Well no, of course it isn’t but that would be a short, but perhaps well received blog if that was all I said. Will things get better, or get different by doing the same things working the same way with the same people we always work with? I don't think so. We need to change things, take risks and do things differently. It can be hard to change the way we do things but diversity in our teams can help, because diversity brings challenge, and ideas, and can provide the catalyst for things being done differently, and better, leading to different and hopefully better outcomes. Get someone who knows very little about your work to sit on your next team meeting and get their feedback if you don't believe me. Bruce Hornsby and his mates in the range knew a thing or two about this......
Not everyone can naturally bring about change, they still can change things of course, but it might just be harder work. Some are just wired that way to be in the right places, to know enough people, to be brave (or daft) enough to go speak to them and to be involved with the right initiative to make it work. Word of mouth is key, once people are telling other people about your great new thing, be it a fidget spinner or using whatsapp then you know the change has become an epidemic, and it’s gone viral. So who are those people, and do you have them in your team, on your project, or advising your development of whatever craze will replace those bloody fidget spinners? You need the following intervening in your change plan to make it, well change and usher the trend into popularity. Connectors are individuals who have ties in many different realms. They talk, engage, cross fertilise, make social links, schmooze and network. They know everyone and if there is someone new who they need to influence they’ll get to know them. I’m a connector and i've achieved as much from being in the right corridor at the right time as I have through writing papers, so is Aladdin who I blogged about here http://wysethoughts.weebly.com/home/opening-doors-making-connections Mavens (Yiddish for ‘accumulator of knowledge’) are people who have a strong compulsion to help other people by helping them make informed decisions. They know lots of stuff and keep their ears close to the ground. Because of this they can start word of mouth epidemics and convince others through their knowledge ‘expertise’. Salespeople are people whose unusual charisma allows them to be extremely persuasive in inducing others’ decisions and behaviours. They are persuasive and positive. People want to listen and agree with them. I think I am a bit of a salesman, but will leave you to judge if I have any charisma unusual or otherwise. So if you’re trying to change things, have you looked at the team working on that change, do you have all those types of people helping you, it’ll be a lot easier if you do. Of course you could just carry on doing the same stuff if you don’t have them, or if you don’t want to change, or you want change to be slower. But where's the fun in that? So let’s assume you have the right team then, what’s the message and how’s it gonna stick? Well you’ll be pleased to know I borrowed a list of that too and its important to think about the following:
I’ve been doing this with people I’ve been meeting, and think I’m getting pretty good at it now but it’s taken years to develop my style and pitch to deliver the points above, you could do it in a lot less time now you have the list. You then need to experiment with your delivery, like I did, and keep on trying small changes until you make it (and I'm not saying I have but I've learnt an awful lot by trying). That’s a bit like agile working I guess. I think we spend a long time polishing in the office before we get out on the road. Comedians and bands have small practice shows before the big gig, do we do the same? And finally, what about the context, because it’s the context that shapes the behaviour. Supporting, trying out and nurturing the change within a group helps. But to create a large contagious movement to change then you often have to create many small movements first. I believe in change. That course was one of the best things I've been on and I'm grateful for my employers teaching me that stuff, and I try and use it all the time, because it was good and it changed me. So get out there, get talking, get tweeting, get engaging with a whole host of different groups across a whole host of different platforms and hope, no dream, that one day they will all be sat round the table all independently (or so they think) stating that your idea is the best thing since sliced bread, or fidgit spinners. Seya Don't go changing, ah no, actually do Paul
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AuthorMr Paul Wyse Archives
January 2021
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