Change is a complex interactive process. To fuel change a leader needs to focus more on cooperation and collaboration than on what doesn't work. By influencing patterns of conversations across the organization, leaders can create energy that can help fuel change. Today we are going to focus on three energies that can fuel change.
1. The energy of a big dream
The bigger the dream, the more energy it is capable of evoking. You can inspire people to help with change by encouraging conversations about the vision you share. The vision needs to be large enough to appeal to more than personal ambition. Keep the dream in the forefront and it will help people to deal with the daily frustrations they encounter in the process of making the change possible.
A big dream is larger than any one leader. Therefore, the light shines on the dream, not on the leader. As a result, you get better collaboration from everybody.
2. The energy of “for and against.”
The vocal people who seem “resistant” to the idea of change elicit a lot of energy in themselves and those who listen to them. Enlist that energy by listening to their worries and fears and then re-directing them in finding solutions that will eliminate those obstacles. This will bring them to collaborate with you in facilitating change and will change the conversation from negative to positive.
3. The energy of recognizing daily gains
Results come of continuos discipline and incredibly hard work. Many times in the grind of doing the work, you and your people forget to celebrate progress. Take time at the end of the day to bring your people together. Ask for the day's challenges. Brainstorm on how to solve them. Then notice, support, and reward what IS working, what has been accomplished that day.
When people feel competent, they feel energized. By encouraging a conversation that focuses on what works you help build a positive narrative that creates more energy. Therefore, you increase the probability of success.
Remember. . .
You can let negative energy deplete your people and sabotage your change efforts or you can ignite collaborative conversations that can fuel positive energy and increase the probability of successful change over time.
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Photo by: jurvetson