Initiatives

I'm a big believer in step change. Incremental improvements to existing processes absorb effort but produce minimal positive impact. So minimal that most people don't even notice it. But step change makes impact - enough that people do notice - in a way that affects their behaviour. And that is what most system change is really trying to affect - human behaviour.

Effecting real change is tough. It requires commitment, it requires resources, but most of all it requires a vision. You have to be able to see the future that this change will bring - how people will behave in new patterns and the benefit that the change will bring - faster, more effective, less effort - whatever metric you want to use.

Okay, I'm in. I know what the problems are, or at least I know of one big problem that needs solving. I just haven't had time to tackle it. Well, here's the secret. You should have made the time. All improvements require an investment, whether it is time or money (hiring an outsider is just a conversion of time to money). And once you achieve the change you seek, you will make back your investment of time or money in the benefits of that change.

As you move into setting your personal goals for 2009, take a stand and commit to making one life-altering change. Find one initiative you can champion. Gather people around you and share your vision. Secure resources that will be your investment. Distill the benefits into a mission that you can take to leadership. Invest in a half-day offsite meeting to map out the specific steps you need to take to make that behavioural change. Implement those steps and when you encounter resistance, talk about your vision, share the benefits that will follow, and demonstrate your step-by-step plan to remove this particular roadblock to success.

Every one of us has what it takes to change our world. Commit to making one major improvement to your workplace this year.