What is Worth Changing?
|
When you’re faced with a major change opportunity, how do you decide what is worth changing? That can be confusing, so let me explain. For the last two years, and really since 2016, I have been working in an entrepreneurial mode. I have done a lot of great work through my LearningSim business. In 2022 I added on coaching services with FocalPoint.
But along the way, I discovered that I am a “reluctant entrepreneur.” I work really well with a business partner bringing in prospective clients so that I can consult with them, find a solution that fits their needs and budget, and then do the work. This worked well. I had three business partners to rely on and work with. But after the pandemic, the situation changed. One of my colleagues passed away. Another partner’s business changed during the pandemic and no longer did the kind of projects I specialize in. A third retired after a long and successful career. I’ve spent the last 2-1/2 years with one major client (they were wonderful!) and chasing business, rather than doing a lot of the work I love to do. This presented a challenge and an opportunity. Everything I learned from successful entrepreneurs said, “Stick with it. Persist. Commit.” But I realized that I was getting a biased view. Those were people who for the most part had already succeeded. And persisting at the kind of work I don’t enjoy doesn’t make sense to my Sage brain. Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to be inside an organization where I could be part of a high-performing team of people, do the work that makes others successful, and spend most of my time delivering the service instead of trying to sell it. And that’s happening! In April, I will be joining Wipfli LLP as a senior internal organizational development (OD) consultant. I will be supporting the tax, accounting, audit, M&A, and business services staff and partners throughout the organization. I will be working with employee engagement, making managers successful as performance and development coaches, and a host of other Talent & OD initiatives. This is what I love to do. It is a big change! But it raises the question: “Steve, you’ve already got a lot of things going on. What do you have to change and what do you want to change as you take on this new situation?” To answer this, I used the Positive Intelligence® technique for the Navigate power: “Consult your older, wiser self.” I thought about what the me from several years in the future, or looking back at the end of my life, would tell me was most important for right now. What really matters? For example, I found that keeping relationships active and vibrant matters to me. It is also important that I continue to be of help and service to people outside of, as well as within, my work organization. But what changes do I have to make to do that? I’ve decided, for example, that I am going to keep this newsletter active. I will change some of the focus a bit, because I will not be marketing my services for leadership coaching. I will continue to share tips and stories with you about leadership, simulations, and mental fitness. And I will write about success stories, lessons learned from challenges, and prompts for thinking. That’s one thing I’m going to do. There are other things I will be adding on and letting go of, as well. When you face a major change or transition, how do you decide what to keep, what to add, and what to let go of? I would suggest consulting your Sage. Ask that question, “What’s needed now, and what will I look back on in the future and say was most important?” Then commit to your choices. Take clear, laser-focused action. Just one little thing at a time. You will find that you’ve changed your direction in a purposeful way. That is a positive, healthy thing. Continue to watch for these Learning Bytes newsletters. You can see the full archive of articles (this is issue #119!) on my Kit site: https://stevesemler.kit.com/profile And remember to work with the changes to do what makes the most sense for you. You know yourself best, though your Saboteurs might try to convince you otherwise. All the best, |
