Change Enablers

  Four E’s and an O

We all swear by change. We all know it is important. But what does it take? How good are you at it?

To get a handle on how good are you at it ask the following questions.

1. Do you see this as a part of your job? Your key deliverable? It may not be mentioned on your description? Nor may have been specifically asked for. Great change enablers do not wait to be asked. They ask for and create change. They find new ways of working, they find new projects, and they are curious and questioning. When there is no other option most humans change – they do not self destruct. Change enablers are on the other hand proactive.
2. What are the changes that you have made in life and work in the last twelve months? Don’t break them into small change or big change. Just make a list. It maybe a change of a long held belief or a change in some behaviour pattern. All changes count. You may need to reflect a bit for this since human memory is very short. What has been done is taken as a given and consigned to obscure parts of our brain. So how long is the list? If the score is less than 24 (2 per month) go back to the list. If the number does not vary your life is pretty static. 

Wherever you are there are four Es of change that you can consider.

1. Great change agents are good at ‘educating’ themselves and others around them. They have information or they gather it. They share it with others. They build persuasive arguments – logical and / or emotional. They understand that education does not happen in a day so they are patient and do not mind repeating themselves.
2. Great change agents have empathy. They can see things from another viewpoint. This helps them take a more considered picture and marshal their arguments accordingly. It also helps them adopt give and take behaviour patterns to get things moving. They do not mind losing battles to win wars. Mind you – this does not mean that they compromise on their goals or the objectives of change. They try and get their but in a manner which understands and accepts others and works around it.
3. Great change agents also encourage. They are always looking for what is possible, what has been done. This is a far more powerful way to make things happen faster. They understand and harness the power of positivism and acknowledgement. And are able to recognise and appreciate even small wins.
4. Great change agents can also be enforcers when needed. They are careful that they use their ‘enforcement’ ability infrequently – say one in a dozen situations. But when needed they are able to demand action from themselves and those around them. 

And finally change is far easier when there is a vision and a purpose. Something which the change enabler believes in from deep inside. Because that is what creates the passion and the energy. Call it what you will – North Star, Goal, Objective, Desire, Destination – but without that the change journey tends to get aborted.

Belief & Reality

I think I can, but …. 

As a executive coach I often come across clients who have beliefs. Beliefs about what they want to achieve, how things should be done, the way the organisation should function and much more. When they share their beliefs the body language changes — they sit up in their chair, there is passion in their voice and their tone generates energy.

In many cases they also share their frustrations. They are perceived as ‘not real’ by their managers and / or colleagues. Their expectations are negated as ‘far fetched’. Their analysis of organisational situations is seen as ‘fuzzy’. They are asked to ‘get real.’ Factor in the ‘reality’ so that realistic goals are developed.  So that targets are exceeded, resources are used optimally, productivity is increased, stock prices move up – and more. 

Belief is a far greater enabler then is given credit for. Clients with strong beliefs deliver more – for their organisations and themselves. Their ‘far fetched expectations’ are a reflection of their above average ambitions. And their ‘fuzziness’ is an ability to see a much larger number of possibilities. 

Belief brings along commitment, passion, energy, excitement, possibilities. Reality brings along doubts, precautions, safety nets, comfort zones, constraints. The challenge of a coach is align these two. And to ensure that recognition of reality does not lead to a suspension of belief for the client.