Change

Although a lot of the world may not completely understand what Danny Boyle was doing concerning the great representation of our honourable history, the visual effects were outstanding in their own right but, nonetheless, he did something quite risky and away from the safer normality of how the Olympics are opened and IT WORKED!

This is by way of a tenuous link to what has been mentioned before in as much as that if you stay on the same path that you’re on now, you will inevitably end up at the same location. Sometimes you need to break the mould and do something a bit drastic. In other words, if you’re not satisfied with the way your current life is going, the lack of impetus in getting new clients, business is reducing rather than increasing, your team are simply not working together etc, the likelihood is that you need to change the way you currently do things.

You could argue that it’s outside situations or events that are influencing your outcome, to a degree we wouldn’t argue but if you just accept that without stepping out of your comfort zone to try something different or new… things WILL NOT improve.

Quite a harsh statement made there and this now leads on how you can look to where you are now and where you’re heading. A great tool for this is the ‘Cartesian Quadrant’ and although simplistic in its nature, it has quite powerful outcome with regards the way it gets you to take a step back and assess where you are.

As a coach, we would delve into some of the areas with incisive questions, digging deeper than the obvious, thus getting you to really think and that’s an area we can discuss should you so wish, in the meantime, play around with it yourself and once you get the buzz for where this could lead you, give us a call then… here it is:

Draw a large square box and then divide this in half first horizontally then vertically so you now have a block 2×2 squares. Along the top, on the left write “If I DO make a change” and above the squares to it’s right, write “If I DON’T make a change”. Moving to the left and adjacent to the top square, write “What WOULD happen” and next to the bottom row “What WON’T happen”. So in the top left square you can write your answers to the question “What WOULD happen If I DO make a change”… you’ll get the idea from here.

If there is an area that you wish to change but are unsure of how to get there… do not hesitate in picking up the phone to call us to arrange a free consultation on how we can help, contact Neil (07761 187238) or throw us an email at info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk… We’re here to help.

With Francois Hollande taking up the reins of French Government, there are to be many changes as a result of Nicolas Sarkozy’s departure. Much like their situation, should you be in the process of or considering change within your company or personal life, then this may well help get or keep you on track for a successful outcome.

There are primarily 6 stages for a successful implementation of change, these being…

1. 1.  Create a ‘Change Plan’ – Before you can start any changes, it is crucial that you formulate a ‘project plan’ that not only looks at why change is necessary but to cater for the timeline, who does what, should they apply logistics, what are the major tasks involved and how it will be implemented. Assess all the possible options available and then select the one most appropriate but should this not bring about the desired results, then you have the other ideas for back-up. Finally, don’t fix this plan in stone, allow it to breathe so it’s a work in progress of which improvements can be introduced.
2. 2.  Clear Direction (Establish a persuasive case and a sense of urgency) – It’s no good having changes just because you’re bored of the way things are! There HAS to be understanding as to why change is necessary and that a clear set of arguments for change is laid out. Not only this, but a planned ‘action’ timescale for it to be within.
3. 3.  Clear Leadership (& ownership) – As with ‘Clear Direction’, you also need to establish clarity around who is leading the way. Not only for the leader(s) but for the teams and members of the organisation too. Should there be more than one leader, then a united front needs to be forged which gives out a clear message to all those affected that the leadership team is working in unison towards the same goal. Once this has been established, accountability is given thus introducing ownership. ‘R.A.C.I.’ is a great model for this (Responsibility, Accountability, Consult, Inform). We’re here to help with this should you so wish.
4. 4.  Consistent Communications (Early and often) – Poor communication is the bane of many a working environment but it is critical that poor communication is NOT a factor when change is imminent. There’s an old adage that goes “Tell them what you’re going to tell them… Tell them… and tell them what you told them” and make sure the message is as clear as day, without it, people perceive things in their own manner which may well be different from the intended outcome. Keep re-enforcing and making sure everyone involved AND affected are kept up to date with progress. Do not simply rely on ‘email’ to get your message out, use all forms of communication from face to face through to conferences to presentations to text (if it helps!). To be kept informed insures that innocent comments or ideas don’t grow to uncontrollable monsters with their own thoughts.
5. 5.  Maintain & Measure the Progress – Once the change has been started, make sure the momentum is kept up and that communications (as stated before) are flowing because if those involved or affected by change don’t see what’s happening, they can easily ‘presume’ that the change will not be happening, more so, they presume the ‘Need’ has also dissipated! As part of the original plan, develop the relevant milestones which can be celebrated loudly at every juncture. This then keeps the process clear in everyone’s mind so that all can work towards it.
6. 6.  Anchor New Approaches – From what has been said earlier, people need to see the change and the leadership team’s role is to insure that this is embedded in. This can be brought about by Recognising and reinforcing the positive behaviours in those directly involved; Insure the ‘Vision’ is kept alive by communicating it; Create the ‘We’ approach rather than the ‘Them or They’; Set challenging and realistic goals; Show clear links between the objectives set and the team success; Recognise those individuals or teams that do well and celebrate as a team; Embed a ‘Team’ approach with on-going development and, as important, support. Finally, from the offset, make the ‘New’ way the ‘Normal’ way!

 These are but the outline areas for a successful transition of change but are principally the actions needed to insure a positive outcome. Should you be going through the process of change and feel you could do with that little extra push, then call Neil (07761 187238) to arrange a free consultation on how Coaching to Success can help you. We’d also appreciate any feedback on these blogs as to whether you find them interesting, beneficial or otherwise (neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk). Many thanks.

With the promise of a new season upon us and the ‘changes’ that this will bring, what deviations are you going to make in your life or business?

As a rule, we don’t take too kindly to change but as Charles Darwin put it so eloquently “It is not the strongest that survive but the one most responsive to change”. As an example of this, Deloitte stated at the end of last year when they were appointed as being the administrators for Barratt/Priceless shoes “The reason they have failed again is that adequate changes to the operational business HAVEN’T been made”

There’s also another saying that if you stay on the same path, you will end up getting the same result, so what can you do about it?

They’re great these sayings but they don’t help us to make the necessary change whereas Richard Beckhard developed a concept called ‘The Change Equation’ which, although not a miracle cure, brings to our awareness via a simple formula that can be used to illustrate some of the important issues in making those changes.

As stated before, people will resist or even avoid change as it often brings an element of pain, or at least some discomfort, along with it! So Beckhard realised that some countervailing steps were necessary, hence, his equation.

        A = An attractive vision of the future

        B = Some dissatisfaction with the present

        C = Some practical first steps

        D = The pain involved in changing

The sum of A + B + C must exceed the value of D

Now look at some questions to ask yourself in each of the areas…

(A)        What do I want? … What do I need to do to clarify my vision? … What is my clear and attractive vision of how the future might be for me? How can I best use the strengths I have or the gifts within?

(B)        How much do I enjoy my present role/situation? … What is the basis for this dissatisfaction? … What has the greatest pull, the way things are or the way they could be if I was to step out of my comfort zone and changed things? … What would I most like to change? … If I was to change my situation/role/job, what would I leave behind and how important is that to me? … How much do I REALLY want to change?

(C)        Within the near future, what are some of the things that I could change to move forward (i.e., Develop skills/education/knowledge; Develop existing skills and strengths; Improve network connections; Obtain different experiences… etc)

(D)        How big is the degree of the change required? … What would be involved to make this change? … Who else would need to be involved? (Family, friends, peers, line managers etc) … What support do I need through this evolution? (had to bring Darwin back in here somewhere!)

Once you’ve created your list of actions that affect each criteria, look to put them into a priority assessment and either score as Low/Medium/High or rank them on a scale between 1 (very Low) to 10 (couldn’t be Higher), whichever you feel more comfortable with and then return to the formula.

This can prove to be a useful tool for any change, whether it be a case of shopping at ASDA or M&S or right through to Moving your business from its current location to somewhere new.

Coaching to success welcomes the opportunity to submit a proposal to help you, or those around you that will be involved in change, from creating a smooth transition to helping avoid conflict where two or more people are concerned. Simply give us a call on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to discuss other factors that we can help you make that change go through to reduce ‘D’ to a simple inconvenience rather than a large hurdle! We look forward to hearing from you.