Embrace Change…And Find Out What You’re Capable Of

Today’s blog entry is inspired by a couple of different events from the last couple of weeks.  Overall, July has been an interesting month for many reasons.  There have been a lot of changes going on at work, and I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about change and the different reactions that people have to change.  As I was doing some chores around the house, I had time to think and string some thoughts together.

As I reflected on the month of July, I realized that a person’s attitude towards embracing change is a direct reflection of the cause of the change.  I was invited to a friend’s house for the 4^th of July to spend time with her, her family, and her friends.  I had a great time while I was there.  Her daughters know me as “Uncle Larry”, and it was a good chance to get to spend some time with them.  As I was talking to one of the daughters, she made the following comment:  “I’m not very good at writing”.  Immediately, my coaching instincts kicked in and my response was:  “It’s not that you’re not very good at writing, but rather you need to work at it”.  Her father’s response was in the line that it was a great way to look at the situation.  When I coach youth soccer, most of the players I work with really begin to improve when they change their mental attitude about their ability.  So, whenever they say they’re not very good at something, I immediately correct their perspective, and make them realize that they just need to work at it more.  It’s the difference between a negative and a positive view of the situation.

What I have discovered as a coach is that if a player has a negative attitude about their ability to get better at something, often working at getting better will be viewed as a difficult chore, and they will be less willing to work at it.  When they have a positive attitude about their ability to get better at something, they are often motivated by the perspective that they are working to get better.  Of course, it’s not as simple as that.  One of the things I also do is put measurements in place with the player where we regularly track their progress and set new goals for how they want to get better.  I will typically do this with a visual tracking system where the progress is easy to see.  Having visual reminders and progress is often a motivator.  You have to remind the player that they are not always going to consistently get better.  They will have dips in performance, but that shouldn’t deter them. 

Along with this, the last couple of weeks at work have involved making changes to try to improve what we do and how we do it.  Quite often at work, not matter where I've been, there are two ways that different people approach change.  One group of people views change as something that has been forced on them, and something that will cause a disruption in the way they do things.  Another group of people views it as a challenge, and use it as a way to step up their game to see what they’re capable of.  In my experience, the first group resists change because they view it as a chore.  The second group looks at it as an opportunity, and is more apt to embrace and pursue the change.

Throughout my career, I have often found myself sitting in meetings where we were talking about current processes and changes to make improvements in the current processes.  The meetings can be interesting because you have some people where no matter what is suggested, they find a reason not to change.  Change is viewed as hard, and viewed as a chore.  Then, you have other people that view change as a way to make positive improvements, and embrace the change.  The difference between the two groups is not the change itself, but rather their mental perspective about what change means.

One very common misinterpretation of a suggested change is that people take it personally, like they’re not doing their job or that others think the job can be done better by other people.  Immediately, the barriers and defense mechanisms kick in, and no matter what you suggest, there is resistance to change or denial that any improvements need to be made.  In almost every case, it’s no necessarily the person’s fault as to why things need to change, but rather the process they are using.  In this situation, what you need to do is continually have the people involved focus on the change of the process, and to try to keep reminding them that it’s not a personal attack, but rather an “attack” on the situation.   

I have a confession to make.  I’m not always really good with change either.  Many people I work with may not view me that way.  Externally, I often come across as someone who embraces change, and is always looking to improve.  However, internally, I often struggle with it.  I take my job and what I do very personally.  I always want to be the best that I can be and succeed at everything I do.  So, when it comes time to change or improve something I have done, it can be difficult to deal with.  However, I have come to a point in my career where I can push those feelings aside and do what needs to be done.  So, even though my initial reaction may be that of fear or resistance, after I’ve had time to process it, I’m able to move forward and do what needs to be done.  That’s the key.  You need to be able to process your fears, push them aside, and then do what needs to be done.

As far as managers go, I think there are a couple of things that people need to keep in mind.  First, is the fact that not all people accept change at the same pace, and your going to have to do more hand holding with some people when it comes to working through feelings and accepting change.  To go with that, you also want to make sure that you take the time to review a change that someone made, and show them how a change made a positive impact.  When you do this, the next time they are asked to make a change, it will be a less painful experience.  Second, you need to put processes and policies in place that encourage change.  This could be in the form of recognition or rewards for ideas and behavior that contributed to positive change.  Third, it needs to be visual.  Almost everyone is motivated when they walk by some sort of visual measurement system where they can see that progress is being made.  Verbal acknowledgement is a great thing and still required, but when people have something visual to look at, it’s a regular reminder of the progress they are making when it comes to change.

If you’re a non-manager that is reading this blog entry, I challenge you to do what you can to accept change.  Change is not easy, no matter who you are.  However, I have found throughout my career that when I put my feelings aside and accept change, I am often surprised at what I am able to accomplish.  So, as the title of the blog goes… Embrace Change…And Find Out What You’re Capable Of.  You will be surprised with the results.

How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

An event that happened to me at work last week is the inspiration for this blog.  It’s caused me to reflect on what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and how I wish to be remembered when the day is done. 

Lately, a lot of tough challenges and sticky situations have been thrown my way to deal with at work by both my boss and her boss.  While I joke that I’m their personal “black ops team” (i.e. go in, figure it out, get out, and not be noticed…maybe), I have to admit that it’s been a lot of fun.  They both know that nothing inspires me more than something that challenges all of my abilities, and requires a bit of creativity in coming up with the right solution.  Honestly, the tougher the challenge, the happier I am.  Yes, it does get to me once in a while because I have a lot of ups and downs where I’m just not sure how I’m going to get something done.  However, I never give up and push myself through the difficulties.

So, we had an organization meeting last week, which we do about every other week just to keep everyone on the same page because there are so many changes we are all dealing with.  For this particular meeting, I had originally decided to skip it because I was working on one of those black ops problems and didn’t want to disrupt my thought process.  As I was working, I got an instant message from my boss.  “Are you at your desk?”  My response was a simple “Yes”.  Her immediate response was “get your butt to the meeting”.   We have a great relationship, so I knew two things.  First, it was her funny way of telling me to do something.  Second, she doesn’t tell me to do something that directly very often, so I should probably comply.  Those who know me know that my gut reaction to management is to give them a hard time before I comply, but in this case, I did not.

When I got there, we were having a review of the upcoming open house our department is having.  The goal is to have a tradeshow like environment where we can invite the entire company to come and see what we do, how we do it, etc.  It’s been a long time since our department has done anything like that, so we have been working very hard to make sure this is the best one ever.  We really want to create a positive atmosphere, and reach out to the people in the company that we work with.  I’ve been spending a lot of time helping others with this event as I’ve done a lot of tradeshows before, and have some pretty good ideas to help each group “advertise” their capabilities.  I guess spending some time in sales did pay off…

Anyway, we were reviewing the schedule and commitments and making sure that everyone knew what they were responsible for.  My first thought was that it was good that I did come just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.  I have been involved in so many different things that it was good just to make sure that everything was in check and there wasn’t anything else I needed to be doing.  Good thing I was told to get to the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, there was another announcement.  My boss’ boss had a special presentation to make, and it was for me.  I thought, wow, this is nice.  I’ve done a lot lately, but don’t really spend too much time thinking about the rewards, but rather just trying to do the best job I can.  The award was very simple, but also touched me very deeply.  It’s through this award that I will talk about the topic of this blog.  However, first, I want to share what was said:

“Larry makes one extraordinary contribution after another.  No matter the situation, how busy he is, or who is asking, Larry is always willing and able to consult on anything.  Excellence, teamwork, and devotion to user needs are always the drivers of Larry’s work.”

“We appreciate your passion and constant willingness to go the extra mile!  You push everyone in EIM to think outside of the status quo box and drive us toward meeting our customer/stakeholders’ data needs while at the same time helping us develop better relationships as an EIM team.”

OK, before I go on, I want to make sure that I’m clear.  I am very proud of this, as I think I should be.  And, I am very proud that my boss took the time to write this up and make a formal presentation.  It’s very flattering, and to me, it shows just how much I’m appreciated.  As of tomorrow, this will be framed and hanging in my office.  However, while some may see it as bragging, I am using it to make a point.

I’ve reached a point in my career where I often think about my legacy and how I want to be viewed.  As I’ve said many times in many different blogs, I never viewed my career, especially starting DecisionPoint, as a way to get rich and famous.  It was a way to do the things that I love and have an impact on the lives of others (co-workers, customers, etc.).  To me, it’s not success if you have individual success, but you “leave a trail of dead bodies” (i.e. people you’ve thrown under the bus to get ahead) in order to get there.  I have always wanted to be viewed as someone who was not only successful, but also someone who was willing to help inspire others to achieve success as well.

While I can’t remember the exact wording, I remember seeing a motivational poster where a grandfather is walking along the beach with his grandson.  The quote goes something like this:  in the end, it’s not about how much money I’ve made, but rather the number of lives I’ve touched.  This really speaks to how I try to live my life, both personal and work life.  I want to be viewed as someone who always tried to help make things better and help others achieve their goals.  I’m driven to help others, and while it hasn’t always contributed to financial success, it’s contributed to my success.  I love waking up each day reflecting one what I’ve been able to do and how I’ve been able to help others.  I also reflect on what I can do to make things better and help others be successful.  It just makes me feel really, really good inside.

So, I finish this blog with a challenge to all that read it.  When you wake up each day, rather than think about what you need and how you need it, think about how you can help others and make a difference in their life.  If you take this perspective, your own rewards will be taken care of.  Instead of “what have you done for me lately?”, the question should be “what have I done for someone else lately?”

I want to thank both my boss and her boss for being the best they can be, and reminding me every day of what’s important, and why I do what I do.  You both are the best!!!