Why Change is so Important for Business Management

One of the toughest and most frequent challenges we face is helping people change their way of thinking and acting and so it should come as no surprise that one of the most important skills we have had to develop is that of “facilitating neuroplasty” (a nicely expensive-sounding term for assiting people to rewire the connections their brain makes between perceived situations, action choices and anticipated outcomes and experiences).

A number of people have attempted to model the processes most of us go through in order to change our habits.  I’ll outline a few here, then offer a simple and effective alternative – so simple in fact that you may not believe that it will work, and that’s fine.  You don’t even need to believe in the Affirmative Change Strategy – you just have to go through the motions and everything changes!

The Stages of Change Model

This model sees change as taking place in a 6 stage cycle, with a 7th stage – the escape or “transcendance” stage – bringing stable changed behaviour:

1. Precontemplation (Not yet acknowledging that there is unrewarding behavior that needs to be changed.  “The chocolate cake is deeeelicious!” or, “If I just work harder, we’ll come out of this cashcrunch and everything will be OK like it was 2 years ago!”)
2. Contemplation  (Acknowledging that certain behaviour is unrewarding or painful but not yet ready or sure of  wanting to make a change.  “My pants are too tight and it’s the chocolate cake that’s doing it.  I really should cut back” or “Maybe I need to stop working in the business and put some time into working on it”.)
3. Preparation/Determination (Getting ready to change:  “I’m going to pack nuts and dried fruit to get me through the 10am sugar low” or, “I’m going to do some research and try and find a Business Coach who seems to know what they are doing, and have a talk to them”.)
4. Action/Willpower (Changing behavior.  “I’ve brought nuts and dried fruit to work, and I’m finding I feel more energetic right up until lunch” or, “I’ve booked an appointment with a Business Coach who really seems to understand what I’m talking about”.)
5. Maintenance (Maintaining the behavior change:  “It’s been two months since I’ve felt like chocolate cake for morning tea, and my pants have gotten bigger – or could it be that I’ve lost weight?” or, “Working with a Business Coach is keeping me honest.  I’ve learned some new stuff and remembered a lot of old stuff that worked adn that somehow I stopped doing.  The money’s starting to buildup in the bank”.)
6. Relapse (Returning to older behaviors and abandoning the new changes:  “I fell off the wagon at the staff party a month ago and it’s been wall-to-wall chocolate cake (and shrinking pants) every since” or, “I stopped coaching and I’ve found myself back in the business – and two of my best people have been fed up and left.  I just haven’t got time to do Coaching right now”.)
7. Transcendance (You leave the old behaviour behind and no longer feel that it is a part of who you now are:  “I just don’t have any feelings for chocolate cake any more.  It’s boring” or “Coaching is now a key part of managing the business – my Coach is my new 1-person Board of Directors with the advantages that she doesn’t play politics, has no agenda except to coach me to improve my management and life balance, and I can fire her if it seems appropriate.”)

Affirmative Change Strategy

OK, so now you know all about the stages of change, but that doesn’t give you much about how to change.  Here’s as simple, mindless change process that’s guaranteed to work if you just follow the steps.  No will power; no effort; no struggles.  Just follow the steps.

1. Decide on your new desired end result, and describe it in solely positive terms, in writing.  Avoid all mention of how you’re going to achieve this state.  Edit your statement if it contains anything other than a positive statement of a desired end result.
2. Now write out a commitment (a statement of intention with the world at large as its intended audience) that contains both the change in behaviour you must make and your desired end result.
3. Redraft your commitment into the form of an Affirmation¹.   Write these out and read them out aloud (to yourself if you wish) once a day for 28 days.
4. List some of the minor behavioural changes you would expect to experience once you have achieved your desired end result.  Start doing those minor behaviours immediately.  Don’t worry, no commitment, just a series of little “icons” or harbingers (of the change that will come).
5. Put time aside to reflect on what it feels like to act in the new way, and enjoy any early results.  If there are none that you can detect, accept that as part of the process and continue the minor and unimportant behaviours.
6. Share what you are doing with the people who matter to you and who respond in a positive fashion to your intended changes.  If anyone shows signs of wanting to “keep you the same” don’t resist, but also don’t continue to share with them.
7. If you’re using our Time Management System (one of the Tools for Change we use with all coaching clients, write yourself a short daily performance review in the “Other Issues” panel on the back of your Daily Task Sheets, and be a little more reflective before indicating your state via your Mood Meters.)

Tip:  Keep renewing whatever emotion is associated with making the change, even if that is fear of failure or whatever in the beginning.  Begin pairing the negative emotion with its positive partner (eg, enjoyment of success) but use both together for a push-pull effect during your change process.  Once the change is established reinforce it solely with positive emotions.  In your instance, because you are highly risk-aware, a good regime of positive reinforcement will be excellent for your personal development.

About Affirmations

¹ Affirmations have a specific syntax that accesses and enables you to reprogram your unconscious brain – the brain that breathes, pulses and runs your body. That syntax is as precise as the old DOS computer commands, and its essential ingredients are:

1. “It is . . “ (the calendar date before which you will achieve)
2. “and I already have/am . . ” (it has to be about you!)
3. (a positive statement of your precise desired end result).

Example: It is December 31, 2012, I am happy, healthy & free and I am already generating more than $150,000 a month in net profit. YES!

The “Yes!” at the end is an “emotional driver” – it drives the program deeper into your brain and adds a dimension of power to it.  Remember:  Though merely leads to conclusion, whereas emotion leads to action!

If you’d like 5 Affirmation Cards , just ask and we’ll mail them to you free of charge.