Continuences is my new word for the day. I made it up. I did so because I think we need it to reflect a very important part of change, one that we forget at our peril.

Continuences are those things that continue, that remain in force or in play. They are perhaps not quite constants; I think of a constant as something that nearly never changes, like the rocks or, maybe, human behavior and human nature. Continuences do change somewhat, but perhaps not all that much or all that quickly. In any event, they are still around when you’re focusing on change. You have to account for both the constants and the continuences when you seek change.

You pick a new computer system for your team or your organization. That’s a change. But almost everyone who ran the old system will be running the new one. They are the continuences that surround the change. You’ll train them on the new ways and techniques involved in the great big change. But the reality is that they’ll only change just so far. In fact, they may not even change in the areas that you’re seeking, at least not as far or as fast as you may wish.

Continuences is a good new word for the day. It’s a reality for your leadership.