I am the problem and this blog is not the solution.

Posted by Admin on Apr 6, 2012 in Blog

Let’s be clear – I hereby promise that I will not try to motivate you to “choose your attitude and make it a great day”! Change management sometimes disguises itself as a motivational program or a project or a list of hopes and dreams. Real, sustainable change is not short term and is not sustainable if you approach it as a project or dream analysis. Let me show you how to approach any change problem in a practical way that increases the probability of success and helps build the processes that will make your change sustainable rather than something based on the management book of the month … more on that in a future post.

Right now, close your eyes and think about your problems, past or present. I would bet that the list includes money, career, kids, vacation, and so on. Am I right? Now close your eyes again and ask yourself what all of these problems have in common. Don’t hurry, I will wait …

There may be more than one right answer but the one I’m looking for is you. You are the common feature. All of these situations affect you. You are part of all of these problems. I am not saying you caused them, but they are part of you and you are part of them.

The problem affects you. Don’t forget that you also affect the problem. The power of positive thinking may make you feel better in the short term. However, it will not make the problem go away. Over the next few posts, I will show you a practical way to approach these problems, whether they are personal or professional or both.

Step One: What’s the problem?

At one time or another most of us have visited a doctor’s office. When we finally see a doctor, the conversation goes one of two ways:

Doctor A:

“Hello patient, what is the problem? You think you have the flu? Here is a prescription. Next year, get the flu shot”

Doctor B:

“Hello, what seems to be the problem”? “How are you feeling?” “How long has this been going on?” “Any other symptoms?” “Let me examine you”

Here’s the pop quiz. Which doctor would you prefer to visit?

If you said Doctor A, feel free to click out of this site … thanks for stopping but our approach to change management is not for you. So, most of us prefer Doctor B. Why? T

hey are trying to understand the real problem, to get to the root cause. In short, they are trying to fix the problem, permanently. They want to treat the real problem, not just the surface symptoms. The first step in any change management program is to understand the problem and your role in it.

In your life or work, are you Doctor A or B? Be honest with yourself. Don’t worry too much if you are not happy with whom you are right now – we all have the capacity for change.

Think about that and we’ll come back to it. 

- Gavin Harding