Commit To Change

 In this day and age, changes are happening rapidly, especially in business. Who heard of social media or smart phones five short years ago? Change is the norm now. Being open to it may bring unexpected opportunities.

Changing behaviors and replacing them with new ones will help maximize efficiency — although getting there definitely takes effort. That new smart phone you just bought does all sorts of things, if you took the time to figure it out. Your business cards are in stacks everywhere on your desk but who has the time to learn a new contact management program? Your colleagues collaborate and work in the cloud, even though you have not tried this before. Your subordinates tell you that you do not delegate well but it’s their problem, not yours, right?

These are but a few examples of areas where making a change will bring high returns.

How do I turn these business situations to my advantage?  

Create a journal to track areas where change may be beneficial. Writing them down takes away some of the mental stress you may be feeling since you no longer need to remember them. Be as specific as possible. The journal will help you notice patterns and identify what is most important to tackle first.

Ask a trusted colleague for input on your behavior and ideas on how to modify it. This might be difficult to do but well worth it. Consider it your reality check. After all, this person is on your side.  

Develop a plan to turn the change to your advantage. Carve out the time to research and learn a new software program that you know will bring long-lasting benefits. Come up with time-saving templates and document processes that will save you time. Figure out the reasons you are late for meetings and set a series of action steps to change this behavior.   

Once you have committed to the change, hold on tight. Don’t give up. 

1)      Visualize the end result and keep that picture in front of you at all times.

2)      Plan non-work time on your calendar to implement the changes, including adding deadlines.

3)      Accept the fact that there will be setbacks and push through them until you achieve what you set out to do. 

What change are you going to commit to? Write to us and let us know. 

Read more on making lasting changes.