Change

Leaders change things. Regularly. For the better. To build upon strengths.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

- Gandhi

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

- Maria Robinson

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.

- Keri Russell

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

- Reinhold Niebuhr (the Serenity Prayer)

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.

- Arnold Bennett

Change takes guts. Briefly, here is my understanding of the story of Caleb and other scouts who reported to Moses on the promise land. The other scouts, except for Joshua, were scared because the inhabitants of the land were big people and it would be difficult to overcome in battle on their own.

Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

Why could Caleb see “change” and opportunity when the others saw disaster?

1. Caleb’s values were based on the power of God, not people.
2. Caleb had the facts. To make the right decision about what to change you need to have the facts straight.
3. He had the right attitude. In this case, he trusted God to protect them and fulfill His promises. As leaders we have to have the right attitude as defined by our personal values and our four company culture cornerstones (mission, values, vision and accountability).
4. Caleb stated his vision/conclusion clearly, and the action they should take. Truth often stands against popular opinion. At times leaders have to stand alone for truth.

Consider this equation when considering change in your personal or professional life:

Values + Knowledge + Action = Change

Meeting Ideas

Change is a great topic for discussion with team members because often they do not feel included in significant decisions. Here are some ideas on how to discuss change with your people.

1. Identify 1-3 changes you could make in your organization, product/services, team structure, policies or other area that either resolves a recurring problem or builds upon your strengths to grow your company.
2. Discuss each of the quotes above individually by asking how does it apply to each of the changes you would like to make.
3. Discuss each of the changes you would like to make in this sequence:
   • What changes can we make so the way we handle this situation is totally consistent with our values and for company culture cornerstones?
   • What additional information do we need to gather to have all the facts?
   • What actions can we take to develop a better approach to this situation?
   • How can we pilot change for 90 days to test our assumptions?
   • How can we build in accountability for the changes that pass our 90 day test so people are trained in how to deliver this change and our entire organization consistently demonstrates this improvement?
   • Should we structure some type of regular recognition or celebration for successfully implementing this change?