The surprisingly rational case for non-linear change
Traditional, linear change might look tidy on paper, but real life rarely behaves that way. When it comes to complex organizational transformations, a non-linear, experimental and emergent approach to change isn’t just a nice alternative—it’s the smartest choice.
Here are the top four reasons why non-linear wins in the long run.
1. Reduced risk
Launching a big, linear change initiative comes with big risks. Your implementation might fail. Even if it works, your chosen solution might fail, making you miss the mark anyway. Or the real kicker: you might have misunderstood the problem right from the start. So, what’s at stake? Months or even years of time. People’s energy and buy-in. A mountain of investment. And the alternative cost of everything else you didn’t do.
Non-linear change reduces the risk by working in cycles. You don’t wait until the end to see if something works—you find out early and often. Decisions about the change are made regularly with fresh insight, not months in advance on stale assumptions. It’s more like steering than launching. Every move might not be perfect, but small, frequent course corrections hurt way less than massive, late-stage U-turns.
2. Better solutions
Linear change tends to design solutions up front, top-down, and based on a lot of assumptions about how work happens. One-size-fits-all fixes are rolled out to cover as many people and situations as possible. Which usually means prioritizing structure and standardization over actual impact. The solution in itself becomes the goal, never mind the behavior it was supposed to change.
Non-linear change starts from the ground: in the real world, where people actually work. You shape solutions around context, adapt them based on what actually works, and focus on outcomes over outputs. The result? Solutions that don’t just look good in a slide deck—they fit the context and they work. Even in messy, human reality.
3. Faster impact
Yes, all change takes time. But linear change delays impact until the whole thing is rolled out. Most of the insight, solution design and planning must be done before any actual change is expected to take place. It’s like a train: no matter when it departs, it doesn’t arrive at the next station until every last car has pulled in at the platform.
Non-linear change doesn’t wait for the perfect plan. You only need enough insight about the problem to dare take the first step, learning the rest along the way. Early, small experiments spark early results and better insights. Change starts slow, then speeds up as you sharpen your understanding and your actions hit closer to the mark. Impact shows up early and grows over time.
4. Built-in adaptability
Let’s say your linear change initiative works exactly as planned. Congrats! But here’s the catch: In a fast-moving, unpredictable world, one-off change isn’t enough. New problems pop up. Priorities shift. And your “perfect” solution might be outdated before it’s even fully in place. What happens then?
Non-linear change isn’t just about solving today’s problem, it’s about becoming the kind of organization that can adapt and rise to … whatever comes next, really. You grow your change muscles by using them. The more you change this way—continuously and with strategic direction—the better you get at it. And that (adapt)ability is the real competitive edge.
Bottom line?
Non-linear change reduces risk, produces better solutions, accelerates impact and future-proofs your organization. Yes, it’s messier. But mess is where the magic happens.
Anders Wengelin
CEO, Partner and Management Consultant
