The ‘changing’ consequences

Changes occur in all areas of our life whether we want them or not, prepared for them or not. Change are positive or negative. We may or may not be able to anticipate changes, but they by themselves are inevitable. That happen irrespective of our involvement, but our involvement gives us a chance to make the changes they benefit us…

Changes occur at two levels. Firstly at the mental and emotional level, thereafter, at the physical level. Just as every creation begins as an idea in the mind, then takes shape on paper and is finally created, changes also begin in the mind. This is in fact the most crucial and difficult part of the process, because how the mind reacts, responds and adapts to the change determines how the change would ultimately affect us.

Stages of change

A look at the stages of the process of change:

• Awareness: Being aware of what is happening around us helps to anticipate change and we are better prepared when we see it even in the distant future. This often gives us the time we need to position ourselves better and not be caught off guard.
• Mental and emotional preparation: This is the difficult part of the whole process. Changes do have some unknown elements and surprises as they unfold, and the stronger we are mentally and emotionally, the easier it is to cope with the changes.
• Understanding the change: When we know that a change is inevitable, the best thing is to understand it, to the extent possible, like what it involves, could be the result of options under consideration.
• Acceptance: When we are confronted with a situation where a change is called for, it is better to accept the change and adapt to it, in the best interest of all concerned.
• Actualisation: This is the action stage where various steps are taken to make the change actually happen. This includes planning, delegating, accountability, monitoring, course corrections, etc.

Resistance to change

There is generally a resistance to change. Because changes first occur at emotional level, and emotionally each person is unique. Therefore, each person’s reaction and response would depend on the individual’s mindset. However, there are some key factors responsible for the reluctance to change.

When you change your thinking, you change your life. When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs; When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations; When you change your expectations, you change your attitude; When you change your attitude, you change your behaviour; When you change your behaviour, you change your performance; And when you change your performance, you change your life.

• Fear of change: This perhaps is the most common cause of resistance to change. Negative thinking very often leads to this kind of attitude, but once it is overcome, the process of change can be accelerated.
• Old habits and old thinking: The reluctance to get out of the comfort zone when things are not going right or even when it is getting worse is another form of resistance to change.
• Lack of confidence: This is another reason for resisting change, but as long as the attitude is right and the willingness to change is there, the requisite knowledge and skills can always be imparted to effect the change.

Overcoming resistance

• Understand the need: When the need for change is understood, most of the resistance is usually overcome.
• Seek relevant information: Right information leads to right decisions that allow for easier and smoother transitions. This reduces resistance. Understand the process and more importantly the benefits of change. When the focus is shifted from problems involving the change to solutions, there is a reduction to resistance. When the end result and the benefits are understood, there is cooperation.

Make the process enjoyable to overcome resistance.

The process

A view on the process:

• Set goals: Goals that are relevant to change are critical to the entire process. They enable changes to take place in right manner and in the right time frame.
• Plans and milestones: No change can be brought about without proper planning and setting deadlines.
• Teamwork and delegation: The absence of teamwork and proper delegation of tasks can lead to absolute chaos and jeopardise the entire process of change, especially in an organisation.
• Monitoring and course corrections: Also vital to the process is a close watch on how the change is being effected in various areas and different levels, and regular course corrections help in ensuring that the change is brought about as envisaged.
• Rewards: Appreciation and rewards for a job well done will go a long way in eliciting the required effort on the part of the entire team to work towards the change.

Try something different

Here is a story originally written by Price Pritchett.

“I am sitting in a quiet room in Milcroft Inn, a peaceful place hidden back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It’s just past noon, late July, and I am listening to the desperate sounds of a life or death struggle going on a few feet away. There is a small fly burning out the last of it’s short life’s energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the sad story of the fly’s strategy: Try harder. But it is not working.

The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination. This fly is doomed. It will die there on the windowsill.

Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a small fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could free itself of this self-imposed trap. The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.

Why doesn’t the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route and determined effort offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing until death to seek a breakthrough with more of the same?

No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it is an idea that will kill.

Trying harder is not necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it’s a big part of the problem.

If you stake big hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.”