2025 will be another year of transformational changes at the First Nations Market Housing Fund (FNMHF). Planning for how the people within an organization learn about and participate in change is a key element to success. This blog looks further into why a change management approach is needed, the key elements of Western methodologies, and how First Nations ways of leading and being in community can strengthen or adapt those approaches.
Winds of Change at the Fund
Transformational changes at the Fund were the topic of the April 2024 FNMHF blog. It outlined four directions from the 2024-2028 Business Plan Summary, including advocating to expand relationships with First Nations through a membership model and working towards a Transfer of Care and Control of the Fund to First Nations.
Adapting a membership model and walking the path to First Nations autonomy are examples of how the Fund is preparing to welcome radical change.
First Nations Leadership and Values at the Fund
The Fund’s Board is appointed by the Government of Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). As outlined in the 2023-2027 Business Plan Summary, the Fund’s nine trustees consider their active role in the recruitment, selection, and recommendation of trustees essential to the transition to governance by First Nations.
Today, the Board is entirely First Nations and honours the distinct traditional values and governance structures of First Nations communities alongside the seven sacred teachings of love, humility, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, and truth. The Fund also works to make itself an employer of choice for Indigenous people.
First Nations leaders choosing to empower themselves and enact their vision through these shared values puts the Fund in a great position to offer authentic representation and a values-based commitment to serving communities. Seeing our own people in leadership and having working relationships with other First Nations people from the Fund may foster trust and communicate that the Fund is “by us, for us.” Bringing together First Nations within a membership model may reinforce that other partners are engaged in supporting transparency and accountability within the Fund.
Starting from a place of credibility, the Fund is ready to plant and grow the seeds of change. There are five widely practised steps towards transformational change that organizations may consider in their plans for change. Within them, we can see how the values of humility, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom and truth guide a culturally informed approach.
1. Finding a Shared Starting Point
This is what business consultants would call preparing an organization for change. People may be accustomed to a certain way of doing things and in hierarchical workplaces, they’d simply be told that their processes, workflows, and strategies are changing.
Instead, change management suggests that people from within the organization be engaged to reach the conclusion that change is needed. Information is presented about how maintaining the status quo isn’t meeting goals or why new goals are needed.
How well do we adapt to change when we’re told that this is the new normal, not to ask questions, or do what we’re told? Western studies on early childhood education recognize that even for children, top-down and authoritarian directives aren’t effective. Across many traditional First Nations cultures, children and youth are equally respected and their perspectives are regarded as important. A non-hierarchical and Indigenous lens asks that leaders accept that they do not always know best. The circle treats everyone as equal and demands a voice for all while respecting the vision leaders present.
Leadership has likely already reached conclusions about change before the steps of listening and building consensus are brought to the wider group. It’s their job to share what they’ve learned, answer questions about the process, and hear the community’s perspectives. A conclusion reached or solidified in circle is more powerful and invites everyone to take ownership of bringing others along on the journey.
2. Making a Plan
Not only does the community need to feel heard and empowered but they may see challenges and opportunities that can inform a wiser or more effective approach. After a consensus is reached that change is necessary, change management models suggest four elements of the plan for change:
- Strategic Goals – Now that there’s an alignment that change is needed, clearly defining the goals provides a reference point or landmark to keep the plan on track.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – Taking an inventory of the current measures of success, and considering how the new goals may shift priorities will help everyone head toward the same goal.
- Roles and Responsibilities – Like when we’re traveling by water, it’s helpful to take on roles to reach the goal or destination. Someone needs to navigate the best route and energy is used most effectively when people are pulling in sync. Some are setting the pace so others can focus on following their lead. Depending on the size of the organization, there may be one person taking on these roles, many roles within a boat, or many boats with their own roles. Either way, it’s these people who take on the responsibility of stewarding the plan and arriving safely.
- Project Scope – Knowing what steps lead to change and what activities are outside the plan is part of staying on course. Competing priorities may be part of another plan and take attention away from reaching the goals
Making a plan may be accomplished in circle but in a large organization, hierarchical structures can be helpful in building a high-level plan that considers many roles and responsibilities. For example, a working group or department lead can focus on distinct areas of the plan and bring their recommendations to a larger group.
Making a plan that considers the people involved requires understanding the needs of different groups. Ideally, competing needs may be adjusted to collaborate based on everyone’s strengths, abilities and capacity. In practice, not everyone may feel like the plan is fair to them – but so long as the scale of their contributions is recognized, it’s more likely that they can still feel positive about being a part of the change.
3. Stepping Together
This is the step known as implementation, where processes, workflows, and strategies shift to serve the plan. The previous step may have set out new KPIs and this is where behaviour is adjusted to meet those adjusted goals.
Change management stresses that leaders should celebrate how everyone takes initiative and celebrate short-term wins. This is when navigators must also be communicators, reminding everyone of the goals and how to get there. On the water, they are sharing the distance travelled, how far there is to go, and what’s ahead.
Having a can-do attitude and being focused on a goal doesn’t mean being relentlessly positive. Acknowledging difficulties and challenging ourselves to explore solutions is an honest way to build trust and offer transparency. To celebrate our individual and collective gifts, we need to accept our limitations and realities.
4. Staying in Step
Change management observes that organizations tend to go back to previous ways of working. If reminders about the goals seem like a lot, it’s because the organization is trying to avoid slipping back into the status quo.
Western change management recommends that structures, controls, and reward systems be used to maintain focus and alignment with transformational change. If this feels like a colonial approach, this is a great time to consider how different communities’ protocols and practices encourage individuals to maintain cultural cohesiveness. Perhaps matriarchs kept behaviour in check or humour was used to communicate areas where conflict was occurring.
These approaches are likely inappropriate or inapplicable in a culturally diverse workplace or within non-Indigenous frameworks – but they could inform approaches like bringing in Elders to support conflict resolution or incorporating team building into a culture day.
5. Learning from the Experience
This is the step a Western management methodology identifies as reviewing progress and analyzing results. Looking back to gain insights is meaningful to inform future efforts and offers an opportunity to practice shared Indigenous values. It’s courageous to honestly evaluate where we excelled or fell short and speak that truth. There are respectful ways to point out how we can do better if we point at future solutions. How is wisdom gained if not through making mistakes and humbling ourselves to do better?
Awareness at Every Step
Change management offers a framework that invites participation in defining needs and embracing change, creates a roadmap for how to reach shared goals, and offers guidance for following through. However, it’s as flexible as you’d like it to be. Here are some areas to consider.
Presenting the framework – How often have you come to the table, only to feel that your participation has been dictated to you? Your group may like to hear the version of change management you plan on using at the outset so that everyone can feed back about that, too.
Reading communication cues – Within a Western lens, having a voice usually means speaking up, or communicating one’s views through sign language or writing. Body language like facial expressions, hand gestures, eye contact, and how someone is seated or standing offer cues to what is not being said. Being on the lookout for these, and knowing how to follow up in an appropriate way, may help ensure everyone is “heard.” Offering a confidential way to weigh in, an opportunity to be heard by someone people feel comfortable with, or sitting with a smaller group may be required.
Recognizing our emotions and wellness – A holistic approach asks that we consider our own feelings, biases, and physical and emotional wellness as we do our work. Recognizing these in ourselves and others, we can be mindful of what we project, how it may impact others, and how change may feel for others. Change may be threatening, and words like “control” and “evaluate” may remind us of unpleasant experiences within colonial systems. We could apply a decolonial lens to writing our plan and even embed cultural, spiritual, and physical respites or nourishment at points throughout the plan.
Fostering relationships – Especially when change requires modifying what individuals’ and teams’ roles, responsibilities, and KPIs are, building and maintaining relationships is vitally important. First Nations communities practice relationality in an ongoing way, and for successful change-making, relationships need caretaking before, during and after. Communication and spending time together creates a foundation for understanding, supporting and trusting each other.
Bringing in youth or Elders – Depending on the group, bringing in youth and Elders at points throughout the journey may offer cultural support, insight, laughter, comfort, and accountability. Elders may be able to intervene in ways that organizations cannot. If a community is being consulted, the full participation of Elders is often mandatory for success. Are there benefits to embedding community, membership, or other partners in your planning?
Community protocols – Honoraria, providing food, and gifting may be a part of your plan, especially if you’re bringing community members into the mix.
Resisting a Static Model
What else can groups and organizations do to bring distinct cultural practices and protocols into their plans for change, when appropriate? How does a plan adjust to the lived experiences, cultural groups, and personal goals and objectives of those around the table? There is no one-size-fits all solution that will work for everyone. What can we share about our approaches to support each other to thrive?