eTip #8

On Change

Like it or not, change is the name of the game. Our business can’t stand still if we want to be competitive in the marketplace.

What can you do to help? Ask yourself, “Am I doing things like I did a year ago?” If the answer is yes, YOU are not competitive in your field anymore! You need to be asking yourself, “What can I do to be more effective and get better results.” This does not mean you have to work harder, just smarter.

Leaders are constantly frustrated with the resistance their people show to change. We have to remember that people never change behavior unless they change the beliefs that drive the behavior. Effective leaders help their people understand that the ‘rules of the game’ have changed. Here are some tips that will help:

• Pinpoint what specifically they don’t like about the change
• Talk about what they have come to believe about this in the past
• Help them understand that these old rules did apply in the past, but they don’t apply any more
• Discuss why the rules of the game have changes
• Help the person understand the new rules
• Help the person develop a strategy to adapt to the new rules

Positive Communication = Responses
Negative Communication = Reaction

EXTRA: Everyday I beat my own previous record for the number of consecutive days I’ve stayed alive!