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Article Check - Things Do Not Change - We Do
I have a recommendation for you for 2006: Take a risk and be inauthentic.Authenticity, being yourself, is the foundation of your health, and the health of your business. But, it can also be a source of stagnation, and, eventually, your death. It has to do primarily with how many of us learn.For most of us, we learn by "monkey see (or read, or hear) - monkey do." It's the easiest way I know to learn- we emulate someone else's (hopefully) experienced and masterful example.And here's where the problem comes in: when you are emulating someone else's example, you are doing it their way. If it's something mechanical like changing a tire, not too big a deal. But if it's something more personal, like painting a person or writing marketing copy, things get a little trickier.Artistic self-expression in the pursuit of an outcome is most potent when it comes directly from your heart, and passes through the filters of knowledge and structure that help to shape it. If you don't know how to handle a brush, it's hard to produce the painting you see in your imagination.So what do you do? An early exercise for some serious arti
• Everyone works better where they can see the benefit for themselves. So take time to think through not just the overall plan of the change, but how it will affect and benefit individuals, then ‘sell’ these benefits to those affected. Don’t oversell them though, as staff will subsequently disbelieve anything you say. It is far better to be honest and admit that some things still need to be worked through, as this will help to build up trust with your employees.
• People need to feel they have some input to enable them to overcome their fears and anxieties. If you encourage them through this stage, they can become great advocates for the change and will work with you instead of automatically resisting.
• Accept that everyone’s capacity for change is different and some will respond quicker or more easily than others.
• Try to break the change down into manageable parts so that the overall change does not seem
I once had a boss who informed me there was no such thing as company politics. At the time, I decided that depended on whether you were the person wielding power or influenced by it. In my career experience, I’d categorize self-serving antics, sabotaging behaviors, information hoarding and artful manipulation under the heading of company politics. I’d throw in veiled threats, perpetuated mistruths, finger-pointing and coercion. There’s a long list of behaviors I’ve personally experienced or witnessed in the workplace under the politics label. And I’m sure you can add your own.These negative work cultures are fraught with fear. Fear you’ll step on a career grenade, lose your job, be labeled a trouble-maker or relegated to the non-promotable category. Fear you’ll say the wrong thing, fall into project quicksand, find no support or be kept out of the loop. These soul-depleting cultures trample self-esteem, negate initiative, encourage survival behavior and diminish motivation.But in twenty years in management I’ve learned something else about company politics. It doesn’t have to be a blood-sport. The politics label can be assigned to
The nature of change
Change is all around us. Changes can be small or large, but the overall impression they create is of a world that is in a constant state of flux. Change may be welcome, but for many of us, the reaction to certain changes will be one of automatic resistance, which in turn often results in stress.
To accept change is akin to getting used to a new pair of shoes. The new shoes may be more waterproof, more hardwearing and better looking than our old ones, but they will almost certainly not be more comfortable until they are worn in. The amazing thing is that (assuming they are the right size and they fit properly) we often cannot envisage how or why we were so reluctant to put them on in the first place.
By definition, going forward involves some change, in order to keep on course. An organisation is either continually improving or it is failing, because no successful organisation can afford to simply ‘stand still’. This is why it’s so important that employees are given all the tools they need to help them embrace change and new ways of working – i.e. to feel comfortable in their ‘new shoes’.
Why is change so difficult to handle?
People are programmed into a pattern of behaviour with which they feel safe (their ‘comfort zone’). Change can threaten this feeling of safety, and people can feel disempowered by change - particularly if it is imposed on them or challenges their accepted thinking. It is therefore vital for people to understand clearly why imposed changes are necessary, and how those changes will impact them, their position, their responsibilities, and possibly their remuneration and future prospects.
One reason that staff may resist change is if they don’t think they will be comfortable in the new job environment or able to meet the new standards etc. If a change, particularly a fundamental change, is imposed within a company, a proportion of the staff affected will be bound to be dissatisfied. It is important to listen to their concerns and not to dismiss them out of hand – some of their worries may be valid and it is important for management to acknowledge this.
How to make change work
If your organisation is contemplating a major change, you can help to facilitate this by taking account of the following:
• Think through the change and what is required of the personnel affected, in detail, so that a clear plan of implementation is available. Be aware that some retraining may be necessary and have a plan of action ready to implement this.
• Staff will respond best if they feel involved in the decision-making. Maybe they cannot be involved in all the major decisions, but their implementation will involve a number of smaller steps and they can almost certainly be involved somewhere (and add value by bringing in their experience).
• Everyone copes better with change if they feel at least in partial control of it. It is the feeling of being out of control that can be frightening to most of us. So involve your staff, as far as possible, in their own areas of the change. Perhaps set up an implementation team involving a member of staff from within each department and reporting up to - and down from -management.
• Keep everyone informed as far as is possible of timetables and details. The imagination and concerns of staff can run riot when they are kept in the dark, particularly if they are anxious about the change. Regular meetings are essential and even if time is short, don’t abandon them. Make sure that the planned changes are clearly understood at all levels.
• Don’t give in to the temptation to impose changes without consultation. Unless you can persuade your staff to buy into the change by means of the steps above, they may leave or become de-motivated, neither of which will benefit the company. Similarly, a culture of fear (where staff are actively discouraged from conveying concerns or showing vulnerability) is counterproductive.
• Everyone works better where they can see the benefit for themselves. So take time to think through not just the overall plan of the change, but how it will affect and benefit individuals, then ‘sell’ these benefits to those affected. Don’t oversell them though, as staff will subsequently disbelieve anything you say. It is far better to be honest and admit that some things still need to be worked through, as this will help to build up trust with your employees.
• People need to feel they have some input to enable them to overcome their fears and anxieties. If you encourage them through this stage, they can become great advocates for the change and will work with you instead of automatically resisting.
• Accept that everyone’s capacity for change is different and some will respond quicker or more easily than others.
• Try to break the change down into manageable parts so that the overall change does not seem
Whenever you put a group of people into a work situation, there's potential for conflict. People bring to the job differing work habits, ethics, and modes of expression, and differences of opinion are bound to arise. Add to that issues of work allocation, opportunities for promotion, and other factors where employees are in a competitive situation with each other, and the likelihood of trouble is great.It's not possible to eliminate conflict from a workplace, but establishing clear guidelines for work responsibilities, promotion practices, and scheduling issues can go a long way toward creating a harmonious environment. Periodically reviewing employee responsibilities is necessary to make sure that one or a few employees don't end up doing a disproportionate share of the work.If it turns out that some employees do less than their share on a consistent basis, you can bet the other employees recognize this and have some pretty intense feelings about the situation. Intervention is necessary; if the problem is lack of skills, make sure the poorly performing employee gets the training needed. If it's an issue of poor time management or
By definition, going forward involves some change, in order to keep on course. An organisation is either continually improving or it is failing, because no successful organisation can afford to simply ‘stand still’. This is why it’s so important that employees are given all the tools they need to help them embrace change and new ways of working – i.e. to feel comfortable in their ‘new shoes’.
Why is change so difficult to handle?
People are programmed into a pattern of behaviour with which they feel safe (their ‘comfort zone’). Change can threaten this feeling of safety, and people can feel disempowered by change - particularly if it is imposed on them or challenges their accepted thinking. It is therefore vital for people to understand clearly why imposed changes are necessary, and how those changes will impact them, their position, their responsibilities, and possibly their remuneration and future prospects.
One reason that staff may resist change is if they don’t think they will be comfortable in the new job environment or able to meet the new standards etc. If a change, particularly a fundamental change, is imposed within a company, a proportion of the staff affected will be bound to be dissatisfied. It is important to listen to their concerns and not to dismiss them out of hand – some of their worries may be valid and it is important for management to acknowledge this.
How to make change work
If your organisation is contemplating a major change, you can help to facilitate this by taking account of the following:
• Think through the change and what is required of the personnel affected, in detail, so that a clear plan of implementation is available. Be aware that some retraining may be necessary and have a plan of action ready to implement this.
• Staff will respond best if they feel involved in the decision-making. Maybe they cannot be involved in all the major decisions, but their implementation will involve a number of smaller steps and they can almost certainly be involved somewhere (and add value by bringing in their experience).
• Everyone copes better with change if they feel at least in partial control of it. It is the feeling of being out of control that can be frightening to most of us. So involve your staff, as far as possible, in their own areas of the change. Perhaps set up an implementation team involving a member of staff from within each department and reporting up to - and down from -management.
• Keep everyone informed as far as is possible of timetables and details. The imagination and concerns of staff can run riot when they are kept in the dark, particularly if they are anxious about the change. Regular meetings are essential and even if time is short, don’t abandon them. Make sure that the planned changes are clearly understood at all levels.
• Don’t give in to the temptation to impose changes without consultation. Unless you can persuade your staff to buy into the change by means of the steps above, they may leave or become de-motivated, neither of which will benefit the company. Similarly, a culture of fear (where staff are actively discouraged from conveying concerns or showing vulnerability) is counterproductive.
• Everyone works better where they can see the benefit for themselves. So take time to think through not just the overall plan of the change, but how it will affect and benefit individuals, then ‘sell’ these benefits to those affected. Don’t oversell them though, as staff will subsequently disbelieve anything you say. It is far better to be honest and admit that some things still need to be worked through, as this will help to build up trust with your employees.
• People need to feel they have some input to enable them to overcome their fears and anxieties. If you encourage them through this stage, they can become great advocates for the change and will work with you instead of automatically resisting.
• Accept that everyone’s capacity for change is different and some will respond quicker or more easily than others.
• Try to break the change down into manageable parts so that the overall change does not seem
The new year is upon us and for many it is a tough time of year financially because let’s face it, most of us overspend and find ourselves in over our heads with debt in the new year. You have thought about starting a business and may have thought about this for months or even years but for whatever reason you never get started and get discouraged. Here are some reason’s why people never start: 1) Don’t have the finances 2) Not sure how to start 3) Don’t have a definite business idea and fear that it won’t work anyway. 4) Too risky 5) Can’t leave their current job to start a business full timeThis is a list of only a few reasons and there are many more but let’s not go there. What is the point? I am writing this to tell you that you can do it and there are clear cut plans to get started. If something is that important to you then somehow you will find the finances to get started. Talk to others in the same business you want to start. Have a list of questions to ask them and include pros and cons. If you don’t want high risk then look at network marketing businesses and ask questions about the comp plan, the compa
How to make change work
If your organisation is contemplating a major change, you can help to facilitate this by taking account of the following:
• Think through the change and what is required of the personnel affected, in detail, so that a clear plan of implementation is available. Be aware that some retraining may be necessary and have a plan of action ready to implement this.
• Staff will respond best if they feel involved in the decision-making. Maybe they cannot be involved in all the major decisions, but their implementation will involve a number of smaller steps and they can almost certainly be involved somewhere (and add value by bringing in their experience).
• Everyone copes better with change if they feel at least in partial control of it. It is the feeling of being out of control that can be frightening to most of us. So involve your staff, as far as possible, in their own areas of the change. Perhaps set up an implementation team involving a member of staff from within each department and reporting up to - and down from -management.
• Keep everyone informed as far as is possible of timetables and details. The imagination and concerns of staff can run riot when they are kept in the dark, particularly if they are anxious about the change. Regular meetings are essential and even if time is short, don’t abandon them. Make sure that the planned changes are clearly understood at all levels.
• Don’t give in to the temptation to impose changes without consultation. Unless you can persuade your staff to buy into the change by means of the steps above, they may leave or become de-motivated, neither of which will benefit the company. Similarly, a culture of fear (where staff are actively discouraged from conveying concerns or showing vulnerability) is counterproductive.
• Everyone works better where they can see the benefit for themselves. So take time to think through not just the overall plan of the change, but how it will affect and benefit individuals, then ‘sell’ these benefits to those affected. Don’t oversell them though, as staff will subsequently disbelieve anything you say. It is far better to be honest and admit that some things still need to be worked through, as this will help to build up trust with your employees.
• People need to feel they have some input to enable them to overcome their fears and anxieties. If you encourage them through this stage, they can become great advocates for the change and will work with you instead of automatically resisting.
• Accept that everyone’s capacity for change is different and some will respond quicker or more easily than others.
• Try to break the change down into manageable parts so that the overall change does not seem
What's the best way to go about teaching English in Japan? The good news is that there are quite a few. Some of them even offer you a free plane ticket!I'm probably biased here, but I'd say the best English teaching job in Japan is the Japanese Government's JET Programme. That's how I first came to Japan. It stands for "Japan Exchange and Teaching" Programme, and although you will probably be in schools teaching English for several hours a day, the main aim of the programme is to get local communities used to foreign faces. Just imagine if in your town back home no one had ever seen someone of a different race or culture, only on TV. Well that's what most of Japan is like. You're basically paid to be a foreign face!The JET programme brings over several thousand people every year and disperses them all over Japan, from the snowy north of Hokkaido to the tropical south of Okinawa. And no, you usually can't choose where you'll be! Although you can give a preference. The government also pays for your flight over.It is a great job, but it's very much "every situation is what you make it". If you're independent, can come up with
• Everyone copes better with change if they feel at least in partial control of it. It is the feeling of being out of control that can be frightening to most of us. So involve your staff, as far as possible, in their own areas of the change. Perhaps set up an implementation team involving a member of staff from within each department and reporting up to - and down from -management.
• Keep everyone informed as far as is possible of timetables and details. The imagination and concerns of staff can run riot when they are kept in the dark, particularly if they are anxious about the change. Regular meetings are essential and even if time is short, don’t abandon them. Make sure that the planned changes are clearly understood at all levels.
• Don’t give in to the temptation to impose changes without consultation. Unless you can persuade your staff to buy into the change by means of the steps above, they may leave or become de-motivated, neither of which will benefit the company. Similarly, a culture of fear (where staff are actively discouraged from conveying concerns or showing vulnerability) is counterproductive.
• Everyone works better where they can see the benefit for themselves. So take time to think through not just the overall plan of the change, but how it will affect and benefit individuals, then ‘sell’ these benefits to those affected. Don’t oversell them though, as staff will subsequently disbelieve anything you say. It is far better to be honest and admit that some things still need to be worked through, as this will help to build up trust with your employees.
• People need to feel they have some input to enable them to overcome their fears and anxieties. If you encourage them through this stage, they can become great advocates for the change and will work with you instead of automatically resisting.
• Accept that everyone’s capacity for change is different and some will respond quicker or more easily than others.
• Try to break the change down into manageable parts so that the overall change does not seem
Are you looking for quality card printing at a cheap price for your personal or business needs? Are you unsure of who to order from or what company will be a dependable source of printing supplies?Card printing is offered by literally hundreds and hundreds of small card printing specialists from all over the world that can provide you with a wide range of beautiful and form fitting card printing items that will have your needs met with style.But what card printing companies are right for you? First of all you need to make sure that the card printing company you choose to take care of your business cards, flyers, or other card printing material has a solid track record of happy customers. You are going to have to make sure that these references can be contacted so that you can verify that they are indeed real customers that ordered from that particular card printing service provider.Checking the references of the card printing company in question may not seem like a big deal to you if your needs are simply a few hundred business cards or several flyers. But keep in mind that if you are going to need hundreds or even thou
• Everyone works better where they can see the benefit for themselves. So take time to think through not just the overall plan of the change, but how it will affect and benefit individuals, then ‘sell’ these benefits to those affected. Don’t oversell them though, as staff will subsequently disbelieve anything you say. It is far better to be honest and admit that some things still need to be worked through, as this will help to build up trust with your employees.
• People need to feel they have some input to enable them to overcome their fears and anxieties. If you encourage them through this stage, they can become great advocates for the change and will work with you instead of automatically resisting.
• Accept that everyone’s capacity for change is different and some will respond quicker or more easily than others.
• Try to break the change down into manageable parts so that the overall change does not seem too overwhelming. Consider running a pilot operation to smooth out the glitches and allow input from users.
• Once the change has been implemented, don’t allow any return to the old ways or allow this as an option.
Preparing your organisation for change
Because change is so much a part of everyday life, your employees will benefit greatly from initiatives that make them more resilient. At its most simple, this means helping your employees maintain a healthy mind, healthy body and the positive mental attitude needed to approach change as a challenge and opportunity for improvement.
We all know that eating healthily, exercising and not being overweight are important, and we also know exactly how to achieve this (whether we do it or not!). To have a positive mental attitude may prove more difficult, and many of us are totally unaware of how to build our inner strength, with the consequence that when there is a problem, obstacle or required change, our internal capacity is not always sufficient and sometimes our mental manoeuvrability is too slow.
So how do you build inner resistance and strength? How can you prepare yourself for the challenges and adversities you will come across in the months and years ahead? One thing is certain, and that is that if you are not sufficiently resilient, your inflexibility will mean that eventually you will become an obstacle and instead of asking for your co-operation, colleagues will simply ignore you or go around you. We all know that the only way a skyscraper or any very tall structure can remain upright is for it to possess an inherent ability to move - albeit ever so slightly - with the prevailing wind and rain. We have to do the same, by learning to work with the forces we meet, moving and giving a little when the conditions demand it.
‘It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it’
The greatest challenge of all, in terms of change, is how to deal with adversity. I met W Mitchell, the US TV host, author and professional speaker, who lives and breathes his ethos that ‘It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it’. Here is a man who has overcome two life-threatening traumatic accidents that left him severely burned, without hands and paralysed. He has had to survive numerous operations and extensive plastic surgery, but talks to audiences from his wheelchair as if he were a tank commander addressing his troops. He has a quiet confidence and a measured delivery that possess an almost magnetic quality … you cannot help but listen to his every word.
W Mitchell has overcome so many adversities in his life, and has come out the other side with strength and determination. ‘Before I was paralysed there were 10,000 things I could do. Now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I've lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left,’ he says.
There is no doubt that the traumas W Mitchell has gone through have changed him as a person. His life script was not one that he planned and yet he takes on each challenge with an acceptance and gritty determination. His life experience makes him into the person he has become, his message is forceful and memorable, and he is a success story that we could all do well to try to emulate.
How we could all benefit from such inner strength and such a positive outlook!
Carole Spiers Group
International Stress Management & Employee Wellbeing Consultancy
Gordon House, 83-85 Gordon Ave, Stanmore, Middlesex. HA7 3QR. UK
Tel: +44(0) 20 8954 1593 Fax: +44(0) 20 8907 9290
Email: info@carolespiersgroup.com www.carolespiersgroup.com
If you would like to book Carole as a keynote speaker or conference chair at your next conference - check out www.carolespiersgroup.com/mediaenquirysheet.php
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