When it comes to replacing bad habits with good habits, timing is everything.

Sometimes, you just are not ready to make a major change. When you are not ready to make a major change you cannot make a major change. This can be a very difficult thing to accept when you were trying to help other people make positive changes. It's particularly upsetting when people come to you asking for help and yet clearly their actions confirm they are really not ready to make changes.

In my career, this happens regularly. So, I have found the process of helping contains clear steps. First, I must understand whether or not the person is really in a position to be able to make changes. Is their mindset ready, willing, and able to make a change? Second, if people are not ready to make changes then what small steps could be taken to help them get that readiness? Third, as those small steps are being taken is there evidence to confirm the person is getting closer to the point where they will be able to make a change?

Common wisdom indicates that people will make major changes when they face crisis situations. On the other hand, far more often than not crises do not generate new good habits that result in major, lasting changes for the better. 

If crises will not generate major lasting changes then what will?

The answer is as challenging as it is simple: major lasting changes happen only when people are ready to make them.

That's why I say, change is only constructive when people are comfortable.

I suppose I should say: changes only constructive when people are comfortable because only then can the truly be ready, willing, and able to make constructive changes.

So, we must go back to the steps discussed earlier if we want to help people make lasting, constructive changes. We must first assess whether or not the person is in a position to make such a change. The best way to assess this is to provide small steps that if performed well illustrate progress in the right direction. If these small steps fail then we must determine why they failed and we must not assume the person is in a position to make changes. In fact it is better to assume the person is not in a position to make changes and, at the same time, be creative in providing action steps that have the best chance of helping them move forward.

During this stage of investigation of change-readiness, one thing that must be included is testing of the person’s self-confidence levels. If the person lacks self-confidence then the likelihood of major constructive changes is extremely small. People who lack self-confidence rarely make significant positive changes in their lives. Lack of self-confidence and its siblings low self-esteem, out-of-control ego, and poor self-image have a tendency to become lifelong problems.

A key to success: when we want to help people make major, constructive changes in their lives first thing for them do is build their self-confidence. When self-confidence is on the increase it is relatively easy to identify its positive signals. As examples: eye contact improves, tone of voice becomes more vibrant, complaints are reduced, and the person seems to have more time to connect outward with other people.

These and other things signal the development of new habits – good habits.

Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations

… and …

People Do Only 3 Things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things

Meetings should be treated as opportunities to grow good habits: good habits about people, good habits about processes, & good habits about situations.

Culture Statements should contain many general statements about good habits. That will help people understand how Culture Statements can be applied during their workdays…i.e., specific real-work applications.

An excellent way to start is to:

1. Talk about one or two Culture Statements at every regularly scheduled meeting and
2. Do New Things that show people how they should act

When you hold meetings, talk about the Culture you desire. This could be as simple as having the chair of the meeting start the meeting with a 30-second personal story that fits the culture. Or, start each meeting with a round-the-table ‘getting present’ question like…”How are you feeling right now and why?” [People would need to learn how to be very concise with their answers]

Or, ask questions like, “How have you used your talents & strengths since our last meeting?”

These sorts of questions help people get engaged. If a person struggles to get engaged then that person’s boss can coach and train between meetings.

People do their best when they are engaged…not just engaged doing tasks but engaged feeling like they are part of a winning team that is determined to build terrific things and do terrific business. [I know that can sound hokey…and it is hokey when it is done via lip service only…however, it is energizing when it is done in synch with Culture Statements.]

Show people how you want them to act:

1. Company leaders need to buy into the Culture Statements and ‘best practices for meetings’ and, where required, make changes to how they act in meetings [replacing bad habits with good habits]
2. Company leaders need to do new things to expand their ability to Influence other’s behaviour. Leaders need to illustrate their accountability – leading by example.

Linked to this, ensure ongoing communication that promotes good meeting practices [good habits]:

1. People should feel comfortable talking about errors/problems [this means everyone; nobody should leave a meeting angry/annoyed]
2. Learning from our errors [like that excellent Battler follow-up session]
3. Celebrating our education [not silly or excessive…but little things that breed comfort in communicating about errors so we maximize our ability to minimize them not repeat the same ones, etc.

Change is Constructive Only When People are Comfortable.

Communication, when pre-planned to fit situations and delivered with confidence, helps people be more comfortable and more productive.

The topic 'Sense of Urgency' arose during a conversation today. 

Got me thinking...

Sense of Urgency DEF'N: that's wanting to take prompt action when you know the right thing to do.

But, what about when you want to take prompt action and you aren't sure about the right thing to do - you simply have the urge to take action? Doesn't that also qualify as a Sense of Urgency?

No - I don't think simply wanting to take action satisfies the minimum standard associated with a meaningful Sense of Urgency...i.e., when Urgency is meaningful like the type of 'Urgency' Stephen R. Covey taught about in his Urgency-Important lessons.

[And, if we are not talking about that sort of meaningful Urgency, an Urgency that requires us to use Sense, then what kind of Urgency are we talking about?]

2 Related Points:

1. When we know the right action to take in a given Situation and we feel that action should be initiated sooner rather than later...that's a Sense of Urgency...that's a good thing...that's closely linked with identifying Opportunities and acting quickly to seize advantage. That's the stuff of entrepreneurship. 
2. When we want to take prompt action without believing/knowing that action is the right action to be taking...well...that's a Sense of Adventure!