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"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This week, Tanya discusses her learnings about change after more than 25 years at IMPACT Community Services.
By IMPACT Community Services Managing Director Tanya O'Shea
Staying in one organisation for more than 25 years isn’t something I ever planned. It’s something that happens through seasons of change (some chosen, some imposed) and a steady willingness to adapt without losing sight of why you started.
When people hear “25 years,” they often assume stability or sameness. The reality is quite the opposite. To stay relevant over that length of time, you must be prepared to change repeatedly. Roles evolve. Communities shift. Funding models, expectations, technology and workforce needs transform. If you don’t move with that change, you will fall behind.
What experience has taught me is that change is rarely a single event. It’s incremental, sometimes uncomfortable, often imperfect. There are moments when you outgrow roles, and others when roles stretch you before you feel ready. Growth doesn’t always arrive neatly packaged as opportunity; sometimes it looks and feels like disruption.
Over time, I’ve also learned that resilience isn’t about pushing through at all costs. It’s about knowing when to adapt, when to let go, and when to hold firm. Staying connected to purpose is what makes that discernment possible. When you’re clear on the “why,” you can change the “how” without losing yourself along the way.
Longevity also teaches humility. No one stays relevant alone. Learning from others, including staff, peers and community members, keeps you grounded and open. The moment you assume you already know the answers is the moment you stop being useful.
There’s a common misconception that long-term commitment to one organisation limits growth. In truth, putting down deep roots offers its own kind of learning. You gain perspective by seeing cycles repeat, by understanding context, and by recognising that quick fixes rarely endure. You also learn that relationships matter. Trust built over time creates the conditions for honest conversations and meaningful change.
In today’s labour market, rarely will someone stay in one organisation for decades. Careers aren’t meant to follow a single trajectory. But for those who do stay, the lesson is clear: longevity only works when it’s paired with curiosity, adaptability, and courage.
Change will happen whether you invite it or not. The real choice is whether you grow with it, and whether you do so while remaining true to the things that matter most.
