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Issue 67, 5-02-2016

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Adapt-Ability

"They spend their time mostly looking forward to the past." 
John Osborne
 
"My job was eliminated.  I haven't had to look for a job in 20 years."
"My company moved its operations to China.  I wasn't invited."
"My business was acquired in a merger.  I'm not sure if I should stay."
"My family business is closing its doors.  The economy finally caught up with us."
"I have a new boss.  I don't know if we mesh."
"I quit my job.  What was I thinking?"
"I'm retiring but not quite ready to stop working.  What will I do next?"
"My business partnership is ending.  How can we continue operations?"
 
As Business Coaches, we get these kinds of questions on a regular basis. We all know the only constant is change, and the velocity of change is truly accelerating.  There is no denying it.  And, individuals and organizations who commit to continuously improve their adapt-ability are more likely to survive and thrive.  Those who do not develop this critical 21st century competency may not.  
 
Change nearly always brings with it a sense of personal loss.  The fear of loss is the most common cause of resistance. Lack of information or the abundance of mis-information is often behind this fear.  Resisting change takes energy; energy that needs to be invested in adapting to what is happening, or what is about to happen.
 
We can get stuck somewhere between identifying the need for change and executing the change. Very often, there is a significant upside to the change just waiting for us on the other side of the abyss. The trick is to recognize when change is necessary or inevitable, face down the fear by proactively gaining information, identifying the upside potential, and moving through as effectively and efficiently as possible.  Practice makes us more agile and resilient agents of change, just as regular exercise and stretching make our bodies more fit and flexible.
 
Our family enjoys a board game called Sequence.  In a recent game, our team began building sequences.  We became so enamored of our strategy that we failed to pick up on competitor patterns occurring on the board around us.  After losing a game or two, it dawned on me to become more observant of the subtle shifts and opportunities occurring on the board minute by minute.  Tuning in to those seemingly minor pattern changes and adapting our play accordingly made all the difference.  Exercising and building our change muscle is something we all must do to survive in today's workplace,  and in order to thrive personally.  I love this particular board game for that reason.  It causes me to exercise and strengthen my adapt-ability.
 
As we strengthen our individual adapt-ability, we are in a better position to help our workplaces, churches, and volunteer organizations adapt.   As more of us focus on developing this critical competency, we can become more at cause than effect in the matter of changes that are taking place in our communities and the world at large. Adapt. Accelerate. Innovate. Learn. Transform.  These are 5 competencies we must add to our roles in life and to our job descriptions. This positions and re-positions us to win.
 

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."  
Charles Darwin 

Your Coaching Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept It:   
Identify an important change that you need to make or that is currently happening to you.  What do you most fear about it?  What information do you need to better analyze the situation?   How will you proactively obtain that information?  What are the potential benefits of the change, for you or for the organization?  How can you begin to place more attention on the potential up-side of the change?   
We'll see you online next Monday. 


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