The leaders we work with just keep providing us with more and more of their beliefs and perspectives and advice. It is our pleasure to pass them on. Here are some beliefs and suggestions for making successful changes and for creating self responsibility and accountability.
Change
·There are Four Stages in the life of every successful change process – from the smallest to the largest. They are: 1 - Enthusiasm, 2 - Frustration, 3 - Renewal and 4 - Success. They always occur in this order.
·The single best way to create commitment and alignment of effort in change situations is through a goal setting process that starts with macro goals and creates the opportunity for every person in the organization to set individual goals that support the big organizational goals.
·People don’t resist change – but they really resist being changed!!
·The most difficult kind of change is to change individual behavior – but it is the most effective and the highest leverage kind of change.
·The ability of an organization's people to support and embrace change is its single biggest source of competitive advantage.
·The middle 80 to 90% of the people in any organization represent the biggest single opportunity for increased competitive advantage.
·Follow the 24 Hour Rule!! When faced with a life altering piece of news, or any other event that demands a response – be it about health, career, family – step back for at least 24 hours and process it – do not make decisions during this period of time. If others press you to – resist. There are a very few situations that won’t allow a 24 hour period for processing.
·Small changes lead to big changes. Identify the big change demands – then start with small incremental changes. Most people think in terms of big change – lose 100 pounds; quit smoking; learn a language; get a new job. Those are great, but they are made up of a series of small changes – the snack we replace with a 10- minute walk, the book we read every month instead of watching TV. And the sum of those small changes is huge! The key is to act today.
·Choice –people that think in terms of opportunities find personal choice is exciting and liberating. It is of equal importance to realize that for people who think in terms of consequences - and what they might lose - personal choice is a scary and threatening concept! And about 70% of the population thinks in terms of consequences.
·When starting anything new, write down your first impressions, how you feel, the way you look at people and problems ---whatever you think is important. Put it away – don’t look at it for a month – then read it and be amazed at how much progress you have made and how your perspective has changed. Write a new letter and wait another month to read that one. Prepare to be amazed at yourself!
Self - Responsibility and Accountability
·Always assure that accountability is clear. There must always be a single person accountable for every project, function and responsibility. Where accountability is not clear, the risk of failure is high.
·You do not have to pay someone else’s dues – only your own – and that is enough
·You are responsible for your own choices, actions and decisions – in all cases – without exception – always.
·Victims blame others for problems; leaders fix the problem. Find the lessons to be learned and see the same thing doesn’t happen again, and press on.
·You are responsible for your own success at work. It may be tempting to turn that responsibility over to someone else, but remember, even assuming you can find someone willing to do that, their idea of success for you and your idea are probably very different!
·By the time you realize you have been complaining about your job or your boss or your career, be aware that you have been behaving like that for some time, and you may be “toxic” to others around you. If you can’t change that behavior, get out and start over somewhere else –with the experience having taught you something.
Change
·There are Four Stages in the life of every successful change process – from the smallest to the largest. They are: 1 - Enthusiasm, 2 - Frustration, 3 - Renewal and 4 - Success. They always occur in this order.
·The single best way to create commitment and alignment of effort in change situations is through a goal setting process that starts with macro goals and creates the opportunity for every person in the organization to set individual goals that support the big organizational goals.
·People don’t resist change – but they really resist being changed!!
·The most difficult kind of change is to change individual behavior – but it is the most effective and the highest leverage kind of change.
·The ability of an organization's people to support and embrace change is its single biggest source of competitive advantage.
·The middle 80 to 90% of the people in any organization represent the biggest single opportunity for increased competitive advantage.
·Follow the 24 Hour Rule!! When faced with a life altering piece of news, or any other event that demands a response – be it about health, career, family – step back for at least 24 hours and process it – do not make decisions during this period of time. If others press you to – resist. There are a very few situations that won’t allow a 24 hour period for processing.
·Small changes lead to big changes. Identify the big change demands – then start with small incremental changes. Most people think in terms of big change – lose 100 pounds; quit smoking; learn a language; get a new job. Those are great, but they are made up of a series of small changes – the snack we replace with a 10- minute walk, the book we read every month instead of watching TV. And the sum of those small changes is huge! The key is to act today.
·Choice –people that think in terms of opportunities find personal choice is exciting and liberating. It is of equal importance to realize that for people who think in terms of consequences - and what they might lose - personal choice is a scary and threatening concept! And about 70% of the population thinks in terms of consequences.
·When starting anything new, write down your first impressions, how you feel, the way you look at people and problems ---whatever you think is important. Put it away – don’t look at it for a month – then read it and be amazed at how much progress you have made and how your perspective has changed. Write a new letter and wait another month to read that one. Prepare to be amazed at yourself!
Self - Responsibility and Accountability
·Always assure that accountability is clear. There must always be a single person accountable for every project, function and responsibility. Where accountability is not clear, the risk of failure is high.
·You do not have to pay someone else’s dues – only your own – and that is enough
·You are responsible for your own choices, actions and decisions – in all cases – without exception – always.
·Victims blame others for problems; leaders fix the problem. Find the lessons to be learned and see the same thing doesn’t happen again, and press on.
·You are responsible for your own success at work. It may be tempting to turn that responsibility over to someone else, but remember, even assuming you can find someone willing to do that, their idea of success for you and your idea are probably very different!
·By the time you realize you have been complaining about your job or your boss or your career, be aware that you have been behaving like that for some time, and you may be “toxic” to others around you. If you can’t change that behavior, get out and start over somewhere else –with the experience having taught you something.
Andy Cox President
The Cox Consulting Group LLC Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800;
E Mail: andycox@coxconsultgroup.com
Website: www.coxconsultgroup.com
Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved
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