Seven Steps to Sustainable Change
Seven Steps to Sustainable Change
Think of your most recent experience building a new habit. How did it go? What was most difficult about making a new change successful? Was it the inertia of old routines? The impossibility of imagining something new for yourself? Or the terror of possible failure?
As long as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued, baffled by, and enamored with the process of personal change. At a young age, I can remember writing lists of goals and creating mini progress plans to make my dreams a reality. Now as a professor and leadership coach, I continue to study the process of change in myself, my students, and my clients.
We can all relate to having a desire for change, but what is it really that transforms our awareness into action? What is the secret sauce that launches our inspiring visions into hardwired habits and refined rhythms?
Experts show how difficult it is to sustain a change in mindset or behaviors, even when we’re faced with a major crisis. Consider the numerous examples shared by Alan Deutschman in his Fast Company article, Change or Die. Or, take a moment and think through your own list of abandoned change efforts in the last year. Undertaking a change at any level is not for the faint of heart.
Although daunting and difficult, pursuing healthy change for personal or leadership development gives us opportunity to be challenged, to more fully realize our potential, and to inspire others to do the same.
“One key to successful leadership is continuous personal change. Personal change is a reflection of our inner growth and empowerment.”
As a leader with influence in many spaces, what does the process of continual growth and change look like for you? What practices help you to get unstuck, and what motivates you to create new vision that serves you and others more effectively? This blog post (and the entire 7-part series) is devoted to this exploring these worthy questions.
Who are you?
Who do you want to become?
Start with Powerful Questions
Identifying the right questions to support your change initiative can provide a pivotal starting point.
I stumbled across some of my own powerful questions at an early age. At a dramatic point in my quest for life’s greater purpose, I remember journaling in response to these two questions: “Who am I?” and “Who do I want to become?” In the midst of the ambiguity of adolescence, these questions offered a respite of reflection, as well as a promising path forward. Even now, several years later, I find that these questions spark meaningful conversations and frame a growth plan for myself, my students, and my clients.
In his theory of intentional change, Dr. Richard Boyatzis proposes that these two questions set the stage for personal transformation, but proposes them in reverse order. He suggests to begin with a compelling future vision, which will prepare our brains to be more fully inspired to commit to the hard work of change. Starting with the question “who do you want to become?” provides motivation to identify the gaps between where you’re at, compared to where you want to be.
What are the gaps between who you are now and who you want to be?
Commit to a Change Process
One of my consistent stumbling blocks is that I want to avoid the uncertainty of the in-between stages, the murky, messy middle, and by doing so, essentially escape the process of becoming. I definitely prefer arriving at the destination rather than appreciating the journey. It’s an uncomfortable realization that I cannot achieve change by simply accomplishing a task and checking a box. If I truly want to see change, I have to embrace the process.
“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.”
So in this blog series, I explore seven steps, or practices, that have the potential to ground our inspiration with intentionality. In doing so, I seek to equip and empower leaders to grow more confident in navigating the stages of a transformation process.
What is the priority for change or growth that is weighing on your mind? Which of your forgotten, neglected, or thwarted growth plans could be redeemed with a renewed focus and structure? I invite you to experiment with the seven steps outlined in this blog series, to consider which of these practices are most valuable in supporting your long-term and lasting personal change.
Seven Steps to Sustainable Change
Create a Compelling Vision. What is your vision for change?
Assess Your Mindset. How motivated are you to make a change?
Build Your Community. Who can give you feedback and support?
Clarify Your Growth Goals. What are your priorities areas for growth?
Discover New Perspective. What insights will inspire your growth?
Identify Winning Strategies. Which strategies will help you meet your goals?
Develop Enduring Habits. What disciplines will support your long-term success?
Go Deeper with the Self-Awareness Assessment
If you want to dig deeper into a journey of self-discovery, download our custom-designed self-awareness assessment. This comprehensive guide includes 20 pages of content, including a self-awareness rating scale, reflective prompts, guidelines to conduct an informal 360 review, questions to ask in your 360, and inspiring quotes to keep you motivated in the process.
Download my Free EBook, Coaching for Change
Maybe you have many exciting ambitions, aspirations, and plans for growth. You want to see change. But you’re not quite making the progress that you want to.
Or maybe you’re a coach or a leader who helps to encourage change in others. And you’re tired of seeing your clients and colleagues stuck, not quite reaching their full potential.
Drawing from my expertise in coaching and the science of personal change, I have created a free EBook to help you see your own personal change realized — or help others make progress in their growth process. Coaching for Change: A Guide to Facilitating Change for Leaders, Coaches, & Personal Growth Enthusiasts is designed for:
individuals seeking a fresh approach to personal change
coaches looking for resources to support a change process
leaders who need ready-to-go tips & questions to support growth in their direct reports and colleagues
References
Boyatzis, R., Smith, M. L., & Van Oosten, E. (2019). Helping people change: Coaching with compassion for lifelong learning and growth. Harvard Business Press.
Deutschman, A. (2007). Change or die. The three keys to change at work and in life. ReganBook, New York.
Quinn, R. E. (2010). Deep change: Discovering the leader within. John Wiley & Sons.
