing and propose new ideas and better ways of getting work done.
Change is always happening — it is a natural process — we can either embrace change and focus our positive energy on a new downtown for the future or we can wallow in the past. These projects will bring about the change that Santa Cruz needs.