Change Management

Business thrives on success. We all thrive on success. But success brings its own dangers.

When we are busy, work is coming in from all sides; that is the time we are most vulnerable. We are so busy we don’t have time to look for new business. So much is happening we never have the time to stop and assess what we are doing. Stress levels within Management and Staff increases. We get to a point where we have more business than we can cope with. To move ahead something has to change or we will start to fall backwards.

Many businesses have become successful by doing one thing and doing that one thing very well. Times change and we have to change to stay in touch. We have a worldwide economy. We have the Web. Technology is forcing EVERYONE to change. Most of us are excited by technology, but change adds a fear to that formula.

Often we have to make change when we are down or in the doldrums. In this case we also have high levels of stress. The destructive emotion of worry begins to take over. Worry causes inaction. Inaction makes things worse. We are unable to change because we are overtaken with fear. Fear destroys businesses.

The solution is to make changes, but change when we are down is next to impossible without external help.

We fear change, especially the change that is being forced upon us. Why?

Change forces us outside of our Comfort Zone. Inside our Comfort Zone we know where we stand. We are comfortable. We are safe because we are surrounded by the familiar. Inside our Comfort Zone we have the thoughts, attitudes and behaviours that fit us like a comfortable pair of slippers.

We all have our pair of shoes or slippers that we keep, even though they are past their best. We like them because they fit us. We can slip our feet in and out without any rubbing, without any blisters?

So why should we change?

In today’s business environment we have to move forward just to stay still. Let me ask each of you, what would happen if you made NO changes in your businesses over the next 5 years? Would your income be higher or lower? Would clients be clambering to do business with you or would they be switching to your competitors? Would you still be in business?

So what do you have to do to get better at whatever you do?

Most people in business have enough skills and knowledge to be more successful than they are now. In fact, almost everyone has enough skills and knowledge to be millionaires or even multi-millionaires.

Over the years we have all been learning, gathering knowledge, and educating ourselves. It did not stop when we left College or School, education continues throughout our life.

But we don’t use all that we know, do we. We only use a portion of what we have learnt over the years. We only use a small percentage of what we know. That is called your Comfort Zone. We are happy doing these things, thinking these thoughts, its safe ground.

Doing something new is change. We don’t change easily because inside our comfort zone we know what we are doing, we are a CONSCIOUS COMPETENT. Outside our Comfort Zone we may be an UNCONSCIOUS INCOMPETENT. Who wants to be an Incompetent?

But how do you change a business. How do you get a business to step outside of its Comfort Zone? How do you get your staff to change?

Most of my business life is spent working with clients to identify the challenges and opportunities facing people and their businesses. That’s the easy part. The difficult part is telling the Boss that I have identified the underlying challenge to his business.

Him or Her!

Most problems in a business stem from the top! Everyone will have challenges that affect them, their people and their business. And each of you, the business owners, is the point where the solution should START.

Have you ever tried to turn an Elephant by pushing on his rear end? It is easier to start at the Head and gently guide the Elephant to turn; the body will follow without a problem.

Let’s consider a scenario. It’s a common problem.

A Manufacturing Company has a happy workforce. But has some productivity issues. The company is concerned that the workforce is not fully committed to their Vision. The workforce finish work 15 minutes early every shift. They are waiting at the clock to punch off on the dot of 5.00pm.

My client saw this as a problem. He had 100 Production Staff and was loosing 15 minutes at the end of the shift and another 15 at the beginning of the shift. It meant, in effect, he was paying 6 people every week to turn up and get paid but NEVER lifting a finger in the business.

SIX PEOPLE WERE PAID FOR NOTHING!

He saw the staff as the problem. He wanted to sack the worst to get the others in line. He was mad at his staff.

I had a difficult job because I had to tell him that that was only an “Effect” and not the “Cause”. He needed to see that the problem lay with the Management. The Management needed to change. By addressing the Management Skills and Style they and he could inspire their staff and get back those lost 30 minutes a day. The staff cannot commit to a Vision if it is not shared with them, if they don’t OWN that Vision.

We have to work on the Leadership skills and Communication attitudes of the Management and Directors. Once this has been addressed we can adopt various techniques to empower the staff.

The Director of the company had to realise that the cause of his problems were not the staff. That responsibility lay with him, his fellow Directors and with his Management Team.

But to Change it is not easy. To change we need to change our Self Image. We need to change how WE see OURSELVES.

Everyone needs to understand this Fact. You will be earning NOW what YOU think YOU are WORTH. Your Self Image controls your whole behaviour to ensure that your vision of yourself becomes a FACT.

So if you want to sell more …
TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU ACTUALLY EARN MORE NOW!

If you want to be a Better Accountant …
SEE YOURSELF AS A BETTER ACCOUNTANT

If you want to be a better Sales Person …
SEE YOURSELF CLOSING MORE DEALS

If you want to be a better Businessman …
SEE YOURSELF AS A BETTER BUSINESSMAN
See everything that being a better businessman means

What sort of House will you be in?
What sort of car will you be driving?
Where will your business be operating from?
How will others treat you?
See others beating their way to your door.
What sort of Holidays will you take?

So to make effective change in your Business start with YOURSELF

To change your staff start with their Leadership Team, start with YOURSELF

To change yourself … SEE YOURSELF AFTER THE CHANGE. Visualise where you want to be as a FACT NOW! Your Self Image will take over and put you to work to create that visualisation; to make it a fact.

Thank you.

Keith A Ayres
ClarityClarity
Click to ask how ClarityClarity can help YOUR Business