Aspire-CS » change

From Resistance to Participation

Mary Jo Asmus — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:00:52 +0000

Change in our organizations is a constant occurrence; the pace seems to have picked up. I suspect this will be true for the rest of our working lifetimes. As our organizations and communities are becoming part of the global economy, resistance is still the currency.

Leaders tell me that implementing change is like pushing a several-ton boulder uphill; they are acting against resistance. Pushing uphill is tough enough; the people in their organizations are also pushing on the other side of the bolder, avoiding change, complaining and thwarting the uphill efforts. For every foot uphill, the organization is moving two feet downhill.

Do you feel it too? You’re wearing down. Pushing has taken its toll. You are pushing alone, against so much resistance, and it’s darned hard work. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Inviting

There isn’t a better time to stop pushing change and start inviting it. The word “invitation” is spacious and accepting; but it may also make you feel vulnerable. Rest assured that inviting participation in change beats the alternative of heavy pushing and the loneliness of doing it all by yourself.

Inviting others presupposes that some of those you solicit will RSVP in the affirmative, some will provide “regrets” and some will refuse to respond. As an organizational leader, you must be willing to accept all responses (or non-responses) and lead together with those who choose to participate.

Those who provide regrets or don’t respond must not suffer consequences. They simply choose not to participate; perhaps in some not- too- distant future, they will.

Participating

So call a meeting. Invite everyone who might care about making things better. Explain the dilemma of resistance you’re experiencing. Ask:

If you were the leader, what would you do in this situation?
What can we do better, faster, and less expensively?
Who else needs to be included in this conversation?
What are we willing to try?
Who is willing to help?
Where do we start?

Ahh…..feel the resistance changing to participation? Can you smell collaboration and teamwork in the air?

The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Part III, Manifesting Change

Mary Jo Asmus — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0000

In Part I of The Stories We Tell Ourselves, we explored how to discover (get clarity, “illuminate”) the stories that may hold you back. In Part II, some questions were offered to help you decide if you wanted to make a change to those stories. We’re in the home stretch with this post; it’s time to talk about making the change.

Assuming that you are committed to changing your story, these four words will help you manifest the changes you wish to make to the stories you tell yourself: partner, plan, practice, patience.

Partner: Fresh insight and accountability can be found when you engage with a strategic partner to help you to create an action plan around the changes you will make and hold you accountable to them. A word or two of advice: make sure your partner is someone who will be comfortable saying what needs to be said to you.

Note: In a shameless act of self-promotion for my profession, many find that a coach fits the partner roll perfectly. We are trained with the skills of asking great questions and to tell you what we are observing – the good, the bad, and the ugly. We will also hold you accountable to taking action on the changes you want to make. If a coach is not in the cards for you, consider a mentor, teacher, friend or very distant relative (close relatives, life partners and spouses don’t count – they may not say what needs to be said).

Plan: Create a written action plan, beginning with your goal; what is the new story you want to tell yourself? Work with your partner to create some action steps, measurements, and timelines. For those of you who have managed projects, this may look very much like a personal project plan. Meet with your partner on a regular basis to discuss progress and update your plan, which has now become a “living document” for changing your story.

Practice: In building your action plan, you`ve likely discovered some new behaviors you`d like to try on that will further your progress. Writing them down is important. But even more important is to try some of them, see what works for you, and practice, practice, practice. Your partner should be asking how the practice is going, and helping you to make any adjustments to your action steps. As you practice, you are building new habits ?€“ and new neuronal connections in your brain. When those connections are complete, you no longer need to “practice” ?€“ the new habits become automatic.

Patience: Have patience as you make changes to your stories. Be relentless and committed, but be kind to yourself as you begin to create a new story. Understand that others may not see your new story as quickly as you feel they should; feedback from those around you may lag behind your image of how you are changing things. Have faith that the process works.

What new stories are you creating about yourself? Who will you partner with to plan, practice and assure success? What will your leadership look like as you manifest these new stories?

The Power of Profound Change

Mary Jo Asmus — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:49:00 +0000

My August “Leadership” column for West Michigan Business Review can be found here.