There are certain phrases that evoke an entire panorama of images and ideas, and ‘Gloriously Messy’ is one of them. I don’t think there are many phrases that I relate to quite so much as this one. Because when any organisation goes through change, there will be a moment when the only way to describe the current state is ‘Messy’. And that’s Glorious.
Let me explain. I don’t seek chaos, I promise. But I am enough of a realist to know that when a business is undertaking a major project that will fundamentally change operations, workflows, staffing, or something else central to how it works, there will be a point when things stop being theoretical and get real. And when things get real, things get messy.
Change affects the whole business
At the start of a project, it’s natural to work at a granular level; look at the specific part of the business that is undergoing change, and make sure that your decisions make sense. But there will always be a point when independent workstreams go from stand alone to interconnected, and that’s when we need to engage the wider business.
That shift is usually where things start to feel more complicated.
What previously felt relatively contained begins to affect other teams, other priorities, and other pressures. People who weren’t directly involved before now need to understand what’s happening and how it might affect them. They will have questions, concerns, and sometimes very different perspectives on what ‘good’ looks like. And, of course, they’re still trying to deliver their day jobs at the same time.
It’s not surprising that this is often the point where the neat plan starts to feel less neat.
Balancing input and momentum
One of our central values at CE Change is bringing people along with you on your transformation journey. We know from experience that change doesn’t stick when the human beings involved aren’t included in the process. But it can be challenging to make sure you’re doing that in a way that doesn’t stall progress.
You absolutely want to hear from the people who will have to live and work with the outcomes; their insight is often invaluable, and involving them properly usually increases understanding and ownership. But there is also a point where bringing in more views can start to make things feel more complicated rather than more helpful.
I often notice this when something that seemed relatively straightforward earlier in the project suddenly needs more discussion. Someone raises a concern that hadn’t been visible before, or points out an impact somewhere else in the business. Answers that once felt obvious now need more thought.
Nobody is being obstructive, it’s simply that the reality of change is becoming clearer.
It’s really important at this point to make sure someone owns this phase and is responsible for pushing things forward. Because there isn’t really a neat way to do this part, so things are going to get messy and that’s ok.
What tends to help is being very clear about the outcome you’re aiming for and holding on to why it matters. When people understand the purpose behind a decision, it becomes much easier to work through feedback without losing direction.
Messy does not mean failing
In my experience, this ‘messy middle’ part is often when some people start to feel uncomfortable.
Earlier in a project, progress can feel quite tangible. Tasks are defined, milestones are clear, and people can tick things off lists. But as workstreams begin to overlap and decisions become more connected, that sense of control naturally reduces. Progress is still happening, but it doesn’t always feel like it.
For many people, that loss of certainty is uncomfortable. It can feel as though progress has slowed or even stalled, even when it hasn’t.
It’s important to remember that messiness is not a sign that something has gone wrong. The organisation is just starting to engage with the implications of change, rather than just the theory of it.
Supporting people through the middle
Because this phase can feel uncomfortable, supporting people properly is more important than ever.
That might mean taking more time to explain decisions, acknowledging frustrations, or simply recognising that what is being asked of people is genuinely hard. It might mean reminding people that ambiguity is temporary, even if it doesn’t feel that way in the moment.
Preparation helps too. If leaders and delivery teams expect that things will get messy at some point, they’re much less likely to interpret it as failure when it happens. Instead, it becomes something to navigate through, rather than something to panic about.
Guarding momentum while allowing space
There’s a tension here that never fully disappears. You want to create enough space for input, challenge and adaptation, while also protecting the programme from drifting or losing pace.
In my experience, the projects that handle this most successfully are the ones where leaders stay anchored to purpose. They listen, they adapt where needed, but they don’t lose sight of why the change is happening in the first place.
The glorious part
So yes, change almost always gets messy at some point.
But that messiness often represents something positive. It means people are engaging, and the business is moving beyond theory into reality. It means decisions are being tested against real operational complexity rather than assumptions. And that’s where meaningful progress happens.
It’s glorious, really.
Cara Halliwell is the Director of CE Change Ltd, a consultancy that specialises in helping businesses understand and solve their people, process and technology challenges.
