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Friday, March 19, 2010
Characteristics of Success - 'Working Through Change' - Part 11 - ConclusionOn Wednesday we continued exploring another tip/step we can
practice to help us work through 'Change'. In the last ten posts we have discussed
and explored the following:
* We established that the ability to adapt and work through change is a fundamental
attribute of success.
* The five aspects of 'Loss' we face when going through 'Change' are: Security, Competence, Relationships, Sense of Direction
and Territory.
* The four phases of Transition are: Denial, Resistance, Exploration
and Commitment'.
* And we discussed the first six tips/techniques we can employ to help us
'Survive and Thrive in Change' which were:
1. Acknowledge or
Embrace the Past!
2. Learn to Forgive Yourself (and others)!
3. Create a Compelling Vision!
4. Be a Learner!
5. Make a plan!
6. Work the plan!
7. Learn to 'Celebrate' your Successes!
On Wednesday I gave you some questions
to think about and answer involving step number seven. Did you do your homework? I sure hope so! 
A we have
pointed out throughout our discussion; the whole 'Change' process can be very disconcerting and extremely chaotic. Hopefully
the steps/tips we have shared thus far have been able to help you 'steady' your ship in the roaring seas of change. Today
I would like to share the last tip and also conclude our discussion on Change. Tip number eight is:
8. Hang in There!
What else can I say.......sometimes
we just need to 'hang-on' a little longer. Sometimes we need to get back up when we feel like we can't or don't have any more
energy. When we face these types of tough, tough times; we need to step back, re-focus, persevere and attack! I love
this thought:
'If you get KNOCKED DOWN, try and land on your back.....If
YOU can SEE UP.....You can GET UP!'
I know that sounds odd but I think it is
the truth. When we deal with a massive professional or personal change sometimes the 'obstacles' we face can seem over-whelming
and insurmountable........they aren't.....we just give them that type of 'negative' energy. When we get knocked down many
of us seem to bury our heads and refuse to get back up....we refuse to try again! If we are not careful we can all fall into the
'woe is me' syndrome. When we end up there, it is so easy to get discouraged and quit trying. (I've been there and I
know you have too!) When I catch myself in one of those 'woe-is-me' moments, it seems as if a 'funny' thing happens. It is
always at that time, when I am 'drowning', when the 'Lord' reminds me or brings someone across my path, who is facing
larger obstacles than myself. It is also then that I realize that this person not only hasn't quit,
but is 'fighting like mad'! It is during those moments that I have the 'COURAGE' to get back up on the horse
and keep on trying.
As some of you read this, you may feel it is a slight 'contradiction'
to our seventh tip/step listed above. It really isn't at all......I'm not talking about the 'plodding' along aspect we
talked about on Wednesday. Here, I'm talking about when we are moving forward and suddenly we get blind-sided. It is when
we hit the big set-backs, that we have a tendency to get discouraged! Those moments that knock us down....That
take the wind out of our sails.......That make us feel like we can't catch our breath......we can't go on! These are the times
we need to square our shoulders back and 'FIGHT'.
I'm talking about trying again....not quitting.....not throwing
in the towell ...... I'm saying we need to force, yes force ourselves, our minds to see, envision and embrace the
'Future State'. This is where we need to get back up and continue moving forward. Realize this.....one year from now.....you'll
be a year older whether you take action to embrace the change or not......time continues to move forward and it isn't going
to stop for us. But if we get back up....take action.....a year from now our future will be a lot brighter than it is today.
We need to stop being afraid of what the future holds and realize this.......we WILL make it through these times....no matter
how ugly and tough they are......we WILL make it....YOU WILL MAKE IT......YOU WILL!
Think back over your own life
for a minute and remember how many times you faced an 'obstacle' or 'set-back' in your life and in the midst of it......how
over-whelmed you felt.....how discouraged you were....how you felt like I'll NEVER make it through this.....but guess what?
You did make it through it.....it may not have been pretty and you may have some 'life-lesson' wounds.....but you MADE IT!.
And so my friends, you will make it again........you will....if you get up one more time than you're knocked down and you
keep trying....you'll make it, I know you will! Here is one of my favorite thoughts from Theodore Roosevelt:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who
points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who
is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short
again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows
achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat!"
I want
to continue our practice of bringing 'traction' to what we've discussed, by giving a small amount of homework for the weekend. Thinking of a
'recent' professional or personal change that you have/are experiencing, please answer the following questions:
(Get a piece of paper and please, please write your answers/thoughts down, thanks!)
What do you know you need to do to embrace YOUR FUTURE? Create a full or partial list
of tasks!
Try your best to bring some type of 'Priority' to the list. What needs to be done first, second,
third, etc.
Pick you first task and DO IT!!!!!!.......or at least start it!
Remember tip number seven
above....create some 'milestones' and some 'celebrations' to keep your momentum moving forward!
And above all else realize this.......when those 'chaotic' and
'over-whelming' feelings raise their heads and you feel discouraged. Remember to take a step back, breath-in and breath-out
a few times. Take a moment, try and relax and think about how this task really fits into your life, from a 'big
picture' perspective. Ask yourself: Is it really going to matter a week from now, a month, a year or ten years.......The answer
is probably not! And here is one final thought, no matter how bad the day was.....keep the faith....tomorrow
is another day and the sun will rise again, no matter what!
After you have done the above things to 're-group';
then get back on your horse and tackle that task. Just Do It!
Realize this,
the world is ever-changing and isn't going to stop. Change management skills are necessary to survive and more importantly
to 'THRIVE in today's world. Remember this: There is POWER in forward progress....By taking the action(s) YOU KNOW YOU need to take, you will be empowering YOURSELF
and embracing the change.....your new future state! When you let go of the past and are able to focus on the future you
will see your attitudes, energy and feelings become stronger and more positive. Again, don't be scared.....there is
power in forward movement.....why not experience some advancement TODAY and then CELEBRATE!!!!!!
On Monday we will
begin exploring another 'Characteristic of Success'. Thanks for sharing
in an extended look into the topic of 'Working through Change'. I hope you gained some insights
that have and will continue to help you navigate through the changes you face in life. If you have enjoyed reading these posts,
please share that with your Twitter and Facebook
friends and help our audience grow, the more people involved the merrier! Here is a quote that I feel captures today's
thoughts:
"Life is not EASY for any of us! But what of that?
We MUST have perseverance!" - Marie Curie
As always, thanks for listening/reading and remember to:
'Dream
Big and Dare to Fail!'
PS:
(If you are new to my 'blog' and just joining us.....Welcome! You have joined us at the end, 11 posts into a lengthy
discussion and exploration of 'Working through Change'.In order to 'catch-up' and also to
connect all the concepts I would suggest that you go into the 'archive' section and read the previous ten posts.
If you click on this link it will take you into the blog archives and the first post on Change: http://www.hollandmeads.com/2010.02.21_arch.html You also might want to 'favorite' this page so that
you can readily refer back to it the next time you face a significant 'life change'. Continuing to read and review these posts
will help to re-enforce the concepts shared and enable you be more competent at practicing and appling the suggestions covered......just
an idea.....thanks!)
1:34 pm edt
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Characteristics of Success - 'Working Through Change' - Part 10On Monday we continued exploring some steps/tips/techniques we
could employ to help us work through 'Change'. In the last nine posts we have
discussed and explored the following:
* We established that the ability to adapt and work through change
is a fundamental attribute of success.
* The five aspects of 'Loss' we face when going through 'Change' are:
Security, Competence, Relationships,
Sense of Direction and Territory.
* The four phases of Transition
are: Denial, Resistance, Exploration and Commitment'.
* And we discussed the first six tips/techniques
we can employ to help us 'Survive and Thrive in Change' which were:
1. Acknowledge or Embrace the Past!
2. Learn to Forgive Yourself (and others)!
3. Create a Compelling Vision!
4. Be a Learner!
5. Make a plan!
6. Work the plan!
On Monday I gave you some questions to think about and
answer involving steps five and six listed above....... you know by now the question I going to ask you don't you?
You knew it was coming didn't you....oh come on, SMILE! Did you do your homework? Did you answer the questions, I hope
you did!
(If you are new
to my 'blog' and just joining us.....Welcome! You have joined us near the end, only one more post to go, on a lengthy discussion
and exploration of 'Working through Change'.In order to 'catch-up' and also to connect all the concepts I would suggest that you go into
the 'archive' section at the top of this page and read the previous nine posts. If you click on this link it will take you
into the blog archives and the first post on Change: http://www.hollandmeads.com/2010.02.21_arch.html I know that is a lot of reading. however I really feel this will enable you to best understand
and apply the suggestions we are now covering......just an idea.....thanks!)
As we have alluded and
referred to all along; the whole 'Change' process can be very disconcerting and extremely chaotic. There is nothing to hang
on to and many times we feel 'over-whelmed'. That is why today I would like us to look at and explore the seventh tip
we can use to help us; 'Thrive in the midst of Change'! Here is the seventh tip/technique:
7. Learn to 'Celebrate' your Successes!
Because 'Change' is so chaotic; one of the things that we often 'fail' to do is take the time to step-back, see our
progress, our small victories and to celebrate our successes. We get so busy 'plodding' onward that we develop a 'mind-set'
of: 'I just want to get through this....period!' The challenge here is once we've developed that
'plodding' mentality, that cycle/attitude is very hard to break. (Now I know some of you are now saying.....Holland, sometimes
you have to 'plod'. I understand that not every change or everything we have to do to make it through a change is fun and
energizing. I understand that.....sometimes it is a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.....I get it! Which is
all the reason more why this seventh step is so critically important....read onward!!!!)
As I stated above; I understand
sometimes, that all we can do is 'plod' along; especially if the change is something we didn't necessarily want or expect.
I also understand that things have to be done and sometimes we need to just do them! However, when we adopt a 'get-it-done', 'get over
it'.....'get the next thing done'....'get over it'.....etc....etc....an overall 'mentality' shift seems to develop that
may not be beneficial.
Whether we 'embrace' this 'get-it-done' mind-set because it is 'naturally'
how we operate or it is developed as a 'survival' skill during the change, we need to understand some things that begin
to occur mentally. A very 'subtle' shift, a 'mind-set' shift begins to occur and if it continues, creates a
very strong 'habit'. This shift/habit we've developed and the subsequent attitudes/feelings that accompany
them impact us and our 'psyche'.
When we have adopted a 'plodding' mentality, the attitudes/feelings
that also develop (and unfortunately a lot of times 'stick around) are many times negative attitudes/feelings. These
'negatives' whether we realize it or not impact us in how we view the 'change' and other things in our lives but it also subsequently
impacts our productivity and how we progress forward.
With the above foundation established, the 'importance'
of this seventh step/tip needs to be realized and embraced. During massive amounts of change we often take on a 'survival'
mentality.......and I understand why! What I'm asking is when we are faced with a 'change', we incorporate this step
into the process. As we progress (or plod) onward we need to set-up some 'personal' milestones as benchmarks' of
our accomplishments and then plan subsequent 'celebrations' honoring your movement forward.
It seems we get so
'engrossed' with the change or in the midst of the current change another change is thrust upon us that we forget or overlook
this key step/tip. If we can start to incorporate small 'milestones and celebrations' we will create 'positive' energy/feelings
for ourselves and these feeling will have a positive effect on our attitudes. Lets be honest and face it, when our
'attitudes/energy/feelings' are positive, we all know we are better equipped to continue coping and working through the change
effectively.
I want to continue a 'practice' what I have done through-out all of our previous posts; I
would like you to take some time and think about tip/technique number seven that we discussed today. Please continue
to explore some of the 'recent' professional and personal changes that you have experienced and examine them by answering
the following questions about the step we have just introduced:
What do you need to do to 'Celebrate' your Successes? Brainstorm a big list! (Have fun with this......just
do it!)
What are good natural 'milestone' points in the change process
How many 'milestones' will you
need to create to keep you focused and 'on-track'?
What types of 'celebrations' can you plan as you reach a milestone to
acknowledge your progress and success?
Who else should be included in your 'Celebrations?
Write
down your ideas, have fun with this......they are YOUR Celebrations.........enjoy the process and smile!
After you have answered and yes written down your thoughts......Above all else.........Do
Something about it! Take Action! Harness your new found energy. There is POWER in forward progress....have a 'celebration'
for doing the homework! By taking the action(s) YOU KNOW YOU need to take, you will be empowering YOURSELF
and embracing the change.....your new future state! When you embrace this step you will begin to see your attitudes, energy
and feelings become stronger and more positive. Don't be scared.....there is power in forward movement.....why not experience
some advancement TODAY and then CELEBRATE!!!!!!
In Friday's post, we will share one more tip/technique and we'll also conclude our discussion on Change. As
always, until next time, thanks for listening/reading and remember to:
'Dream Big and Dare to Fail!'
2:55 pm edt
Monday, March 15, 2010
Characteristics of Success - 'Working Through Change' - Part 9On Friday we continued to explore some steps/tips/techniques
we could employ to help us work through 'Change'. In the last eight posts we
have discussed and explored the following:
* We established that the ability to adapt and work through
change is a fundamental attribute of success.
* The five aspects of 'Loss' we face when going through 'Change'
are: Security, Competence,
Relationships, Sense of Direction and Territory.
* The four phases of Transition
are: Denial, Resistance, Exploration and Commitment'.
* And we discussed the first four tips/techniques
we can employ to help us 'Survive and Thrive in Change' which were:
1. Acknowledge or Embrace the Past!
2. Learn to Forgive Yourself (and others)!
3. Create a Compelling Vision!
4. Be a Learner!
Today I would like
us to look at and explore the fifth and sixth tips we can employ to help us; 'Thrive in the midst of Change'! One of the common
themes or threads that connect the whole process of dealing with Change is a feeling of being 'overwhelmed'. When we are going
through a massive expected or an unanticipated change, we commonly feel 'like we're drowning' and can't get our breath. We
are trying our best to stay a float but it seems that one wave (event) after another keeps crashing down upon us.
The fifth and sixth steps will appear rather obvious to us all but yet they need to be explored and here they are:
5. Make a plan!
6. Work the plan!
One of the things that we need to realize is when we feel 'over-whelmed'
by a 'Change', one of the first things that seem to disappear is our organizational abilities. Here's what I mean: As
we discussed in previous posts, during times of large amounts of change we spend so much time 'pushing back or resisting'
the change that we're not prepared to be able to cope with the 'new future'. When we finally get to the point of being ready
to accept the new future and move forward.....at that point we are usually 'behind' the eight-ball and we end up playing 'catch-up'.
When we get to the point of 'focusing' forward we have so much to do that we don't know where to start. What then
usually happens is that we become scattered in our efforts. What I mean by scattered is this: We begin one task and mid-way
through it we realize that we should also being doing this......so we stop and start on the the next thing......half-way through
the second task we realize another thing we have to do......so we stop that one and move on.......and the cycle continues
on and on. The result of this time is that we have started a lot of things......and completed none of them! It seems that
when we are 'mentally and emotionally' ready to attack a change and embrace the new future we panic and just start doing things.
When we finally get to the place of being ready to tackle the future, in stead of just plowing ahead in random order
we need to first STOP and MAKE A PLAN! I realize at this point we may not know all the steps or action items we need to be
doing but we need to at least have a 'general' plan of attack. My suggestion is to stop panicking and just doing stuff. Take
a step back and spend a little time to bring some order to the chaos. Make a tentative plan of the items that need to be completed
and then bring a priority/order to the list.
The challenge is many of us have a plan but we don't prioritize it; then
we just end up attacking or doing the 'easiest' items first. Make your plan, write it down and then give an order to
the steps......what are you going to do first, second, third, etc, etc. That way you are not floundering around doing small
insignificant items and it will keep you focused.
It is also important during these times to 're-assess'
your progress often. When we are moving forward during a change we need to remember that these are often very 'fluid'
times; 'new' items/things will appear to you as you work. It is then that we need to 'up-date' our plan. In
some ways, these times will involve a constant re-assessing of our plan, adding new tasks and then re-prioritizing
our 'new' list. The more you re-assess and re-order your items the easier it will be to keep on track and stay focused. Once
you have a basic 'starting plan' then you need to..........
6.
Work the plan!
I know this steps appears obvious but it is never-the-less very,
very hard to do. We all have the tendency to under-estimate how 'chaotic' this period is and because of this
chaos we lose focus easily and get off track often. This is a time to make your list, prioritize the list, first, second third,
etc and then WORK the plan and the ORDER. (Yes, we need to remember that every couple steps to re-evaluate, add or
delete steps, re-prioiritze but then get back to attacking them in order!)
This
step appears so much easier than it really is: Working the plan takes a tremendous amount of discipline and equally as much
constant focus and re-evaluation. Once you have made your list, prioritized it then you must be 'DOG-GED and FLUID' at the
same time. Dog-ged in that you have to be focused and complete one step at a time, you have to stay on task.....fluid in that
you have to adjust every couple steps as things continue to evolve.
I want to continue a 'practice' what
I have done through-out all eight of the previous posts; I would like you to take some time and think about what
we have discussed today. Please continue to explore some of the 'recent' professional and personal changes that you have experienced
and examine them by answering the following questions about the two steps we have introduced today:
What do you need to accomplish? Write it down!
What
is your 'initial' plan? (Again, write it down!)
What are all or as many of the items (tasks) you can think of,
that you need to do? Make a brainstorm list.....don't worry about the order right now.....just get all the steps you
can think of down on paper.....just do it....write them down!
Once you have your list, start to look for groupings
and patterns of things that need to be accomplished. Group them accordingly!
Now prioritize the list! What will
you do first, second third?.....Do it, prioritize the list, the best you can!
Then start........take your number
one task and DO IT! Feel the power of accomplishment as you one by one take and accomplish these items......Don't let the
size of the list over-whelm you. Take one item at a time and DO IT!!!!!!!!!
Remember that after you have completed
a few steps, take a moment and 're-evaluate' your plan....... At that point add or delete steps and re-prioritize
as needed....then begin working the plan once again!
And remember this.........Enjoy the process and smile......Congratulations,
You're moving FORWARD!!!!!!
In Wednesday's post, we will continue our discussion and explore additional steps we can use to
navigate ourselves through this maze of Change. As always, until next time, thanks for listening/reading and remember
to:
'Dream
Big and Dare to Fail!'
12:23 pm edt
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