"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." --Benjamin Franklin
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
Change can be hard because often we don't have a good idea of the direction to go to change. From the book we know that change will require:
Directing the Rider
Motivating the Elephant
Shaping the Path
This week, we will start with some tips on directing the rider.
Now, the rider can be you, your staff or even your family. The Heath brothers have found three steps are critical to help the rider get started.
Find the Bright Spots. When a problem is observed, identifying what is already working means just that - what is working well in the mess of the problem. Anyone who has ever grilled, knows that there are "hot spots" on many grills. If you are looking for a bright spot, you would be saying "why doesn't the chicken burn here and how can be get the entire meal to cook that way." Finding the bright spots in a problem will give you quick success.
Script the Critical Moves. The parent you overheard saying "would you like a carrot or an apple" to their child is scripting the moves. When we limit the choices a person can take, we help them make better decisions. Too many choices often means no decision will be made. That is because Status Quo feels comfortable. Scripting helps all of us crossover our comfort zone.
Point to the Destination. In business, I often call this the vision. It must be clear and well defined and for all practical purposes it will be credible and reachable. Jim Collins who wrote Good to Great and Built to Last calls these destinations BHAG or Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals. What are your BHAGs for 2011?
Take some time this week to see how you can direct your riders or maybe just yourself and next week we will talk about motivating the elephant or the emotional side of the process.
Enjoy your week!
Linda Fayerweather
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
Read the First Chapter or Buy the book Switch
Going the Extra Step to Protect Your Bank Information
Identity theft and fraud can happen to anyone. I've been a victim of it and most everyone I know has had a problem in the past. A few months back, one of my friend's had his bank account cleaned out. He had lost his wallet with a card that his bank account information on it. Luckily the bank was able to get his money back. It took a few weeks and way too much hassle.
It got me thinking, what can be done to protect your bank information? You need to have your accounts written out some place for use. And maybe have that information in unsafe places, like your wallet for easy access. Why not change your account number in some way so you know but no one else would. Such as reverse it. Put the last number first. Divide the number in half. Or add 1 to every number. Now your account number appears to be normal and only you know what your real account number is. It is an easy solution and adds one more layer of security
Jeff Mendelsohn
www.Liquidmechanix.com
Liquid@liquidmechanix.com
