Why Change Sticks: The Three Elements of Lasting Impact
Introduction: The Illusion of Change
In nearly two decades of working across communities, organisations, governments, cultural landscapes, and systems, I’ve learned one truth that continues to reveal itself like a tide withdrawing to show the shape of the shoreline: most change doesn’t last.
Projects are delivered, reports are written, strategies are launched, and the language of transformation swirls around teams like incense smoke — pleasant, symbolic, and often evaporating the moment the room clears.
Temporary change is easy.
Lasting change — the kind that alters behaviour, mindsets, structures, culture, and relationships — is rare.
Why?
Because we tend to design change around outputs, not conditions.
We fixate on deliverables instead of the ecology that allows new patterns of practice to take root.
Lasting change requires something deeper than project management, stakeholder workshops, or glossy strategy decks. It requires a relational, systemic, context-aware approach — one that recognises the complex psychology of human beings and the interconnected nature of social systems.
After 18 years of consulting, listening, researching, and walking with communities and organisations through transformation, I’ve discovered that long-lasting change rests on three core elements:
Clarity
Capability
Conditions
These three elements form the foundation of every successful, enduring transformation I’ve ever witnessed.
But before we explore them, we must understand something foundational.
Why Change Fails (Even When People Want It To Succeed)
Change rarely collapses because people are resistant.
People are not naturally resistant to change — they are resistant to uncertainty, poor communication, injustice, rushed timelines, and not being heard.
Most organisations and projects underestimate how deeply people need:
psychological safety
a sense of agency
a sense of identity within the change
trust in the process
connection to meaning
assurance that they won’t lose more than they gain
Without these foundations, change feels like something done to people, not with them.
It’s also important to recognise that change is emotional before it is logical.
You can present perfect data and still not move people.
You can design brilliant systems but fail to shift behaviour.
You can create the right structures but miss the human needs that underpin them.
Lasting change is not just a technical process.
It is a deeply human one.
And this is where the three elements come in.
1. Clarity: The Lighthouse in Fog
Lasting change begins with clarity — a clear sense of:
why the change is happening
what the change is
for whom the change is intended
how success will be experienced
what will remain the same
Clarity is more than a vision statement.
Clarity is coherence.
Most people cannot commit to something they cannot see or feel.
They need to understand not only the destination, but the terrain they must cross to get there.
Clarity Anchors People in Meaning
Humans are meaning-making beings.
We don’t navigate by maps alone — we navigate by stories.
Clarity requires translating strategy into story:
What is changing?
Why now?
What does this mean for us?
What do we gain?
What is the cost?
What values guide us?
How will we walk this together?
Clarity creates alignment.
Alignment creates momentum.
Momentum sustains long-term change.
Clarity Must Be Shared, Not Just Stated
Most leaders think they’ve communicated enough.
In reality, they’ve communicated far less than what is required for genuine alignment.
Clarity is only clarity when it is:
repeated
lived
embodied
demonstrated
co-created
People don’t follow slogans.
They follow leaders who live what they say.
Questions That Create Clarity
What is the deeper purpose behind this change?
What story anchors this shift?
What are the non-negotiables we will honour?
What will we no longer tolerate?
How will we measure progress in human terms?
2. Capability: The Bridge Between Intention and Action
Clarity alone does not create change.
People may understand the why — and even support it — but still fail to enact new behaviours.
Why?
Because they don’t yet have the skills, mindsets, or confidence required to move in a new direction.
Capability includes:
new skills
new knowledge
new tools
new emotional capacities
new relational agreements
new leadership practices
new ways of seeing and interpreting the world
Capability Is Both Technical and Human
Technical capability is the skills, tools, processes, and knowledge required.
Human capability is the internal capacity:
emotional regulation
adaptive leadership
communication skills
relational intelligence
resilience
curiosity
confidence
Real transformation requires both.
The Gap Between Wanting and Doing
I’ve worked with leaders who deeply want to engage with communities meaningfully, but:
they don’t know how to listen without responding
they feel defensive when challenged
they rush to solutions
they unconsciously speak in technical language
they feel uncomfortable with silence or uncertainty
This is not malicious.
It is simply a gap in capability.
And capability gaps are normal and fixable — but only if openly addressed.
Questions That Build Capability
What skills are required for this change?
Who needs what training or support?
What internal barriers (mindset, fear, identity) must be addressed?
What new habits must be formed?
What is missing emotionally or relationally?
3. Conditions: The Ecosystem That Makes Growth Possible
Even with clarity and capability, lasting change will not take root without the right conditions.
Conditions include:
culture
leadership styles
trust
psychological safety
relational depth
pace
resourcing
policies and structures
reward systems
community context
Change is like a seed.
It doesn’t matter how strong or healthy a seed is — if the soil is barren, compacted, dry, or toxic, it won’t grow.
Most Change Fails at the Level of Conditions
Organisations often unintentionally sabotage their own change process by creating conditions that contradict their stated goals.
Example:
“We want a culture of innovation.”
But:
approvals take months
risk-taking is punished
workloads are overwhelming
staff fear repercussions
Another example:
“We value community voice.”
But:
consultation is rushed
engagement is tokenistic
decisions have already been made
Lasting change requires conditions that support, not undermine, the desired transformation.
Conditions Must Be Designed, Not Assumed
The environment shapes behaviour — always.
If you design the right conditions, new behaviours become natural and inevitable.
If conditions are misaligned, even the most committed people will burn out or give up.
Questions That Shape Conditions
What cultural norms help or hinder the change?
What structures need redesigning?
Where is trust strong? Where is it fractured?
How will we create psychological safety?
What pace of change is actually sustainable?
What relational agreements do we need?
What needs to be healed before we move forward?
The Three Elements Working Together
Clarity is the lighthouse.
Capability is the vessel.
Conditions are the sea.
All three must be aligned.
When they are, change becomes:
natural
grounded
relational
durable
regenerative
self-sustaining
When they are not, change feels:
chaotic
confusing
exhausting
short-lived
superficial
A Case Example (Without Naming Clients)
Several years ago I worked with a regional organisation struggling with staff burnout, community frustration, and internal fragmentation. They had:
brilliant strategies
passionate employees
committed leaders
But they lacked the three essential elements:
Clarity: Different teams held different understandings of their purpose.
Capability: Staff weren’t trained in deep listening or trauma-informed engagement.
Conditions: Workloads were unsustainable and the culture rewarded speed over depth.
By addressing all three, the organisation transformed:
They clarified purpose and values through co-design.
They built relational capability across all levels.
They redesigned conditions — slowing pace, increasing collaboration, honouring place in decision-making.
Twelve months later, the organisation was performing better than it had in a decade.
The lesson: when conditions shift, people flourish.
The Future of Lasting Change
The world is not slowing down.
Systems are becoming more complex.
Communities are more aware, more vocal, and more connected.
Environmental, cultural, and social challenges are intersecting more deeply.
The organisations, leaders, and communities that will thrive are those who understand that:
change is relational
transformation is embodied
listening is strategic
clarity is kindness
complexity requires calm
people need more than tools — they need meaning
place shapes our potential
culture is the true operating system
Lasting change is not a project.
It is a practice.
Conclusion: The Invitation to Lead Differently
If there’s one thing I know after 18 years of this work, it’s this:
Change that is rushed, imposed, or purely technical will not last.
Change that is clear, capable, and well-supported will.
The question for every leader, team, or community is:
Are you designing change as a deliverable?
Or as a relationship?
As we move into the next decade of social, environmental, and organisational transformation, the most powerful work we can do is to cultivate:
Clarity that anchors
Capability that empowers
Conditions that nourish
This is how change not only happens —
but endures.