Three Reads on Change

"Change is the only constant."

[Heraclitus]

In a ChangeThis manifesto, Michael Kanazawa puts forth that people do not hate change, they hate how you're trying to change them.

Employment surveys reveal that the top reason good employees leave companies is over a lack of new opportunities and boredom with stagnant, never-changing, dead-end jobs.

What people hate are corporate change programs.

Big ideas:

• Do more on less - that means more resources, more people, more management attention, on just the few most critical initiatives that will have the greatest impact on results. It’s about focus and prioritization. Is your goal to get the most out of people or the best out of people? You can't get both. This is the same idea as "fast, cheap, and good" pick two.

• There's no such thing as buy-in - see if you recognize this one. Management makes the decisions, figures out how to communicate them in a way that looks open to invite feedback. The decisions are at that point not only cast in stone, but probably operationally unsound - the people who have to implement the solution weren’t really included in the design up front. Labeling those who speak up then as trouble-makers doesn't help. They in fact are trying to save the day. Engagement is best up front.

• Leadership - it's not about you - the mark of a great leader is not how high they rise, but rather how those around them reach excellence in their careers and lives. Leadership impact is not about how aggressive, decisive, and visionary you are, it is about how you bring that out in others. It's about sharing power with those around you.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Art of Nonconformity blog, Chris Guillebeau shares how to live a remarkable life in a conventional world. It's titled a Brief Guide to World Domination and it requires some adjustment in thinking.

To be great, says Guillebeau, you need to give up assumptions, expectations, and the comfort zone that holds you back from greatness. You need to be willing to make some changes in your life to cause this to happen.

If that is what you give up, what do you gain? The appreciation of how your personal goals can be tied into helping other people. The truth is that you don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to.

Download the manifesto, which is filled with stories and resources, and answer the two questions for yourself:

1. What do you really want to get out of life?
2. What can you offer the world that no one else can?

An important caveat: remember that it is far easier to stand back and criticize someone else than it is to put your own beliefs forward. No jumping through hoops, just focusing on having relentless passion for where you want to go (self, and the world), a very specific goal, a compelling story, expert status in skill sets that help others, a small army of committed believers, friends of friends, enough money, enough time and a vehicle for one-way communication (page 25 to see why).

Will you join Chris on his crusade on convention? [hat tip to Seth Godin]

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What would happen if you were to make four agreements with yourself? Many things would change from that point on, and for the better. Don Miguel Ruiz has written the book on just that. The Four Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

The agreements we tell ourselves determine who we are, how we behave, what is possible, what is impossible. What kind of conversation does this perspective stimulate? [hat tip to Chris Heuer]

________________________

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change. 

Comments

[Ed]

Very nice introductions there. I like ChangeThis manifesto the best since it's the most relevant to me.

[Ricardo Bueno]

Valeria,

"The Four Agreements" was given to me as a gift some time ago...and it's a great read! I definitely recommend it to everyone. In life, your word is all you got. And in order to succeed and get to the top you have to do your best in what you're doing right now!

Best,
RB

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Ed - It was a good find!

@Ricardo - there is just something to the most basic things in life that is so attractive. It keeps coming back to integrity and values...

[Karen Swim]

I have not read either of these but am now very interested in both after reading this post. The books that have held my attention and impacted are those that are based on a foundation of integrity and good old fashioned values. Those things are never out of style. Thank you for the excellent write up I can't wait to read and learn.