Multi - Tasking - An Effective And An Ineffective Behavior

There are two sides to multi – tasking. It's keeping a lot of balls in the air without dropping the important ones. It's getting more done with less. It's being effective with the resources available. It demands a high level of energy and commitment. But it's also the enemy of focus. It can be the enemy of effectiveness. Multi – tasking can be the friend of Resistance – that force that keeps us from doing the really important stuff. Multi – tasking can keep us thinking about what we're not doing, rather than focusing on what's in front of us.

I just read an article on MSNBC about a media multi -tasking study. The study was conducted by Stanford University and used college students who were either heavy media multi-taskers or not. The study concluded that the heavy users of media multi – tasking found it more difficult to focus and concentrate, and found it harder to ignore unimportant information than did the not heavy users.

This took a Stanford study to figure out? And the researchers were surprised by the results? I'm shocked that they were shocked. Whether it's media multi – tasking, or any other kind, there's a fine line between getting things done and just being busy.

I know that because every day I fight the urge to be busy as the means of fooling myself into thinking I'm effective. And multi - tasking plays right into the hands of that mysterious force called Resistance that fights like crazy to keep me from doing the things I know need to be done. Multi - tasking can be like a magnet for “thin things”– attracting all the stuff that hangs around the edges and calls for attention. And it feels so good to do the “thin things” - rearranging E Mail files – reading all the accumulated professional journals – organizing the picture files on the hard drive.

An example of "thin things" was on The Apprentice show a few years ago. An accountant who was part of a team competing to complete a complex project appointed herself as the keeper of the balance sheet. The team ended up losing – but their balance sheet was great. It contributed little to the project. She was fired by Trump. She made the mistake of working on “thin things” rather than the main things.

Successful multi – taskers know how important focus is. They know focusing for a substantial period of time on the really important things – the true meaning of “Quality Time” - takes real work. Focusing requires saying no – accepting that certain unimportant things will not get done – or will get done at another time or by someone else. Focusing requires identifying and prioritizing the really important stuff. And it requires the self discipline to not be distracted by all the lightweight, interesting, easy stuff that floats by on the breeze.

Successful multi - taskers know how easy it is to lose focus and cross over that line between being effective and just being busy. They use goals to help them stay on track – even when distractions and demands are coming at them hot and heavy. They know circumstances can change things in the blink of an eye. But they also know that goals can help them get back on course quickly and not lose sight of the main things.

To ensure multi – tasking is a personal strength, examine your own approach to it. We all need to do some of it – some more than others. Busy behavior can become addicting - take the time to analyze what you're doing and why you're doing it. And if the answer is to meet important goals – you're on target. If, on the other hand, much of it is to keep from doing something else that's more important, take the time to develop or modify the few main goals needed to keep focus where it should be. And then work those goals as the way to break loose from the busyness addiction.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 200 All Rights Reserved

The Six Steps Of A Project

Reading about the trials and tribulations of Boeing as it brings the 787 Dreamliner to market reminded me of a poster I saw in a clients office. It described the Six Steps Of A Project. They are:

1 - Enthusiasm
2 - Disillusionment
3 - Panic
4 - Search for the Guilty
5 - Punishment of the Innocent
6 - Praise and Glory for the Nonparticipants

At first I thought they were funny, but then realized in humor there is a lot of truth.

Fortunately, unlike the Four Stages of Change - Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing, that always happen in any and all projects and change, the Six Steps, while fairly common, don't. They are reserved for those efforts that really get off the rails, and where the organizational culture focuses on blame rather than problem solving.


I've been the fly on the wall at enough project meetings to know what's going on in the minds of many of the team members.

Here's what one member of a project team may have thought while working through the Six Steps of a project.

Step 1 - Enthusiasm - "High hopes, everyone's on board, we're gonna make this happen - fast. Yeah, sure we're optimistic, but why not? The Project Manager assures me we've learned from the past projects, he knows where the landmines are planted, and we're not going to make the same mistakes - we're smarter than that. Let's go!"

Stage 2 - Disillusionment - "Damn, this is harder than we thought! We really bagged ourselves with that pie - in - the - sky estimate of time to market. I feel like the Old Cowboy in the painting the Boss has on his wall - the one with the caption "There were some things I didn't know about this outfit before I hired on" Ain't that the truth. I wasn't here for the last project, but there are plenty of people telling me it had a lot of the same problems. Gotta keep a positive perspective, but with so many expectations coming up short, I don't know."

Stage 3 - Panic - "Yikes, we're really in the tank on this one. Whose idea was this anyway? Everything we try turns to crap before our very eyes. I didn't know it could be piled this high. The Boss has made it clear he's going to get to the bottom of this pile of you know what, and when he finds out how, why and who screwed things up, it's really going to hit the fan. I don't want to be downwind when that happens."

Stage 4 - Search For The Guilty - "Time to pull the hatch covers shut and hunker down and do what I'm told to do with a "Yessir" and not take any chances. Time to show up on time for those endless status meetings, keep quiet, take notes, look interested and don't make any waves. Bad time for vacations, sick days, seminars or anything else that might make me vulnerable and question my effort. Scratch those Saturday golf games. 24/7 - here we go! I really do want this project to succeed, but I know how easy it is to get caught in the cross hairs when the chiefs are looking to blame somebody. And the person that takes it in the ear seems to always be the person at the bottom of the food chain."


5 - Punishment of the Innocent - "Well, the Project Manager got up and gave his report on where we are in this project, what we have to do to recover and move ahead and what the issues are that need to be put to bed. He didn't get much of a response. There was no discussion from his bosses. They didn't seem that interested in what he had to say. The writing is on the wall, but it's hard to see what he's done that would put him in jeopardy. But the result is we're behind schedule, over budget and nobody is happy. Hope he survives this - he's actually a pretty good guy. If he doesn't, I really want that Old Cowboy painting from his office.

6 - Praise and glory for the non participants - "We got a new Project Manager about three months ago and everything is moving along according to the revised schedule - the one the old Project Manager did. The new PM got a bigger budget and brought in talent to help beef up the Engineering effort, and she obviously has the ear of the the top people. Funny, when she has a meeting and tells the bosses the same stuff the old PM would tell them, they agree and encourage her to press on. We all feel the project is on track, but we can't help but feel the old PM got screwed. He was the shock troop - took the crap - did the modifying and communicated the status without any BS, and the last reward he got was the opportunity to take six months with pay to find a new job. This project wouldn't have gotten off the ground without his effort. Guess he was the wrong person at the wrong time. Too bad. Timing is everything. But that's the way it goes. If anybody asks me to take on a new project, I'm going to say "No Thanks." Better to be safe than sorry. The new PM gave me the the Old Cowboy painting, but told me to take it home - she said it's message is too negative."

If this self conversation sounds familiar to you, it's only because so many project teams get tied up in this kind of scenario. You can bet the team members in this project will think twice before taking risk - and that's too bad. I suspect that in blame cultures a great deal of talent ends up playing it safe - and that's a real waste of talent.

Work to promote problem solving cultures - ones that plan with the Four Stages of Change in mind - at every level. The result of that effort is a much higher level of commitment and engagement. Make the blame game obsolete.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

The Key To Personal Power - Know Who You Are

The most powerful and successful people are those who know who they are. That sounds like a no brainer, but it isn't. They know that they are first, the person they think they are; second, the person they want others to think they are, and third; the person others actually think they are. Successful people – people who meet and exceed their goals - work hard getting to know who they are, and work hard to align their three different persons.

When all three are understood and aligned, a tremendous amount of personal power is generated. To the extent that the three persons are different from what their owners believe them to be, potential never becomes power – it's wasted – in sales, in relationships, in negotiations. How can there be clarity in relationships if there is poor personal clarity?

Remember the movie "Dirty Harry?" When Clint Eastwood's character, Harry, describes someone as a "legend in their own mind?" It was a funny line in the movie – not so funny in real life. We all know at least one "legend in their own mind" kind of person. They are people who don't know who they are, on any level – even though they think they do.

I have a friend who sees himself as kind, warm, caring, a good listener and particularly skilled at problem solving. He just couldn't understand why he had such poor personal relationships in the software development company where he worked. He was shocked to find out, after going through a personal assessment and 360 assessment process, that others saw him as highly controlling, a poor listener, a person you couldn’t discuss a problem with without his telling you exactly how to fix it, and a very domineering personality. Quite a gap between what he thought others thought of him and what he thought of himself. Did he change to be more like what he thought others saw? Yes and no. What he did do was take the description of how others saw him, share it , and use the knowledge he gained to better understand the effect he had on people – and the effect they had on him. His comfort zone with his friends, co workers and family went up, as did their comfort zone with him – and the differences in perceptions actually became a source of humor in their relationships. His personal power went way up – he took the time and effort to identify his three persons and share that information. People respect that.

The acquisition of the knowledge of who you are and how you impact others is powerful on all levels and in all types of relationships.

So how does one go about getting this priceless information about themselves so they can apply it to their lives, their careers and their interpersonal relationships?

Step One - You gotta want the information and you gotta commit to the time and effort it takes to get it. This sounds so obvious, but for many people self discovery is really scary, or unnecessary – because they believe they already know themselves quite well. (In my experience, the people that are most convinced that they already know themselves are the ones that would benefit the most from knowing more.) The other reason people resist this process is the concern that they will have to change. Change may be an outcome, but the software developer didn't change his behaviors, but broadened his knowledge of himself and shared that with his people.

Step Two – Take an assessment of your Behaviors, Attitudes and Motivators and Personal Skills. Use a highly validated, professionally developed assessment process that can provide you with usable information . Be prepared to be surprised at what the assessment reports tell you about you. For many people, its a real eye opener! Online personality tests are not the answer – they provide the kind of superficial information that doesn't lend itself to gaining real self knowledge.

Step Three – Enlist the help of people you trust in your process of discovery. Consider them your Mastermind group - dedicated to helping you get to know yourself better. Be sure to offer them your help in their own process of discovery. Be sure the people in your group have observed and been engaged with you at work, at play, or at home.

Step Four– Use a qualified professional and a validated 360 degree process to get feedback from your group on who they think you are. This process can be very targeted or very generic – the important thing is that your group provide information that allows you to reach a better understanding of how others see you, and adds to the body of self knowledge gained by taking the assessments.

If the use of a professional and a validated process are outside your means, do this:
- Develop a list of descriptor words or phrases that you feel describe you – no less than ten, no more than twenty – take them from your assessment report.
- Give your group three alternatives in their answers to each descriptor – either Agree, Disagree or Don't Know. Have your group complete it. Use check marks – you want to assure your group that their individual responses can't be traced to them – that guarantees getting better responses. Provide space for your group members to provide additional descriptors of how they see your behavior.
- Review and compile the results. Be prepared to be surprised.

Step Five – Whether using a professional process or a self developed process, review the results with the members of your group. This can be a tough one. It's purpose is to better understand the responses of the group – not to make individuals in the group defend their responses. In analyzing the responses, look for the biggest differences between your three persons – those give you the strongest indications of where you need to seek greater alignment.

Step Six - Set up a Personal Development plan – use the information you've gained to help guide you toward better alignment of your three persons.

At this point, you've come a long way toward creating the kind of personal clarity that leads to greater success. You now have developed priceless information that you can use every day to be more effective in your relationships. It's not easy, but the results, in so many different parts of life, are worth the emotional investment.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Grit and Goals - The Cornerstones to Success

In today's environment our definitions of what represents success may have changed, but the personal qualities that create the opportunity for success haven't. And when things are really tough, as they are right now for so many, it's essential to review where we stand with those essential qualities.


A recent Boston Globe article concludes that genius will get you somewhere, but to get to the top you have to have grit. The article goes on to say that recent research indicates old fashioned virtues such as conscientiousness and perseverance are better determinants of success than intelligence.


That conclusion would come as no surprise to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who passed away at the age of 78 on April 27, 1882. In his classic Press On, he said:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not : Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Far be it from me to change what Emerson wrote, but I do believe amending his writing to “focused determination and persistence “ would be an appropriate change – and I think he would agree.

In an article in Business Week, Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at The University of Pennsylvania states that after tracking the careers of her classmates at Harvard, she concluded that the most successful were the ones that identified a goal early on and stuck with it, rather than the equally smart folks that flitted from one thing to another.

Whether its the Boston Globe, Ralph Waldo Emerson or Angela Duckworth, all agree an essential ingredient to success is grit, or call it self discipline, persistence, determination – they are all part of the same thing.

Grit is another way of describing someone who sticks with it, doesn't let obstacles keep them from moving ahead and finishes what they start. It describes someone who focuses on an outcome and strives to meet it – realizing that flexibility is required – knowing that when things don't go well, they can adapt and seek resources to help them press on. In the classic movie True Grit, the title describes the heroine – a young woman who is determined to find and bring to justice the killer of her father. She succeeds – it's not easy and she has help – but she never gives up until he is brought to justice.

And the other cornerstone is goals – goals that concentrate and focus the energy of all that grit, self discipline, determination and persistence rather than letting them diffuse and be lost to too many little things. In todays environment, with so many of those different things demanding attention, goals are a critical element of striving for success.

The importance of having both cornerstones reminds me of the story of the man walking in the woods. A runner passes him going at full speed . After about an hour, the same runner passes the walker again – and this time the walker shouts “ Where are you going?” and the runner shouts back over his shoulder “ I don't know, I'm too busy getting there!”

I suspect many of those people Emerson described – the ones with talent, with education, with genius - failed as much from not being focused on the important few as they did from a lack of determination and persistence.

Without goals, even the most disciplined, energetic person simply can't sustain the focus and drive necessary for success. It's impossible to be single minded and focused without goals. But with goals, grit gets fed and grows. And with grit, goals are met, and then redefined to even higher levels of achievement.

A friend of mine was told by his boss that there was such a thing as being too smart, too talented, too educated. He said that happened when those qualities resulted in straying from the few most important things. The boss agreed that Google can be great – Wikipedia can be great – but they can lead the curious astray, and take energy and time from the most important things. That boss said the remedy to that temptation was to stay focused on goals – written goals - every day. He advised my friend to not confuse the attainment of knowledge with the attainment of goals. That boss was right.

Now's the time to take a look at your own cornerstones. Circumstances and changes in conditions can erode any foundation. Give yourself a test. Ask yourself what are the three most important goals in your life. Ask what are the three most important goals you have to meet this quarter, this month this week. Then ask if those short term goals support your three most important long term goals. Your answers - or the lack of them - will tell you what to do – and what you need to do to build an even stronger set of cornerstones for future success.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Health Care and Knowing When To Hold and When To Fold

When Kenny Rogers sang the “The Gambler,” the lyrics “ you gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, when to run” - provided advice to live by and succeed – at all levels. So what's that got to do with Health Care?

I don't know about you, but Nancy Pelosi promising to have a health care bill out of the House before the August recess does not give me a warm feeling. Like you, I've watched this process – if that's what it can be called, weave around like a drunken sailor, and bounce off one wall after another. Is it supposed to cut costs, or provide care to the 47 million that someone somewhere claims don't have insurance, even though 50% of that group are estimated to be eligible for insurance that already exists? And another 30% are estimated to be illegal immigrants that shouldn't be entitled to health insurance in the first place? I'll bet a large percentage of the already eligible but not enrolled are the same people that never used those $40 vouchers to buy the boxes they needed to see TV after the changeover to digital. I – like most Americans – don't mind being my brothers keeper – but that brother better get off the deck and help himself from time to time.

Democracy is a messy business – by anyone's measure. Where else could the vast resources of the legislative and executive branches expend so much effort, and do it so poorly, as they have in this health care change situation? It was gonna be a tough thing to do under any circumstance, because this change will affect all those taxpayers out there that actually pay taxes and vote. And most of them seem to feel reasonably satisfied with their health care coverage. And with the way this change process has been going, the status quo looks pretty damned good. Even if all of those 47 million are counted – and they shouldn't be, that means roughly 14% of the population is the center of whatever we're trying to accomplish. If your odds were only 14% in any card game, it's time to fold – it's time to run away. But no, another iteration of this incredibly complicated bill – with large parts of it so complex that they will never see the light of day, is being worked on in committee to come up with a winnable bill.

Winnable for whom? Answer: The Congress – specifically the President and the Democrats – certainly not for the country. The latest piece of news I've heard is the possibility of a five person executive council – read “Czars” - that will oversee and make the decisions that will keep the plan revenue neutral and “fair” (God, how that word scares me) for all. What a frightening thought! But the people so wrapped up in their own underwear – so dedicated to passing a bill – just dig in deeper and deeper – and leave logic and common sense ever further behind them.

It's time to hold – it's time to fold – it's time to turn away – it's time to run.

Congress - take a recess, take a deep breath, talk to the people that will be affected by whatever is passed, then come back and try again. Throw the 1100 pages plus 300 plus amendment pages in the trash – there's been so much back room dealing to gain votes that no one trusts what's in them anyway. When the devil is in the details, and no one can explain or even foresee the consequences, risk is too high. The status quo is so much more to be preferred.

The lessons for us mortals to gain from the health care mess are pretty straight forward:

● When something that started out with good intentions becomes so complicated that no one can understand it, or explain how it will meet its stated intentions, it's time to get back to the drawing board.

● When the responses to the plan keep pushing back and the response to the push back becomes ever more complicated, it's time to fold. Its time to go back to the drawing board and start by reexamining those intentions.

● When other circumstances overwhelm the importance of intentions – like the recession - its time to hold, and prepare for the time when progress can be made.

● And, if the best laid plans require misrepresentation and, at best, half truths to pass inspection, its time to turn away, and run.

Now let's all learn from what's going on, and let's tell our elected officials that knowing when to hold, when to fold, when to turn away, and when to run are all parts of showing integrity and leadership. They're absolutely essential to our success - at every level.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

How To Increase Employee Commitment and Engagement

Never has a high level of commitment and engagement been needed more than right now. With the dislocations, uncertainties and bad economic news of the day, and the lowering of expectations, keeping a high level of engagement and commitment requires a conscious effort on the part of organizations.

In a report by Modern Survey on the results of their most recent Employment Engagement Index of the Finance Industry, they found that in mid 2008 23% of the employees surveyed were disengaged and 13% fully engaged. By May 2009 those numbers had changed to 11% disengaged and 16% fully engaged. Their studies conclude that highly engaged employees outperform the disengaged by 20 to 28%. Their research also shows that few companies really work at engaging their employees.

While the changes from 2008 to 2009 are encouraging, they still show the great majority of employees are either disengaged or only partially engaged. That's scary.

What are the costs of disengagement? Let's say a person spends an hour a day at work disengaging - doing non work activities – surfing the net, calls to friends, looking for another job. Based on a 22 day work month, that's 22 hours per month – almost 3 workdays - 13% of work time - with full pay and benefits, and no return. That should be unacceptable – but it's amazing how many organizations put up with it.

One thing is certain - the organizations that actively work to keep commitment and engagement at a high level will survive and prosper. It's a challenge – it's hard work – but the cost of disengagement is so great, and the value of full engagement is so high, it's worth striving for.

In working with a wide variety of organizations and observing what organizations do to engage their people, a number of behaviors and characteristics stand out. Behaviors and characteristics that are found regardless of the industry, the economy, profit or non profit, charitable or entrepreneurial. The following eleven are core to success in engaging and gaining commitment in the organizations we have worked with.

1 - They are seen as worthy enterprises – people are proud to be part of them – mission statements accurately express what they are about.

2 - They work hard to get the right people in the right jobs, and then work hard to help them succeed.

3 - They are demanding, challenging places to work, but rewarding for those who contribute and meet their goals.

4 - They know that to get commitment they must give commitment – and they show it through actions.

5 - They create, communicate, share and align goals throughout their organizations.

6 - They share information – the good, the bad and the ugly, and tell the truth as fast as they can.

7 - They work hard to see that equity in the way people are treated is maintained – in terms of pay, opportunity and development.

8 - They provide group and individual recognition for the value of all the work done - and make that recognition ongoing.

9 - They maintain a system of due process – a well known, effective and respected way of dealing with workplace issues.

10 - They realize that commitment and engagement are dynamic. Forces such as competition, new technology, changes in leaders and in pay and benefit systems – to name a few - impact the level of commitment and engagement. But they don't let those forces impact the maintenance of the characteristics required to maintain high commitment and engagement.

11 - They weave these characteristics into their day to day work and behavior – they are part of how they do their business – they are not treated as exceptions – they don't require the “behavior police” to keep them operating.

There is nothing soft or easy or blue sky about these behaviors and characteristics – they're tough. But the payback is huge. Think of engaging just one disengaged hour a day – and what the resulting 10% increase in productive time can mean to a business.

So what to do if these eleven characteristics and behaviors appear to exist – at least on paper - but there are still high levels of disengagement – with symptoms ranging from low productivity to customer commitments not being met, to union organizing attempts? Most often the answer is that there is a disconnect between intent and practice. The organization wants these characteristics to be part of the way things are done, but, in fact, the translation of intent into practice results in something very different at the operating level. Every time that happens, opportunities for commitment and engagement are lost – often replaced by a cynicism that becomes harder and harder to deal with.

To guard against those lost opportunities, many organizations use periodic surveys of employees to get a measure of how closely intent has been turned into practice. The first time many of these surveys are done the reaction from the leadership at the results is one of surprise at how different the perceptions of their people can be from what the leaders had intended. But by identifying the disconnects and taking action, organizations can preserve the high level of engagement they have worked so hard to get.

Use the eleven behaviors and characteristics as a checklist – add to them to reflect cultural differences from one organization to another. Then use surveys as a reality check of where your organization stands. Be prepared to be surprised at the results – and be prepared to take action where issues are identified. These steps to committing to greater engagement will help your organization gain competitive advantage through greater employee engagement.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

The Biggest Challenge To The Obama Administration

The four stages of change –“Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing,” represent the biggest challenge to the Obama Administration. The four stages are always part of any change process – regardless of scale, complexity, or any other factors. In the case of the Obama Administration - still in Stage One - the most challenging stages, where effective leadership is most critical - are yet to come.

Stage One – Forming - is where excitement, optimism, enthusiasm, expectations, energy and conviction are the highest they will ever be. This is the stage where everything is seen as a possibility. It's the stage where concepts, convictions, ideas and philosophies are transformed into plans of action. There aren't too many boundaries around the Stage of Forming. Dreams and hopes and visions all contribute to the goals and aspirations in this Stage. The higher the expectations, the more energy and commitment can be sustained and momentum generated – but with the risk that the fall in Stage Two will be harder than if expectations are based on reality, and not on ideals. Think post election and all the initiatives that have been introduced in the first six months of the Obama Administration. Think “a crisis too good to waste.”

In Stage Two - Storming – reality starts to set in. Reality in the form of scarce resources, differing opinions, unforeseen changes in circumstances, and a host of other things that keep those goals set with such high expectations in Stage One from happening – or at least not happening on the overly optimistic schedule set during Forming. This is the most dangerous stage in the four stage process. More changes lose their way and fail as a result of frustration from unrealized expectations than any single other cause. This is where frustration sets in, idealists desert the ship when they see their interests not being met to their satisfaction. Think “ How are we going to pay for this?” Or “Is this really necessary?” Or “We're trying to do too much too soon!” Or “This isn't what I expected or signed up for!” This Stage is starting to develop – and it is the single biggest obstacle – and opportunity – for the Obama Administration.

Stage Three – Norming – is that stage where the lessons of Stages One and Two are used to create a more realistic, attainable program of change. A lot of goals and initiatives never reach this Stage – they die in Stage Two of anger, suspicion, frustration and the very weight of their expectations. The goals that do survive to be reset in this Stage have the benefit of real world experience - of striving for more but coming up short. But rather than abandon the goal, new norms of what represents success, and new norms of performance are established. Success in change depends on strong, practical leadership that can effectively channel the intention, the commitment, the experience and the frustration into an objective, proactive force to see new ways of looking at how to meet the goals for the enterprise – in this case the enterprise is the nation. The Obama Administration isn't here yet.

Stage Four – Performing – is the Stage where success becomes evident – where all the expectations and intentions of Forming, all the trials and tribulations of Storming, and the give and take of Norming, result in the alignment of available resources to achieve attainable goals. The changes that get achieved may be far different from what was started with in Stage One. I truly hope, for the nations sake, we can get there on the truly important priorities - but there are so many expectations, so many promises to so many interest groups, and so many circumstances that will work against the expectations of Stage One.

Let's hope the messy art of politics - which is subject to the same four stages of change as any other segment of our society - can deal with the storm of Stage Two, and create from it a realistic set of initiatives that will keep our nation moving in a positive direction. Certainly, the expectations of Stage One cannot be sustained. And at some point that fact has to be made clear to the country. “Yes we can” is very different from “Yes we will.”

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved