What’s new in your change toolkit

Change is almost always a complex, gnarly process with many moving parts... and people.

Resistance is common.
Misunderstandings frequent.

We’re change fatigued, weary (and wary) of more change to things at work.

And preaching 'change is a constant' doesn't get people into it any quicker or easier. 

It’s hard to engage and inspire people on why it's happening and what their role is.

Many change messages don't cut through the overload and overwhelm people are struggling with, particularly when remote and online. 

Conflict, debate and tension escalates, creating problems beyond the change program.

Your toolkit of change becomes vital. 

How do we do things differently to get the results needed? 

Channel your efforts to:
▪️ ENGAGE 
▪️ LEAD &
▪️ IMPACT. 

Focusing here helps cut through the complex nature of change. It gives the change team 3 elements, a mantra for strong, clear and decisive activity. 

Engage. 
Lead. 
Impact. 

Move beyond the clichés

- Let’s take it offline 
- I hear what you’re saying
- Let’s car park it 
- I’ll take it on board

These meeting clichés can be said to dismiss, defer or redirect attention. 

We might be economical, to “keep things moving”, so we use clichés for convenience. 

But they’re overused, unoriginal and predictable. 

Clichés might be convenient for you but they’re not so good for genuine, human conversations and interactions. 

People zone out. It doesn’t connect. 


Why not say what a human would say to another human, in a normal conversation style. 

Speak originally and genuinely, leaving ‘cliché city’ behind! 

The distances between us call for greater humanity and originality.

In a world where connection with each other has been impacted, it’s worth us trying to communicate in more human ways ... not less. 

The Importance of the Start

'Begin as you intend to continue', or 'start as you mean to go on', are maxims or sayings that I've often heard.

There's such a great application of this when you start a project, piece of work, a meeting, workshop or strategy session with a team. 

I cringe when people kick off an inspiring team day or a high value strategic session with this: "So just some housekeeping... the toilets are over there, the wifi password is there and ... blah blah blah"

Think of how a movie starts. It's usually some scene setting for the whole story or a dramatic exchange that sets up the 'why' of the film. 

The same goes at work. How you start something sets the scene. It says so much about what is to come. 

Starting with housekeeping ain't inspiring. Yes it needs to be said, but not in the first few seconds or minutes. 

Bring some drama, impact, presence and creativity to the scene. Set the scene. Do something that makes sense for people, that inspires them to think 'WOW I'm glad I'm here... this is gonna be good.'

The start is your opportunity to deliver impact and most importantly, to FRAME what this is about, why we're all here and what's going to happen. 

Check out any athlete - swimmers, cyclists and runners are perfect examples - and you'll see how much effort they put in to the starting part of their event. Without a brilliant start, they've got to work too hard to claw it back. It's near on impossible to regain the lost time, momentum and to 'catch' those who've lept ahead. 

Start. Strong, clear, bold and audacious. 

Then continue with that momentum and it will be a great meeting, workshop, strategy, conversation and event. 

Is this the best use of your talents?

I heard the phrase 'impact judgement' recently... that is, you make a judgement about the impact you're having on people, things, places, the world.

Last week, many of the technical wizards I met at a technology conference were being encouraged to measure the value of the features they're building. 

In every app on your smart phone or software program on your computer or device, there are heaps of features, buttons and things that the program is capable of doing, but people simply don't use. 

"Oooohhh, I didn't know it could do that." 
"Pffft. Yeah, don't need it."
"I only use it for...."

It's a bit of a waste really! All that development time creating cool things that people don't need, don't know exist or don't add any significant value to what that product does.

So I wanted to get you to think about your impact this week (and beyond). 

• Is this the best use of the brilliant things you do and can do?
• Are the people you're working with, hanging around with, are they getting the best out of you?
• Are you giving the best you have?

I think it's vital that we check on the value of the things we provide; to not wait until it's performance review time to find out that 70% of the 'stuff' we did this year didn't have an impact! <Ouch!> Or that the products we're working hard to design and create aren't needed or won't be purchased. 

Ask yourself: 'is this the best use of my talents?'

Oh, and just as you might be wondering about the impact you are having, help out others around you by letting them know the positive impact they're having on you.

Some encouragement, feedback, responses and a 'thank you, that was brilliant' really do give us the pep up to keep creating, working, delivering and achieving a strong purpose, creating things people want, need and will use.