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Intentional Leadership — D3, W2, M8 — Change

Today, I encourage you to focus on change externally.

Who do you know who is facing a significant change in his/her personal or professional life?

What could you do to help this person? Sometimes, it’s as simple as spending time with them and listening; others, help requires taking action of some sort.

As you spend time with this person, and listen to his or her story, could you help them to see the situation from a different angle? As a coach, this is one of the things I do with my participants — help them to see another perspective that might allow them some new insight or ideas they may not have otherwise considered.

You might be able to help them come up with a couple of different solutions, and evaluate them…decide if they need to do something new, stop doing something they currently do that no longer serves them, or maybe even both (Yes! use the tool you learned yesterday — Know, Evaluate, Act/Change).

Who do you know who is facing change?

How much do you know about their situation?

What options are you aware of that they might want to consider when developing a solution or action plan?

Does the situation call for them to start something new, stop something in progress, or some combination of the two?

What is the best thing you could do for this person at this point in their life?

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Intentional Leadership — D2, W2, M8 — Change

For many of us, we change only when we absolutely have to — literally pushed through it by forces beyond our control — when the pain of not changing is worse than the pain of the change. We change reactively, rather than proactively.

As a leader, you can capitalize on these moments because people are now ready to act.

There are times when we make decisions quickly and emotionally, without considering all the factors involved. These are the decisions born of reacting (immediate and emotional) rather than of responding (thoughtfully, and with consideration for the risks, consequences, and implications).

Here is a tool you might use in considering your options when faced with a decision involving change. This is based on the steps of knowing, evaluating, then acting (changing).

Know: What is the level of pain your organization is in? What is wrong, confused, or broken within your team or organization that is driving you towards a change? Take a few minutes to describe the situation.

Evaluate: Now that you are in pain, and recognize you must make some change, what are three potential solutions? For each solution, write down at least two benefits to moving in that direction, and two risks or implications that are associated with taking that action.

Act/Change: To make this change, do you need to start something new, simply stop something you are already doing, or go in an entirely different direction? Based on these considerations, what’s the best solution you’ve come up with and what do you need to do to make it happen?

What will it cost you to do nothing?

Whatever you decide is the best course of action, the time to act is NOW!

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Intentional Leadership — D5, W1, M8 — Change

Good morning, and Happy Friday! Thank you for being here, reading my thoughts…this is my 201st blog post!

Again, the week has gone quickly for me. I spent last weekend and the early part of the week in Colorado visiting my mom and sisters. Haven’t had the opportunity to do that in a long time, so it was good, but too short. Now, as this is Friday, and the next weekend is upon me, I am already planning my weekend activities, as well as those of next week.

Tomorrow, I will spend with my son and my mother-in-law who has recently come to live with us. We will travel a short distance (a little over an hour) to visit a Children’s Museum, do a little shopping, and have a lunch date. It will be good for all of us to get out, for my son to explore, imagine, and experiment with the many interactive displays and activities at The Clay Center, and for my MIL to see some more of the area.

I will also spend part of the weekend doing some writing in advance and preparing for the next lesson in my Empowerment Mentoring program, “World Famous”. I will be traveling next Thursday, for a week in Orlando with the John Maxwell Team (oh, how I love being with these amazing, energizing, up-lifting, encouraging, like-minded, growth-oriented people, literally from all over the world!). It will be a week of learning, reminiscing, growth, new experiences, deep reflection, and fellowship. It will be, easily, 12-14 hour days fully engaged; which is energizing and exhausting! Thankfully, my yoga program is portable and I can practice in my hotel room.

What’s on your list this weekend? Will you focus on you? Will you spend time with others? Exercise? Read? Write? Rest?

What do you need to do to set yourself up for success on Monday? And in the coming weeks?

However you spend it, I hope your weekend is satisfying and intentional.

“See” you Monday!

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