The most persuasive argument isn’t written on slides. It grows quietly in the corner, demonstrating what others claim impossible. While committees debate theoretical change, the transformed reality sits patiently in the room, undermining every objection through its mere existence.
Organizations develop immune systems against disruption. Novel ideas trigger antibodies of skepticism, budget concerns, and demands for guarantees. These defensive responses aren’t irrational; they protect established systems from potentially harmful change. But they also suffocate innovation before it draws breath. The standard approach (comprehensive plans seeking pre-approval) often fails precisely because it activates these organizational defenses at maximum strength. The alternative requires a gentler touch: don’t ask permission to plant a forest when you can simply grow one tree.
Like determined seedlings cracking through concrete, small demonstrations create visible evidence that shifts perspective. The pilot project running in a single department. The workflow improvement tested with three customers. The makeshift solution cobbled together with existing resources. More than merely ‘steps’ toward change, this is change itself in embryonic form, already breathing. When colleagues can see, touch, and experience a working demonstration, resistance softens. The conversation transforms from abstract debate about what might happen to concrete discussion about what is already happening. The question becomes not “should we do this?” but “how might we expand what’s already working?”
What small, concrete evidence could you create by next week that would make your case better than any presentation? Which minimal version of your idea could you implement without requiring formal approval? What’s the smallest patch of ground where you could demonstrate success before seeking to transform the entire landscape? Plant these seeds not in hopes they’ll immediately change everything, but because even the tiniest blossom breaking through creates a crack that others can’t unsee.