Cultural change: the complicated relationship between change and pain

I was listening to one of my favorite bands, Tears for Fears, recently. The song "Goodnight Song" came on and I heard a lyric that struck me: "But nothing ever changes unless there's some pain."

I have heard this song hundreds of times over the years. But this time it hit me differently. It got me thinking about the different cultures I work with in various sports and organizations.

Culture has become an important buzz word as the world of sports takes a hard look at athlete mental health and wellness, the impact of racism on athletes, preventing abuse, parent and coaching styles, transgender athletes, the transfer portal, NIL agreements, and many other important areas.

Real change is uncomfortable

Every culture I have worked with that genuinely changed for the better went through a painful, awkward phase. Old patterns surfaced. People resisted. Leaders had to sit with their own discomfort instead of reverting to the easier, familiar way.

If a culture-change effort feels easy and immediately popular, it probably isn't changing anything. The pain isn't the failure mode. It's the signal that real work is happening.