Pandora current song: Praying for Daylight, The Fray
How are you dealing with change?
On Wednesday, Sept 22 I took the NCTA student senate leadership to a conference in Lincoln, NE. Why, you ask? Well, even if you don’t care, let me tell you.
Back at WSU, I was a part of the Services and Activities (S and A) Fees committee where we allocated over $7M to organizations on campus to broaden their reach or event success for an overall better student experience. The money came from fees charged within the student’s tuition. When I came to NCTA, there was no help from the college for organizations and no way for new ones to start.I was appointed at the Student Union manager with over $60K in funds available to it for student activities, maintenance, and salaries. I decided this would be a great opportunity to utilize the funds to bring fun entertainment as well as allocate funds back to the students. Why not?
I took everything I knew and created the same kind of committee on this campus with three staff members and seven student members. The committee has to be heavily student weighed because the students need to decide what they feel is important for the entire student body. Old farts like us as staff don’t necessarily “know” what they want.
Anyway, all student organizations who wanted money had to send student representatives to present what and why they wanted the funds. Student senate requested funds to attend a leadership conference for their leadership. So long story short, that’s why we ended up in Lincoln.
The keynote speaker was Gary Bradt, who is an endorsed business speaker who has spent 20 years consulting the nation’s senior business leaders, advising them on how to thrive in the constant change that takes place in today’s business world.
Read on because I promise you’ll be inspired.
Have you lived your life? Have you really made it worthwhile? Gary asked this of a senior living community, and all of a sudden he heard a man start crying. He said at 85 years old, he hasn't lived his life at all. He always played it safe. Never took a risk. Always followed the rules. He didn’t do anything he felt was worthwhile. Same question back at you. Have you lived a boring, mediocre, yawn-worthy life? It’s never too late to make a difference.
 |
| Kingda Ka Roller Coaster |
Change is NOT the enemy of life. It’s the essence of life. Many people want minimal change with a slow pace like the kiddie roller coaster ride at a theme park. Most people are uncomfortable with the intense pace and change of life like the Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags in as the tallest at 482 ft and fastest reaching over 128 miles per hour. That’s just nuts! But now it’s my new goal in life to try it! Needless to say, that kind of change can be scary and daunting. Think about it this way. When you’re admitted into a hospital, do you want to see the heart monitor jump and fall, or just flat line? How about teenagers? Don’t you want them to grow up and move out? Change is inevitable.
With all projects, assignments, decisions, or anything else in life, they all start as an idea, like the seed of a tree. Then, as more planning occurs, the idea become a seedling. It grows as more people invest in the idea and nurture it. As the idea builds confidence, so does the seedling into a sapling, and later into a tree. Change and life are synonymous.
Nothing FAILS like SUCCESS. We all strive for it and we all want it, but what is success? How do you measure it? If you don’t change your strategy, you may end up reaching your goal or destination. If you do, there is nothing else to strive for. If you ever do reach this point, get out and do something different. Seek ways to change and improve because the staleness of reaching a goal without anything new to strive for creates a monotone of life and a creature of habit. I’m sure you don’t want robots working for you who are programmed to do the same thing every single day. Change it up. Strive for more.
 |
| Try finding a wedding ring in that mess. |
The ring is the golden opportunity in any change. It’s worthwhile to pursue. The rubble represents the disruption during the change. Moral of this story is that no one in the group was unimportant from the friend to the manager to the truck driver. The same goes for you and your team. It doesn’t matter how big or small, every person is key to accomplishing the overall goal. There is always an opportunity for change in the midst of difficulty and challenge.
You can PREDICT the UNPREDICTABLE. People need to start being comfortable with the uncomfortable. Striving for success is a never ending process of change. If people just stay in the comfortable realm of life, they aren’t taking risks. They aren’t living their lives.
10-80-10 RULE.
10% of the population absolutely adores change. They drive home a different way every night. They’re technology nerds to the greatest extent and enjoy learning the newest, latest and greatest thing out there. They are the first to jump on board with a new idea. |
| The lower 10%. You know these kinds of people. |
80% of the population are those that stand in the middle. They can be persuaded either way, but usually stand in the middle.
The lower 10% are the stubborn, traditional, anti-change agents. They’re the ones who sit in the chair grouching about every possible thing. It won’t work. We’ve already tried it. Why are we wasting time trying something new? The pain in the ass people in your life. Let’s hope this isn’t you!
Of the three, who’s the most vocal? The lower 10%. Why is this important? Because your 80% are the most easily persuaded and if you have your lower 10% constantly complaining all the time without any interception, your graph will be heavily skewed to the right. As a leader, don’t forget about the lower 10%, but also don’t waste your time on them. They aren’t going to change so don’t try. Spend your time with those in the middle as they’ll be the most influenced. Make them into those that become part of the top 10%. Give them a reason to be your change agents too.
But what happens if you have a tough team? A team who resists change? We all know it's a scary limb to climb, but there are always opportunities if people are willing to risk it. First, you need to reevaluate what you're asking. Make sure it's clear. Can they actually accomplish the task? Does everyone recognize each others' talents? Utilize those in your team with natural talent who are willing and able, or you'll lose the battle. Personal growth is continual and learning is the key to that growth.
You will need to do the same with teams you inherit. Remember every person has been conditioned differently and has taken different routes to get to where they are right now. They've been built a certain way. Be flexible. Build relationships based on strength. You'll need to build trust with them in different ways. Everyone has to buy into what you're trying to achieve.
Don’t be afraid to CHALLENGE the STATUS QUO. Just because everyone else does it, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. How did you feel when you watched this video? You almost feel sorry for him, but then at the end, you're proud for embracing his differences. Why can't we all do this?
Get UP and MOVE around. Don’t hire people who look, act, and think like you. You already know what you think. Hire someone who’ll have new, exciting ideas. Be uncomfortable. Let them challenge you and the company to become better than when they started. Nothing is ever perfect. Don’t be afraid to look outside the box with both people and ideas. A company out of Lincoln gives their employees as much vacation as they need as long as their projects are completed. This could create happier employees and better results.
 |
| Invest in people! |
INVESTMENTS. Investing can be a tough decision. Do I invest in the long term, or do I invest in the quick turnaround? Hopefully when it comes to money and leadership, your answer is the same. It’s so easy for us to see the carrot and grab for it, but only seem to get the scrawny, flimsy ones. Have the patience and humility to be selfless and choose long term.
Don’t manage time. Invest in the people around you before the rubble hits. If you spend time invested in those around you, they’ll be by your side when times get tough. I love combing through the masses to find the diamond in the rough. Those that don’t think they’re worth anything or don’t believe in themselves. If I can get them to open their eyes to the possibilities in life, I have achieved my goal. For me, I enjoy watching people grow within themselves to become something more than they ever expected. We are all flawed with flawed character. If you have a good heart and care for those around you, they’ll look passed the flaws and focus on the true person inside.
Be in the MOMENT: LET GO! You know what I mean when I say “if only.” If only I did better in school. If only I didn’t cheat on my wife. If only I didn’t drink that case of brewsky. If only I would have played a better game. If only I had more opportunities. If only I had taken that job. The list goes on, but WAKE UP! Those decisions are all in the past and you can’t do a darn thing about it. Yet, we take hold of it all like grabbing onto our desk chairs and lugging them around everywhere we go.
 |
| Can't grab for new opportunities with hands full. |
We also have the moments of “what if.” The fear, frustration, uncertainty, and anxiety of the unknown. What if I lose my job? What if I marry him and he’s unfaithful? What if gain weight? What if I’m a bad parent? We grab on to that “what if” chair so tightly, we forget to loosen up and take the risk. It can either drag us down or leave a chip on our shoulder.
But then there are times when we double dip. We think about the “if onlys” and the “what ifs” with white knuckles and can’t let go. The problem about this is that an opportunity can present itself right in front of you, but you don’t have any available hands to grasp it because your burdened. Let go. Loosen up. Free yourself so you’re ready to take on the opportunities life throws at you.
PRACTICE TRANSPARENCY. Your public will respect you more if you’re open and honest. Share information and communicate why you’re doing what you’re doing.
 |
| Make mistakes, then get up and move on. Strive to get it right. |
Keep your sense of HuMoR. Don’t keep your panties in a wad. Be who you are for you. Not for someone else. Don’t change you either. If people don’t like the real you, they weren’t real friends to begin with.
NEVER STOP believing. Never stop digging. Impossible happens. After literally tons and tons of gross garbage, the couple found their ring. Do you have that kind of faith in what you’re doing now?LEAVE a golden LEGACY. Leave a legacy that is beyond yourself. Something that people will remember or continue even after you’re gone. You create your legacy by the choices you make with one person, one relationship, one interaction at a time.
You’re either GREEN and GROWING or RIPE and ROTTING.
When you die, what will people say?
It's never too late to boldly challenge status quo.
Pandora current song: Just Dance, Lady Gaga
No comments:
Post a Comment