Ever wonder why some changes come so easily and others seem more like an impossible mission? Here’s the truth about successful changes – for anything or anyone to change, someone has to start acting differently and that’s where it sometimes gets tough. We may think we want to change and we may earnestly commit to the change, but unless we make changes in behavior, attitudes and thinking in such a way that the changes stick, our quest for change could become like congealed gelatin that loses its shape and returns to liquid.
So, what are a few simple ways to help wanted change stick? Dan Heath and Chip Heath, in Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, provide valuable information that can be of help with change. Here are a few nuggets of information:
- Get clear on what you want in the way of a change. For example, “I want to become more coach-like in my leadership style.”
- Identify some of the first signs you would expect to see when the change has happened. Consider using the Miracle Question: “Sometime during the night, while you were sleeping, a miracle occurs and the change you want has actually happened. What’s the first small sign(s) you’d see that would tell you that your change has taken place?” You might answer, “I’d be holding conversations with staff members around our work goals and they would be doing much more of the talking than I and the conversations would lead to positive results in the workplace.”
- Identify what’s currently happening, even a little bit, that will help you get to the change you want. You might say, “I’m already holding scheduled meetings with my staff around goal progress and there are times when I’m asking questions and listening to them, instead of just telling them what I think or want.
- Find your current “bright spots” and do more of it. You might think, “When I ask my staff thought-provoking questions in a non-threatening atmosphere, they step up to the plate, think through a situation, gain new insights and become motivated to take new actions. I’m acting like a coach. They like this and so do I. I’m going to do more of this.”
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