Today, Business Coach Ben Pumphrey talks about change.
Ingredients for Change
There come times in both our professional and personal lives where there is a desire to make changes. To make those changes, it is not enough simply to desire them. A plan has to be in place and there are three elements that have to be present before changes can take place.
These elements are named in Gleicher’s formula:
- dissatisfaction and the degree of dissatisfaction
- vision towards a better future and
- the perception of first steps to change
In order to move forward in making change, those three elements need to be stronger than your natural resistance to change.
Dissatisfaction with Status Quo
The first element, dissatisfaction, is often what prompts us to start thinking about making a change. Something in our business just isn’t working the way we want, we aren’t seeing the desired results, and your marketing efforts feel stagnant.Whatever it is, there is something going on that does not bring about a feeling of satisfaction. If you stop there, then there is no moving forward and bringing about change. That is why you must then create a vision of a better future.
Vision for the Future
The vision of a better future is a key element in being a change agent. You need to come up with a plan of how things will be once changes are put into place. What results will you start to see? How will that change affect the operation of your business? What does your new marketing plan look like? This is where you need to start making plans and setting goals for getting those changes to take place. Having this vision is an important factor in creating change.
First Steps
Finally, acknowledge that the first steps you take are going to be difficult. They are the biggest hurdles you need to overcome in order to move forward and become an agent of change. Look at all of the steps you need to take to achieve the goals you have set. Prepare yourself for each of those steps so that you are ready to do the tasks needed to achieve each step in the direction you are heading.
Overcoming Resistance
When you think about the importance of becoming a change agent, look at Martin Luther King Jr. He knew that there was great dissatisfaction with the lack of civil rights. He saw a clear vision of how great things could be in his country if changes were made. It was obvious that each step on the road to bringing that vision to light would be difficult. But when all of those elements became more powerful than the resistance to make changes, just look at the impact his efforts as a change maker brought.
With these elements, you can become a change maker in your own life and your own business. Start taking those steps and start making the change.