Thinking About Transformation

Thinking  About  Transformation Do  People  Resist  Change? We  frequently  say  that  people  resist  change.    But  i...

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Thinking  About  Transformation Do  People  Resist  Change? We  frequently  say  that  people  resist  change.    But  is  this  really  true?    Are  you  wearing  the   same  clothes  you  wore  yesterday,  or  did  you  change?    If  I  offered  to  change  the  amount  of   money  in  your  wallet  by  adding  a  nice  crisp  $100  bill  to  its  contents,  would  you  object?     We  have  to  be  careful  when  saying  that  people  resist  change  because  there  are  clearly   some  changes  that  people  do  not  resist.    In  fact,  there  are  some  changes  that  people   welcome. Whether  or  not  people  resist  change  depends  on  the  nature  of  the  change.    If  the  change   is  clearly  for  the  better,  people  will  embrace  it,  not  resist  it.    It  is  those  changes  that  have   the  potential  to  affect  us  negatively  that  we  resist.    This  is  where  the  old  adage  about   people  resisting  change  comes  from.    People  will  resist  a  change  which  they  perceive  will   result  in  a  potential  loss  for  them. The  fact  is  that  people  do  not  resist  change.    They  resist  the  loss  that  they  perceive  may   accompany  change.

s los People resist change. What  Might  People  Lose? This  aspect  of  human  nature  can  be  frustrating.    You  may  clearly  see  something  that   needs  to  be  improved—at  least  from  your  perspective.    Yet  the  people  who  need  to  be   involved  in  bringing  about  the  change  are  resistant.     In  situations  like  this  we  should  ask  ourselves  what  loss  do  people  perceive  might  happen   as  a  result  of  the  change.    The  answers  can  be  quite  varied—and  quite  subtle.    They  may   perceive  they  will  have  a  loss  of: ✓ Experience:    I  knew  how  to  do  things  in  the  old  way.    Now  I’ll  have  to  start  over   and  do  a  lot  of  work  to  learn  the  new  way. ✓ Credibility:    People  looked  up  to  me  as  an  expert.    Now  I’ll  lose  my  edge;  they   may  even  laugh  at  me.

By Martin Ramsay, © 2010 Leaders Ought To Know™!

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✓ Comfort:    I  used  to  know  what  to  expect;  it  was  the  way  we  had  always  done  it.     This  new  way  is  kind  of  scary  and  I’m  not  sure  if  I’ll  get  the  support  I  need   to  be  successful. ✓ Clarity:    In  the  old  way  I  knew  where  we  were  going  and  it  was  routine.    The   new  way  has  some  unknowns  that  concern  me  and  I’m  not  even  confident   that  we’ll  succeed. ✓ Employment:    I  was  good  at  my  job  in  the  old  way.    Will  this  new  way  be  the   first  step  out  the  door  for  me? Once  we  begin  to  understand  what  people  might  fear  they  will  lose,  we  can  begin  to  tailor   our  strategies  to  lead  the  change.    There  are  forces  that  will  move  the  change  forward.     For  example,  most  changes  are  initiated  because  of  some  challenge,  problem,  or   opportunity.    These  causes  are  forces  that  will  propel  the  change.    There  are  also  forces   that  will  resist  the  change.    Some  of  these  forces  come  from  the  perceived  loss  that  people   will  endure.    Another  important  force  against  change  is  the  force  of  inertia.    Science  tells   us  that  energy  must  be  expended  to  move  an  object  in  a  different  direction.    The  same  is   true  with  people;  a  leader  must  invest  energy  in  helping  people  overcome  their  inertia. Change can only occur when:

forces driving change > perceived loss + inertia Only  when  the  forces  moving  the  change  forward  are  greater  than  the  forces  resisting  the   change  will  change  actually  happen.

Personal  Transformation These  same  principles  apply  to  your  own  personal  transformation  as  a  leader.    Most   people  can  identify  at  least  one  thing  that,  if  changed,  would  make  them  a  better  leader.     (Many  people  can  identify  more  than  one.)    We  can  assume  that  the  change  that  is   envisioned  is  a  positive  one.    After  all,  we  say  the  change  would  make  us  “better.” But  there  may  also  be  perceived  loss  that  would  accompany  the  change.    Do  you  have   what  it  takes  to  transform  yourself  as  a  leader?    How  much  effort  will  it  take?    Will  people   support  your  efforts  to  change?  Might  you  lose  credibility  during  the  process?  Might   people  even  laugh  at  you? Perhaps  most  challenging  of  all  is  your  own  inertia.    It  is  always  easier  to  keep  doing  what   you’ve  been  doing  than  it  is  to  find  a  new  way  and  make  it  stick.    To  truly  transform   yourself  as  a  leader  will  require  that  the  new  aspect  of  leadership  that  you  would  like  to   adopt,  the  new  aspect  that  will  make  you  a  better  leader,  must  overcome  the  potential  for   loss  that  you  perceive  might  happen  and  your  own  inertia.

By Martin Ramsay, © 2010 Leaders Ought To Know™!

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The  Process  of  Transformation A  process  is  defined  as  “a  series  of  actions  or  activities  designed  to  accomplish  desired   objectives  or  outcomes.”  When  we  think  about  the  process  of  transforming  your  own   leadership,  we  are  saying  that  you  will  undertake  a  series  of  actions  or  activities  designed   to  accomplish  the  desired  objective  of  making  you  a  better  leader  in  the  identified  area.     This  means  you  must  do  something  differently—overcome  your  own  inertia—and  do  so   in  spite  of  any  fears  you  may  have  about  the  change  you  are  making  in  yourself. The  process  of  transformation  involves  five  major  steps: 1. Know  where  you  are  going.    Make  sure  you  are  clear  on  your  objective.    Ask   yourself:    What  am  I  trying  to  accomplish?    What  kind  of  leader  do  I  want   to  become?    Why  would  I  want  to  make  this  change? 2. Be  honest  about  where  you  are.    Take  a  good  look  at  the  kind  of  leader  you   are  now.  What  behaviors  or  attitudes  do  you  see  in  yourself  that  fall  short  of   your  objective?    What  habits  do  you  need  to  change? 3. Know  how  to  get  there.  Think  about  the  steps  you  will  need  to  take  to  bring   about  the  transformation.  What  specific  behaviors  or  attitudes  will  need  to   change?    How  will  you  bring  about  the  change? 4. Take  the  first  steps.    No  change  occurs  if  inertia  cannot  be  overcome.    When   will  you  begin  your  transformation?    What  needs  to  be  in  place  for  you  to   start?    What  fears  are  keeping  you  from  starting  now? 5. Reinforce  the  change.    In  order  for  transformation  to  be  complete  you  must   make  make  the  change  a  matter  habit.    Occasionally  you  will  slip  back  into   the  old  way.    When  you  do,  stop.    Ask  yourself  why  you  regressed.  Then   review  the  first  three  steps  and  get  back  on  the  path  again.

rn jou n atio re. m r o sf et the n a r t ll g The I wi w Ho

ey:

The desired future: Where I want to go.

The present state: Where I am now. We  will  revisit  these  ideas  of  the  transformation  journey  again  throughout  the  Leaders   Ought  To  Know™.    These  basic  principles,  if  applied,  can  fuel  your  own  transformation   into  becoming  the  kind  of  leader  that  you  desire  to  be. By Martin Ramsay, © 2010 Leaders Ought To Know™!

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