If you hit your thumb with a hammer, how likely are you to shout “CHANGE MANAGEMENT!!”?

The words “change” and “management” should almost be interchangeable. They show up in the same sentences and context all the time, primarily because so much of management revolves around change. Today, though, I want to glue them together and cover the surface of the topic known as “change management”. It is a term that is used frequently, and bandied about freely. It is often the excuse for below-par outcomes, and is often used as a collective noun for project activities that might otherwise get forgotten about, such as "Once we start to implement the new …………., let's not forget about the change management that will be needed with it."

So let’s start by trying to give it a workable definition. “Change management is a structured approach designed to ensure that changes are properly and sequentially implemented, and that the permanent benefits of the changes are realised.”

In simple terms, it is what I work with on a daily basis – how do individuals, or teams, move smoothly from their current situation to a better one, on the way to reaching the best situation, for their unique set of circumstances. There will be wider impacts than just those that apply to people, but the non-human impacts are very seldom anywhere near as obstructive as the human ones. And the change we are talking about could be anywhere from a simple process change, right through to significant shifts in policy, or strategy (TYJ) that are required for an organization to achieve it’s true potential.

Mind Tools covered this subject in a recent article and gave us this wonderful bunch of additional definitions: -

It's a noun: "Change management is key to the project."
It's a verb: "We really need to change manage that process."
It's an adjective: "My change management skills are improving."
It's an expletive: "Change management!"

Theories on how organizations change are found in many disciplines, from psychology and behavioural science, through to engineering and systems thinking. The foundational principle is that change never happens in a vacuum – it impacts the entire organization or system around it, and everybody is affected to a greater or lesser degree by it.

If we are going to manage change successfully, we need to attend to the full spectrum of the changes – both the obvious and tangible impacts of change, and the personal impact on those affected, and how they will need to work and behave in order to support the change.

Which means we need a way to determine exactly what those changes, impacts and new behaviours are likely to be so that we can put the necessary plans to maximise the benefits, in place. And that, Jedi Warrior, is what we will cover in the next blog on this subject.

If you are about to head into, or maybe are already in, a season of change and you are not 100% sure that you have all the bases covered we’d love to help you. Check out the “Square Wheels” section of www.version8.com.au and drop us a line to set up a no obligation chat.

We are all on this spinning green ball for a reason, or are we?

In my continued quest to help you Be Outstanding, I thought we'd talk about Life Purpose this week. Although some people never actively seek out their Life Purpose, and therefore it remains dormant throughout their lives, I firmly believe that all of us are born with a Life Purpose. It is the basic reason that we are on this planet, it is the thing we are meant to bring to the world, it is that thing that we alone are meant to do. It is not our job, or even a vocation – it is a round-the-clock, 24-7-365 representation of who you are when you are functioning at your full potential.

When we are functioning according to our Life Purpose we are fulfilled, we feel like we are contributing and making a difference in a whole range of areas. When we are not, the opposite applies and we feel discontent and unfulfilled. Unfortunately, even if we don't fully accept that we have a Life Purpose, it is still very much there, and our inability to articulate our Life Purpose doesn't protect us from feeling the difference between being "on purpose" and not "on purpose". It is very challenging for most of us to not act on this purpose, and our lives feel disconnected, uncomfortable, and in some cases even dead!

The 1st step in finding our Life Purpose is to design a Life Purpose Statement that we can use as we work through the process of clarifying exactly what makes up our purpose in this world. A Life Purpose Statement will allow us to connect with our Life Purpose easily and quickly. It is like a big illuminated sign that will help us find our way out of the quicksand when we get stuck. It is our Life Purpose Statement and therefore we can make it as transformational, or as grand and sweeping as we wish. It is personal, and therefore not subject to the judgment, or ridicule, of other people.

Your 1st attempt at developing your own Life Purpose Statement will probably be fairly general – "I would like to help people have more productive relationships". This kind of statement unfortunately suffers from the fact that it is too vague to really motivate us to action. We need to focus on making the Life Purpose Statement as specific as we can to ensure that we have something to grab onto when we need it, and it needs to be clear and strong enough for us to easily access it if we feel we are "off purpose". It needs to describe the specific impact we want to have on the world around us, which we may not be able to express perfectly on the 1st attempt, but we need to stick with it until we are satisfied that it is specific, clear, and motivational.

In order to give the Life Purpose Statement the "pop" and "fizz" it needs to have real impact on us, it helps to find a metaphor that captures the essential quality of the Statement. This is often the most difficult part of the process, and the area where you may need some help, as most of us battle to see ourselves in the form of a metaphor, or an image. Do your best to keep the combination of the metaphor and the Life Purpose Statement concise, but impactful – not more than 20 words if possible, and don't be afraid to be really "out there". Your Life Purpose Statement can be corny, grandiose, or flowery, all of which are okay. It is not for general publication, and is only there for you to use so that you can fully experience the power of the Life Purpose in you.

Make your Life Purpose Statement big enough that it has tremendous and compelling power to motivate you to be in action in your life, and "on purpose", and Be Outstanding!

If you need help developing your Life Purpose Statement, hop on over to www.version8.com.au and use our contact form to schedule a chat with me. Or just leave us a comment below, or on our Facebook or Twitter feeds, whichever is easiest for you.

Who knew that The King had the inside scoop on a key component of handling difficult conversations?

In a business or corporate environment that, by it’s nature, often creates awkwardness, having to have one of “those” conversations with a colleague, team member, or even a superior, ranks right up at the top of the list of difficult conversations. In our personal lives, we may end up in a similar situation with a friend or family member, and need to resolve an existing or potential conflict. The truth of the matter is that we all have to face difficult conversations, and to help you with them, I have put together a few general points in this week’s blog, and then created a downloadable E Guide that will give you a step-by-step process to negotiate the minefield safely.

So how do we handle these tough situations when our natural instinct is to totally avoid them?

    1. DON'T PUT IT OFF

If you need to swallow a frog, most of you are not going to savor it slowly – you are going to get it over with as quickly as possible, and the same applies with difficult conversations. If you are having an issue with a team or family member, it needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Procrastination not only hurts you and the other person involved, but also everybody around the situation, as they watch what looks suspiciously like you sanctioning incompetence or continual bad behavior without there being any repercussions.

2. DO GET THE DISCUSSION SCHEDULED

Get it on your calendar. Schedule a meeting with the person who is having the issue and block out more than enough time to get the problem solved. It’s not fair for either you or the team member to rush the discussion and end up with no resolution for either of you.

3. (As Elvis said) DON’T BE CRUEL

Nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished by being a bully or mean, even if you are justifiably upset. Keep in mind that in most of these situations, you have the bulk of the power and control. Plus, the idea of the discussion is to end up with a mutually beneficial and positive outcome (yes, that is absolutely achievable), not to embarrass and demoralize the other person, or lose your cool.

4.  DO USE MORE THAN JUST WORDS

Use as many levels of communication as you can. All of us pick up a lot of meaning from the non-verbal cues that we see and hear when we interact, so attitude on your part is critically important. Be careful about using email or text to convey important information. The loss of non-verbal information can have the other person hear a completely different message to the one you intended. Make sure that all the messages are in sync and line up. For example, a sunny, smiling apology may convey a level of insincerity that is unintended.

5. DON’T MAKE THE CONVERSATION PUBLIC

For the process we suggest to work effectively, you will need to hold the conversation in a private place, which may even need to be off- site, depending on the type of office or home environment that is normal. The content of the conversation is not for public consumption, and if your HR policies require a record of the conversation, limit your notes to the actual issues and the agreed resolution steps that the two of you agree on.

6. DO LISTEN ACTIVELY

Focus on what the other person is saying and show that you're listening by nodding your head to show agreement, and leaning forward to show interest. Despite the preparation you will have done, avoid the temptation to start building your counter argument in your head until the other person has finished speaking and you clearly understand their point of view. The goal of active listening is to be sure you're really hearing what the other person is trying to convey. Paraphrase back to the person what you think they said, which you will see from the E-Guide, does not mean that you agree – it is simply you confirming that you got their message correctly.

Over time, as you have more and more successful communications with your team and family, you'll also build trust, which is a key component in handling difficult conversations. Using these strategies for everyday communication will greatly enhance your effectiveness as well as your relationships, but despite applying all of these points, difficult conversations are still going to happen, and these strategies on their own are not sufficient to get you through a difficult conversation. Difficult conversations bring with them higher stakes and stronger emotions, and that is why we need a deeper understanding of why they happen, and if we can’t avoid them, a process to help us navigate through them successfully and positively for both parties.

To help you with that, I have put together a free E-Guide, which will give you a step-by-step process to handle difficult conversations, build your skills as a leader, and create and maintain a happy, productive and effective team.

Download your free E-Guide here, and feel free to drop me a comment below, on our Facebook page, or via our Contact Page, if you need any further help with this subject.

Hopefully, your “getting trashed with the Boss” hangover has now subsided and we can wrap up the final bunch of CLM’s. I’ve kept the best / worst for last, so let’s ease in this week with vacations.

9. TAKING VACATIONS TOO SOON

If you haven’t worked six months yet and are already asking for a two-week vacation you are potentially kissing your career goodbye. The first year or two of work should be intensely focused on establishing yourself in this new organisation and role. Taking vacations too soon sends the message that you don’t care as much as you should about your future at the firm. Vacation days almost always carry over up to a certain point, and If you ever leave the firm, they are required to pay your vacation days in the form of income, so don’t worry about losing them.

For a bunch of very good reasons, you must take your vacations, but in the early years try and spread them out in two or three day chunks through the year, AFTER completing your first year. Also, try not to take more vacations during the second half of the year because that is usually when bonuses and promotions are decided.

10. NOT TAKING ON EXTRA WORK VOLUNTARILY

Despite what you learned from watching all those war movies, it’s important to raise your hand when your boss asks for volunteers. See it as a privilege that you get to do more work, and your bosses will quickly recognize you as one of those who go above and beyond their day-to-day jobs. Bosses love employees who put in the extra mile to make sure all the work is done on time, and don't forget to volunteer for your boss’s charity Fun Day.

11. OVERESTIMATING YOUR ABILITIES

You may have gotten straight A’s at UNSW, but you know diddlysquat when you first start working, or start in a new role, or Company. If you carry your superiority complex into the work environment without putting in the hard yards, you will fail spectacularly. It is much better to start with the attitude that you know nothing, and build from there.

Which lets us segue quite smoothly into the biggest CLM of them all – drum roll please….

12. KNOW YOUR PLACE

 Seniors beat up juniors. First year analysts listen to Supervisors and Team Leaders. Supervisors and Team Leaders listen to Directors. Directors listen to Managing Directors. That is just the way it works! If you choose to work for a company instead of becoming an entrepreneur it is vital that you know your place. The last thing anybody wants is some cocky kid who thinks he or she knows it all. You must suffer like they have suffered when they first started. Anything less will seem like insubordination. Do what you are told until the new incoming class arrives, and then the scrutiny will shift to them.

One of the reasons why I think most Asian cultures do so well in the workplace is because filial piety, or compliance, is an integral part of their upbringing. It almost doesn’t’t even matter whether an older person is right or wrong. What matters is that you show the older person some respect through listening and following directions. Through respect comes mentorship, and through mentorship you create a much greater chance of being successful in your career.

Out of all the CLMs, knowing your place is the most important thing to help grow your career. Start out spending most of your time listening, studying, and volunteering for work. Soon you will no longer be the “new guy” in your office, and your patience will be rewarded.

A lot of people just don’t want to play the game, and that is often born out of laziness and ignorance. Taking the time to read this blog deals with both of those! Unfortunately, you are being naive if you think doing great work alone will move you ahead. Selling yourself internally is just as important as selling yourself externally, and even though most of us would prefer to not have to do it, it is an essential part of moving your career forward.

So there we have the 12 most critical CLM’s, and how to avoid them. Feel free to comment below, and share this with everyone you know who is out there doing their best to get ahead.

The amazing response to my Career Path Tune Up offer continues, so I’ve decided to repeat it! If you need some help with career planning, or would just like an objective look at your existing plans, I’m offering 5 FREE 45 minute Career Path Tune Ups to the first 5 people who use our Contact Form on our website to ask for one of them. These will help you assess where you are now, where you want to get to, and how to go about getting there as smoothly as possible. The sessions normally cost AU$ 150.00 each, so grab a free one while it is available.