Making Transformational Change
There is one conversation from my trip to New York City earlier this summer that I keep thinking about, even months later. At Innovation Forum’s Sustainable Apparel and Textile’s Conference, one of the questions presented was if transformational change in sustainability is attainable or if we must make more realistic, incremental change. The panel agreed that through commitment and follow-through, incremental change adds up. It becomes transformational, even when the incremental steps beforehand seem small.
I agree with the panel entirely and wanted to point out a few more observations that accelerate incremental change to transformational change.
Change doesn’t happen without vision
The question posed to the panel was comparing small steps to leaps and bounds. As we all know, transformational change does not happen overnight. However, how do we know where our individual steps are taking us? This is where vision comes in.
Sometimes, vision is so transformational, it seems unattainable. However, when vision is baked into everything you do, it instead becomes a northern star, a beacon helping you find the next individual step. If the goal is change – either incremental or transformational – you have to have vision to know where you want to end up.
Change toward vision is good, no matter how small
When the initial question of incremental vs. transformational change was asked, I could sense an underlying sense of frustration. Let me tell you, I get it. We all work hard in our daily lives, job roles, and companies, yet every one of those has limitations: time, money, staff. This is when incremental change can get discouraging. We think, “We’re working so hard on this, but I feel there is nothing to show for it.” Being rooted in your vision makes seeing progress come easier. Is your work going toward your vision? If yes, great! That’s progress. If no, it’s time to reroute.
Change cannot happen alone
If we recognize the reality of the limitations mentioned earlier, it becomes clear that we must go beyond ourselves to make transformational change. Each of us have our own circles of influence. By following a common vision, the incremental change we each make in our own circles collectively becomes transformational. As a cotton farmer and ginner, I need trusted merchants, spinners, brands, retailers, and other stakeholders to make transformational change. We cannot do it alone.
No matter if we are talking the cotton, agriculture, sustainability, or fashion industries, we need visionaries, transformational change makers, and cross-sector collaborators. At the end of the day, don’t let the incremental change get you down, and don’t let the transformational change intimidate you. We need both.
P.S. – I manage Quarterway Cotton Growers, a cotton gin in Plainview, Texas, representing 75 Texas High Plains cotton growers. We need partners to help us bring the farmer’s voice to conversations about cotton, sustainability, and fashion. If that sounds like you, send me an email at todd@quarterwaycotton.com
