Your Climate Change
In the last month, we’ve witnessed a series of devastating climate events that have shaken communities across the country—hurricanes battering Florida and North Carolina, wildfires blazing across California, and extreme droughts in Arizona. These events aren’t anomalies; they’re part of a broader shift. The climate has changed, and while many acknowledge this reality, the challenge isn’t simply about awareness—it’s about action. The same applies within your organization.
You recognize things are changing. New technologies are quietly reshaping daily routines. Generational shifts are occurring. Social and political divisions are influencing workplace dynamics. Rising costs are affecting employees' lives, and time pressures are greater than ever. The real issue isn’t denial; it’s a lack of imagination. Leaders and managers know the organizational climate is shifting, but they struggle to envision what the future holds and how best to prepare for it. Many people fail to fully comprehend the long-term impact of global climate change, and a similar paralysis occurs within organizations. While there’s recognition of change, hesitation follows when it comes to taking action.
This isn’t merely a collection of small, disconnected disruptions—it’s something more profound. What’s missing is the capacity to imagine a radically different future for your organization, a future where old practices no longer apply, and new strategies are urgently needed.
Climate vs. Weather in Organizations
To understand what’s happening, consider the difference between climate and weather. The climate of an organization is like the climate of a geographic region. Climate refers to the consistent, long-term patterns of behavior, attitudes, and experiences that shape the workplace over time, much like the climate in nature reflects the average weather conditions in a region over decades.
However, just as large countries can have multiple climates—Arizona’s desert climate, Florida’s tropical climate, and Alaska’s snowy, cold climate—organizations can have distinct climates across different teams or offices. One department may foster a collaborative, positive environment, while another may feel competitive and tense. These differences depend on leadership styles, team dynamics, and local work cultures.
Weather, on the other hand, refers to short-term, day-to-day fluctuations in mood or conditions. In an organization, a stressful project or a particularly busy week might be like a passing storm. It doesn’t necessarily change the overall climate, which remains stable over time. Similarly, you wouldn’t judge a region’s climate based on a single rainy day, and you wouldn’t judge an organization’s climate based on one tough week. The key lies in understanding the long-term patterns.
But here’s where the failure of imagination emerges. Global climate change is altering what were once stable, predictable weather patterns, and the shifts in organizational climate are disrupting what previously seemed certain. The workplace you thought you knew is evolving, and leaders must adapt to ensure their teams thrive in this new reality.
The Imagination Gap
The challenge is not that leaders are oblivious to these shifts—they see them. The problem is that many don’t know how to respond. There’s a gap between recognizing the signs of change and acting on them. Many individuals hesitate to address global climate change because they can’t fully envision the future, and the same hesitation can happen within organizations. Leaders and managers often delay because they don’t have a clear picture of how to handle the shifts they’re observing.
In Florida, residents knew a hurricane was coming, but few anticipated its full impact. They had experienced storms before and assumed normal life would resume afterward. The same can be said of the ongoing droughts and wildfires in Arizona and California—people are aware, but the ability to grasp how drastically these regions will transform is limited. Similarly, within organizations, many leaders recognize that new technologies, evolving employee expectations, and shifting social norms are reshaping the workplace, yet they hope things will return to a familiar state.
But waiting for normalcy is not a strategy. Just as waiting for the next hurricane isn’t a viable plan, neither is hoping that your organizational climate will stabilize on its own. The storm is already here, and the longer you wait, the harder it will be to adapt to these changes.
Shifting the Organizational Climate
The work landscape has been permanently altered. Remote work is here to stay. AI and automation are becoming central to daily operations. Social activism now influences not just policies but the core of corporate values. And employees are bringing more of their concerns—about rising costs, time pressures, and well-being—into the workplace than ever before.
The parallels between the global climate crisis and the organizational climate crisis are undeniable. Both require a rethinking of how to approach the future. Natural disasters are no longer rare events but markers of a changing reality, and the shifts in your workplace aren’t temporary disruptions—they are signals of a new normal. The question is: How do you prepare for this new landscape?
Steps to Adapt Your Organizational Climate
The first step is to imagine a different future and accept the urgency of change. Here are three practical actions you can take to prepare your organization for the evolving climate:
1. Create a “Future Forecast” Practice
Environmental scientists use climate models to predict how the world might change, and managers can take a similar approach in their organizations. Set up regular “future forecast” sessions where your team explores how changes in technology, social expectations, or market conditions might shape your business in 5, 10, or 20 years.
Exercise: Hold quarterly "Scenario Planning Sessions." Divide your team into groups, each tasked with exploring a different trend (e.g., AI advancements, market shifts). Have them create both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios and discuss how your organization can prepare for each.
2. Launch a “Climate Tracker” Dashboard
Traditional metrics like employee engagement are important, but they no longer tell the full story. You need to track attitudes that reflect adaptability, curiosity, and openness to change. Create a dashboard that shows where your organization stands on these indicators, and make it a regular part of team discussions.
Exercise: Develop a recurring "Climate Pulse Survey" that measures attitudes like curiosity, optimism, and adaptability. Include metrics like participation in skill-building programs or involvement in innovative projects. Display the results on a shared dashboard and review them monthly to celebrate positive trends and identify areas for improvement.
3. Incorporate “Imagination Days” into Routine Work
Much like Earth Day raises awareness of the environment, “Imagination Days” can keep your teams thinking about the future. Set aside time for brainstorming and problem-solving around potential disruptions. Encourage cross-department collaboration to generate new ideas and keep the future front and center.
Exercise: Host a biannual "Innovation Jam" where cross-functional teams tackle future workplace challenges, such as adapting to AI advancements or shifting employee needs. Recognize the most promising ideas and commit to exploring their feasibility. This ensures that creativity and problem-solving remain central to your organizational climate.
For additional exercises and Next Steps, you can download this Climate Change booklet:
Conclusion: The Climate Has Changed—So Must You
Just as communities must adapt to the realities of global climate change, so too must organizations confront the new dynamics reshaping the workplace. The warning signs are clear: both the climate of our planet and the climate within your organization have shifted, and the consequences of inaction are severe. The time to act is now.
You can wait for the storm to pass, or you can seize this moment to reimagine your future. The urgency is undeniable—whether it’s the climate of the world or the climate of your organization, change is happening, and your response will shape the future.