Simplifying Change

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How to Influence Others for Positive Results

WE HEAR ALL the time that change is hard. Yes, our brains want us to reach a place of stasis—a place where we can relax without stress. However, depression is often a life without enough change. Think about what happens when we procrastinate and avoid situations or people that could bring change? Dick Beckhard from MIT developed a straightforward change model.

Change – (D + V + FS) > I

Identify what the change is in simple terms. “We need the nursing staff to start using timecards when in the past, they didn’t.”

D = Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo. From the mindset of the people who need to buy into the change (in this case, the nurses), what would they say is dissatisfactory with the current situation. “We don’t feel it is fair that some people on the team are taking advantage of our honor-system method of tracking hours and end up working a lot less than others who are working a lot more.”

V = Compelling Vision. “Trust and respect within the team when everyone is working the hours they should.”

FS = Clear First Steps. It’s very important not to overwhelm people with a long list of steps. Rather, provide a couple of steps to get the ball rolling. In this scenario, the example might be “A meeting will be scheduled to discuss the type of timecard device needed, and Human Resources will be asked to provide a list of external vendors”.

I = Inertia. Enough weight in the D, V, and FS will overwhelm the power of avoidance and inertia.

This is a great tool for communicating a compelling reason why others should adapt to your point of view or follow the change you propose.

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“YESTERDAY I WAS CLEVER, SO I WANTED TO CHANGE THE WORLD. TODAY I AM WISE, SO I AM CHANGING MYSELF.”
-Rumi