Change that Lasts

Change that Lasts

By on Jan 27, 2016 in Blog, Failure, Learning Laboratory, Making Space, Navigator, Ownership, Plan, Process, Reinvention, Reinvention Process, Simplify |

The title of this post really should be: A brief overview of how you can be more interesting and do something that might matter to someone someday.

I say that because most organizations have figured out that they need to adapt to stay on the radar of the modern, crazy-busy consumer, but the organizations that commit to bona fide reinvention are like unicorns. And I’m not talking about doing a massive overhaul once every five or seven (or more) years and calling it a reinvention.

I’m talking about nimble, responsive, sustainable change.

Sustainable change—what we call PureReinvention around here—is a disruptive process. If you want to lead a reinvention lifestyle you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Click To Tweet You have to be all in, committed to doing things differently everyday and taking a hard look at yourself and your way of doing business.

Does that sound a little scary? Good. You’re on the right path.

Feeling uneasy is normal. It actually drives you to discover new solutions to stabilize your sense of purpose. Reinventors are always wondering if they’re doing it right, what’s going to happen and how they’ll figure out what to do next. Don’t worry, there’s some pretty awesome people that have your back.

 

FIRST, LET’S BLOW SOME SH*T UP

To truly transform your products, services, or the entire organization, you have to have the tenacity to work through the clutter and reveal your core. What is it that you do better than anyone else? You probably already have a hunch, but maybe you think it seems too simple to be actionable.

Here’s a little secret just between you and me. When you really have your purpose boiled right down to the core and you wonder, “Is that it?” Yes. That’s IT.

Believe it or not, the hard part is taking the time necessary to analyze the strengths and viable assets that set you apart in the marketplace. A lot of people want to rush through it, or set a finite amount of time to accomplish this task, but that’s a mistake.

There is no right amount of time to work through the hoard of ideas, projects and good intentions that have diluted your unique value proposition. When you have a short and simple list of what you do well you’ll be glad you took the time to shovel through the muck.

Besides, while you’re analyzing what you’re good at, you’re also saying sayonara to the stuff that doesn’t align with your core. And that is so liberating.

But back to blowing stuff up. Establishing a reinvention lifestyle requires that you realistically examine the traditions that have dictated how you do things for as long as anyone can remember. Here is where you channel your inner Bruce Willis in Die Hard (that’s John McClane to true fans). As a change vigilante you have to thwart complacency and fight for a cause you believe in. That means letting go of what no longer serves you and blasting the bad guys in your path. (Please don’t really hurt anyone. That would be problematic.)

 

GET TO WORK

You liked imagining you were Bruce Willis, didn’t you? I hate to break it to you, but playtime is over. In order to move forward, you have to identify owners and assign responsibility. After you make a mess of things you have to take ownership and start simplifying the process so everyone understands it.

Collaborate with major stakeholders and set realistic goals to ensure buy-in from the group. Don’t forget the deadlines. Make sure they are obtainable, stick to them and celebrate when you conquer each one.

Ok, maybe we’re not completely done with playtime. That would be pretty boring.

Once the basic framework is in place, make regular check-ups so you know you’re on the right track and can adjust quickly and easily when things aren’t headed in the right direction. Do what you have to do to move the process forward but remember that this isn’t a quick fix.

A lot of regular, intentional changes will build to create a major overhaul. You might take your team on a weekend retreat to establish shared goals and nurture a key group that’s committed to executing the organization’s, but to achieve PureReinvention you have to make it a daily practice.

Your reinvention mission doesn’t get put on a shelf to collect dust or moved to the bottom of the pile to be looked at another day. It gets put into action with every phone call, every email, every staff meeting and every process. Congratulations, business-as-unusual is your new modus operandi.

Oh, you’re getting more interesting already!

 

KEEP AT IT

The trick for making change stick is to keep your plan in front of you. Click To Tweet This is where a navigator becomes super important. It’s not always easy to stay accountable when it comes to remembering to do things differently. Autopilot is a dangerous but oh-so-comfortable gear.

That’s why seeking out a neutral, reliable navigator is critical to ensuring that things go according to plan. They can take that helicopter view that holds every member of the team accountable and reminds you where you’re going.

You know what else they help with? They help you sort through all the static we talked about earlier that’s diluting your unique value proposition. A navigator helps you listen to all of the input, analyze the noise and tune in to your personalized reinvention mission.

When selecting a navigator, make sure they are able to point you in directions where no one else has even thought to look. This person should be able to steer you toward ideas and thought leaders beyond your go-to connections and help you expand your network outside of your usual circles.

An engaged navigator helps you adopt a reinvention lifestyle that’s fueled by curiosity, fortified with courage and activated through practice.