Carbon Reflections: Change is the One True Constant

by Chad Evans 
Operations Manager, Carbon Leadership Forum

At the Carbon Leadership Forum, we are an almost entirely remote workplace. To foster collaboration and strengthen working relationships, we meet in person twice a year for about a week. We discuss strategy, organizational management, and other topics of importance during the season we’re in. CLF just had its fall retreat, and change seemed to be a recurring theme in our conversation. In sticking with that…

Change is the one true constant. This thought has been a grounding force for me in times of life when my direction did not seem certain. For me, it seems that the pursuit of certainty in life will lead to much more disappointment and despair than anything else; it just doesn’t match my lived experiences of untimely passings, COVID-19, and other life-altering events that have come from out of the blue.

This holds just as true in the business world. Our organizations and work environments are always changing, shifting, and evolving to meet the needs of those we serve. We are compelled to adapt to newfound constraints and keep up with a world that is constantly pushing forward. CLF is by no means exempt; amongst other changes, we find ourselves in a continued financial systems transition that has taken previously predictable and dependable business processes and upended them. As CLF’s Operations Manager, I’ve been introduced to some unwelcome chaos in my workflow and I’ve experienced frustration at the length of time it takes to complete transactions. My discomfort persists, but once complete our transition promises to usher in enhanced capabilities in our business reporting, accounting, and financial modeling going forward. I chose to accept this change with a positive mindset and willingness to let go of what I once knew. I know that there is growth ahead – both for me and this remarkable organization that I serve.

Here’s hoping that you are meeting your challenges—personal, professional, or otherwise—with a spirit of determination, resiliency, and perhaps even gratitude.

Moving forward,
Chad