We Say We Want Change — But Do We Actually Create It?

 



We Say We Want Change — But Do We Actually Create It?

By Niki Gent

Everyone says they want change.
We say it in staff meetings, in policy reviews, in team supervision. We say it in therapy, in coaching, in conversations with ourselves.

“Something needs to change.”
“This system is broken.”
“I can’t keep doing this.”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Wanting change is not the same as creating it.

In the community and human services sector, we often operate in environments that are overburdened and under-resourced. We care deeply, we advocate loudly, and we burn out quietly. But what I’ve seen over the years is that even when we have the opportunity to do things differently, we often default to the familiar.

Why?

Because real change isn’t just about systems. It’s about people.
And people don’t resist change because they’re lazy or selfish.
They resist it because change is uncomfortable. It requires loss. Letting go of what’s known. Risking failure. Sitting in the awkward, uncertain, in-between space.

We say we want innovation — but we keep using the same forms, same scripts, same tired responses to complex problems.
We say we want wellbeing — but we reward overworking and shame people for using their mental health days.
We say we want diversity — but we maintain policies and cultures that centre whiteness, neurotypical behaviour, and middle-class values.

Real change — transformative change — isn’t performative. It’s personal.

🔍 Step 1: Audit Your Actions

Ask yourself:

  • Do my daily behaviours align with the change I say I want?

  • Am I modelling the values I talk about in meetings?

  • What am I holding onto because it feels safe — even if it no longer serves?

Change starts with awareness. You can’t shift what you won’t name.

🔧 Step 2: Tolerate the Discomfort

Change will feel awkward. You’ll mess it up. People will misunderstand you. You’ll question yourself.
And that’s okay. That’s part of change — not a sign to stop.

We need leaders who can stay in the messy middle.
Who don’t rush to solutions before the real problem is understood.
Who allow space for learning — and unlearning — without ego.

🤝 Step 3: Build Collective Momentum

Change doesn’t happen in silos. You don’t need to be the saviour.
What you need is community. People who are willing to hold you accountable, share the load, and challenge you with compassion.

This is where culture shifts — when conversations become courageous.
When staff at all levels feel safe to say: “This isn’t working — can we try something different?”
And instead of being punished, they’re invited into the process.

🔁 Step 4: Make It Habitual

We think change is one big moment. A campaign. A restructure. A new leader.
But real change is small, consistent acts done over time.

It’s the team that checks in with each other every Friday.
It’s the manager who starts every supervision with, “How are you doing — really?”
It’s the policy that finally includes lived experience voices and pays them for their time.

Change isn’t what you say you want.
It’s what you repeat — until it becomes culture.

We say we want change. And many of us mean it.
But until we’re willing to sit in the discomfort, do the work, and let go of what’s always been, we won’t move forward.

So here’s the invitation:

Don’t just talk about change.
Be willing to be changed in the process.

That’s where the real work begins.



About the Author,

Niki has worked in Child Protection, Family Law, Juvenile Justice and NDIS for over 20 years.  Having worked extensively with families, government departments, not for profits and privately owned large and small businesses, Niki understands the needs of families, the pressures of compliance, quality and sustainability, and the need to work smart, be resilient, and know who we work for and who we work with.


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