(STILL) Thinking About Making a Change? Here’s 5 Guiding Questions to Help

Do you feel in your gut that you need to make a change?

Perhaps it’s a change in your personal life, your professional situation, or the organization or business you lead.

And…

Are you taking action?

If not, why?

Why do we hold back, resist, or even stay in denial when we know that a change is needed? This resistance often shows up as “assessing” or “researching,” or “getting our ducks in a row,” but no matter what we call it, it’s still resistance.

Why is it so hard for us to create change, even when we have compelling data and excellent training?

The dynamics of change and transition have many layers, and there’s quite a bit of research on both the organizational and psychological components.

As an interim CEO, transition strategist and leadership coach, I witness first hand how much time and resources are spent to create new “shiny” plans, processes, structures, technology, and even new relationships – and the change that is really needed isn’t addressed.

I see smart, successful leaders staying in place or running in circles.

I watch individuals and organizations hire excellent coaches or consultants to focus on specific leadership skills or marketing, fundraising, operational or financial initiatives.

And yet – no real change or transformation happens.  

In my own journey and that of my clients, I’ve found that feeling “stuck” is the result of many complex factors. Perhaps it’s a fear of failure, a lack of clarity on what we really want, or it’s those “voices in our head” telling us that what we want to achieve isn’t actually possible.

Here’s the key…

All we need to get the ball rolling is a shift in mind-set.

While the process of transformation certainly doesn’t happen overnight, here are 5 Guiding Questions to get things percolating as you think about the change you or your organization want to create.

  1. What are the ways in which you will benefit when the change is successful?
  2. What are the ways in which you will NOT benefit when the change is successful?  Think carefully here. Go deep. Will it mean more work for you? Will you need to be more responsible/accountable? Visible? What emotions do you notice coming up?
  3. What will the positive impact be to others when the change is successful? Why is that important to you? (I really mean important to you.  Not to your organization, community, family.)
  4. Why do you believe this change may not be possible?
  5. Now, find some real evidence to refute each of the barriers you listed in #4.

As you take a moment to think about what may be keeping you from creating the change you envision, I invite you to challenge your own assumptions and push beyond your intellectual and emotional comfort zone.

Look beyond the norm of your industry standards and best practices.

Choose the thoughts that will create more possibilities for your success, and seek out the concrete evidence to support those thoughts so that you believe them, and are inspired to take action.

It’s so important for us as leaders to observe and understand our own motivations, and then reframe our thoughts about change to a focus on others.

Move forward, take a leap, ask for help along the way, and have the impact you are meant to achieve!

To your success,

Kathryn

P.S. – I love hearing from you! Are you or your organization at a crossroads of some kind, and wanting to create the positive change you envision?  Let’s get on the phone to see how I can help!

(858) 761-4928 PST

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