Organizational change often stalls not because of a lack of strategy, but because of the challenge in discussing sensitive topics constructively. When a global human rights organization needed to have difficult conversations about their organizational structure and culture, they faced a common dilemma: How do you examine current practices critically while honoring institutional history? How do you discuss necessary changes without triggering defensive responses?
In part one of this series, we explored how creating psychological safety enabled meaningful dialogue within a remote team. Here, we'll examine how metaphor became a powerful tool for helping this organization navigate complex conversations about transformation.
The Power of Metaphor in Organizational Change
Traditional approaches to organizational assessment often rely heavily on technical language - discussing processes, systems, and structures. While precise, this language can sometimes create distance from the very human elements of organizational life. It can also make it difficult for team members to express intuitive understanding about organizational dynamics that they experience but struggle to name.
Joyedele Consulting's approach introduces metaphor as a bridge between technical understanding and lived experience. By creating shared imagery that everyone can relate to, metaphor enables teams to:
Discuss sensitive topics through neutral language
Surface unconscious assumptions about how organizations should work
Connect individual experiences to systemic patterns
Imagine new possibilities for change
A Framework for Understanding: House, Garden, Neighborhood
Working with this organization, we introduced a three-part metaphorical framework that allowed the team to examine different aspects of their work:
The House: Internal Operations & Culture
The organization's internal workings were explored through the metaphor of a house. This framing led to rich insights about:
Organizational structure ("Which rooms are we spending most of our time in? Are there spaces we've outgrown?")
Communication patterns ("How do we move between spaces? Where are the bottlenecks?")
Decision-making processes ("Who holds the keys to different rooms? How do we decide when to remodel?")
Cultural elements ("What gives our house its unique character? What makes it feel like home?")
A pivotal moment came when the team realized their "house" needed renovation but wanted to preserve its essential warmth and character. This metaphor allowed them to discuss necessary operational changes while explicitly naming what they wanted to protect about their organizational culture.
The Garden: Impact & Programs
The organization's programmatic work was examined through the metaphor of a garden, leading to discussions about:
Intentional versus unintentional growth ("What did we plant on purpose and what grew on its own?")
Resource allocation ("What are we actively cultivating? Which areas need more nurturing?")
Sustainability ("How do we ensure perennial impact? What needs seasonal replanting?")
Innovation ("What new seeds should we plant? What experimental plots should we try?")
This framework helped the team distinguish between programs that had been strategically developed and those that had grown organically in response to opportunity or necessity. It created space to discuss which initiatives needed more nurturing and which might need pruning.
The Neighborhood: External Context
Understanding their broader ecosystem through the neighborhood metaphor enabled the team to explore:
Partnerships and collaborations ("Who are our neighbors? How do we share resources?")
Competitive dynamics ("How do we differentiate our house on the block? Who else is growing similar gardens?")
Systemic challenges and opportunities ("What affects the whole neighborhood's health? What community resources exist?")
Their unique role in their field ("What makes our house a gathering place? How do we contribute to neighborhood vitality?")
This perspective proved especially valuable for newer team members, providing crucial context about the organization's position within a larger community of practice. It sparked important discussions about their role in building community versus leading initiatives.
From Metaphor to Action
The power of this framework lay not just in generating insight, but in creating actionable understanding. The metaphor work enabled the team to:
Create Shared Language
Develop clear ways to discuss complex organizational dynamics
Bridge different professional and cultural perspectives
Name challenges without assigning blame
Identify Strategic Priorities
Map current resource allocation patterns
Spot gaps between intention and reality
Recognize opportunities for greater impact
Build Collective Understanding
Connect individual experiences to organizational patterns
Understand how different parts of the organization interact
See their work in broader context
Key Insights for Change Leaders
This experience highlighted several important principles for organizations navigating change:
Make Space for Multiple Perspectives
Metaphor creates room for different ways of understanding
Visual frameworks help surface tacit knowledge
Shared imagery builds bridges across differences
Connect Analysis to Action
Move from insight to concrete next steps
Use metaphor to identify specific change opportunities
Create clear links between understanding and action
Build Sustainable Frameworks
Create language that outlasts specific initiatives
Develop shared ways of seeing organizational dynamics
Enable ongoing dialogue about change
Looking Forward
The metaphor framework created a foundation for the team to move from understanding to action. But translating insight into sustainable change requires more than good discussion tools. In the final part of this series, we'll explore how this organization moved from metaphor to momentum, creating concrete plans while maintaining the energy and alignment they had built.
Ready to help your team find new ways to understand and navigate change? Contact us to learn how Joyedele Consulting can support your organization's transformation journey.