December 1, 2003
A free Ezine sent to you monthly by Glen Rediehs, Ph.D.: Personal Coach, Corporate Coach, Organization Development Consultant
Web site: www.SolutionLeader.com
E-mail: Glen@SolutionLeader.comSolution Leader Ezine will give you solutions for your personal life and the people side of your business. Every issue is filled with practical strategies plus a little humor.
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IN THIS ISSUE:Tips for a Great Holiday Season
A Little Humor
Thought for the Day
How to Manage Transitions in Your Organization
In the Next Issue
Tips for a Great Holiday Season
Take a minute for a holiday fantasy. Relax, close your eyes and imagine your very best holiday season. Take your time. Think about the setting, the people, what is happening, etc. Allow yourself to see, hear, smell, taste and touch the details of the holiday of your dreams.
When I do this exercise in pre-holiday workshops, people don't report a fantasy with frantic days of meal preparation, gift-buying, perfect parties, "maxed out" credit cards, rushing to spend at least part of a day with each of the relatives whose feelings might be hurt if they didn't come by.
Instead, they tell me that they are imagining a simple, relaxed time with people they love. They dream of a time to celebrate the personal meaning that the holidays have for them.
What was your fantasy like? Do you want it that way? It's up to you. Take charge of your holiday season!
Consider these ideas:
- Set priorities. Think through what you like and what you don't like about decorating, shopping, gifts, parties, family traditions, etc. Talk to your loved ones who will be celebrating the season with you. Together, affirm what belongs in your holiday - the things that bring meaning and happiness. Change what doesn't belong - the things that create aggravation and headaches. Focus on the spiritual value that the holidays have for you. Use that as the benchmark for your holiday plans
- If you have children, talk with them about the holiday season that they would prefer. I once read an article about a single mom who knocked herself out preparing the perfect holiday meal for her teenage children. When the turkey wouldn't defrost and the whole production fell apart, the children announced that they weren't in the least bit disappointed. At the children's suggestion, they warmed up some frozen dinners and went to a local parade together. The kids were delighted.
- Plan ahead. Schedule what you have decided to include in your holiday and start in plenty of time. Set realistic expectations. Don't do it all yourself -- delegate to family members, buy it ready-made, or hire it done. Celebrate the holidays at your pace, without the hassle. If possible, shop during weekdays when the crowds are smaller. Leave unscheduled time for yourself.
- Take care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep. Eat properly - despite all the goodies. Drink in moderation - or not at all. Exercise.
- Set a budget and stick with it. In this season of generosity, it is easy to lose your good judgment and your good credit. Watch impulse buying and "upgrading" the items that you intended to buy. Don't get "guilt tripped" by the demands of your children. This is a great time for them to learn about budgets. Santa doesn't have unlimited funds, either. You will enjoy the season much more if you know that you won't be paying for it for months (or years).
- Keep it simple. Ditch your dreams of the perfectly decorated home, the perfect party, perfectly executed family traditions. If it feels more like hard work and drudgery than joy, skip it or simplify it!
- If your holidays bring the extra challenges of a single-parent family, a step-family, grief over the loss of a loved one, chronic illness, or other difficult circumstances, be extra good to yourself. Spend time with those who understand and support you. Tell the people around you what you need from them. They may want to be helpful, but not know what to do. Create a "new" holiday for you and yours - instead of just longing for the past. If you are adjusting to a new situation, you might enjoy teaming up with another family in the same circumstance. If it's all a little too much, make an appointment with a professional and work on it together.
Decide to have your best holiday season ever. Start now.
What's the next step in your life? In your business?
What do you want to achieve?
What do you want to change?
Coaching will help you reach your goals!
Let's work on your future together. You can make it happen!
PLEASE CALL ME at 704-788-9184 or Email me at Glen@SolutionLeader.com
A Little Humor
The Coat Hanger
One rainy evening, a couple emerged from a restaurant only to find that the husband had locked the keys in the car. He insisted he could open the door with a wire coat hanger, so he went back to the restaurant to get one. There were none to be found.
Then he ran to a department store a quarter-mile away and returned with a hanger. After a few attempts, he got the door open and the couple climbed in. As they sat there, soaked and cold, he stuck the hanger under his seat.
With a smug grin, he said, "Now if this ever happens again, I'll have one handy."
_______________The Young Businessman
A young businessman had just started his own firm. He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques.
Sitting there, he saw a man come into the outer office. Wishing to appear the hot shot, the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he had a big deal working. He threw huge figures around and made giant commitments. Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, "Can I help you?"The man said, "Yeah, I've come to activate your phone lines."
_______________
Installing a Carpet
A carpet layer had just finished installing carpet for a lady. He stepped out for a smoke, only to realize he'd lost his cigarettes.
In the middle of the room, under the carpet, was a bump. ''No sense pulling up the entire floor for one pack of smokes,'' he said to himself. He proceeded to get out his hammer and flattened the hump.
As he was cleaning up, the lady came in. ''Here,'' she said, handling him his pack of cigarettes. ''I found them in the hallway.'' ''Now,'' she said, ''if only I could find my parakeet.''
Thought for the DayTwo frogs
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in our words. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can cause them to give up.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.
(Author Unknown)
How to Manage Transitions in Your OrganizationHow successful were the last changes you attempted in your business? You may have introduced new technology, restructured the organization, created a strategic alliance, re-engineered processes, or a hundred other things. How did it go?
Despite all the books, articles and consultants, managing change is still a big challenge. It has been estimated that two-thirds of these efforts fail.
Changes and Transitions
Managers who lead successful change efforts have learned an important lesson: such processes all involve both "changes" and "transitions."
Changes are the adjustments in structure, operations, or strategy. It is the "business" element in your change process. Transitions are the "personal" elements in your change process - the psychological changes that your employees must make for the change effort to be successful.
The mistake that many managers make is implementing changes without taking time to lead people through their transitions. Every change process, big or small, has consequences for your employees. They won't be doing things "the way it's always been done."
Three Phases of Transitions
In his national best-seller, Managing Transitions, William Bridges describes three phases in every transition: 1) an ending, loss, letting go, 2) the neutral zone, 3) a new beginning.
Transitions start with endings, with saying "good-bye" to how things used to be. Some of your people might lose contact with valued colleagues or a great boss. Others may lose their prior identity or status. Everyone will wonder how the change process will impact him or her. While there are always a few enthusiasts for change, letting go will be difficult for most of your work force.
The second phase, the neutral zone, is the period between the ending and the new beginning. Implementation is not complete. Things are not yet in place. The future is not yet certain. What may appear to be chaos is, instead, a necessary time to reorient people's ways of thinking and patterns of behavior. It is the time to collaborate on developing the details of how things will be.
A new beginning is the third phase. New beginnings happen when your people make the emotional commitment to doing things the new way and adopt the attitudes and values that accompany the change.
When you plan business changes, be sure to plan for the transitions your people will be going through. Here are some suggestions.
Letting Go
During the first phase, be sure to:
- Clearly identify who will be losing what. Acknowledge and empathize with the losses.
- Make sure everyone knows what will not be lost.
- Expect and accept grief reactions: anger, sadness, fear, confusion, etc.
- Mark "endings" with symbolic events.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate - listening as well as telling.
The Neutral Zone
The neutral zone will go easier if you:
- "Normalize" and redefine the neutral zone. What looks like confusion and chaos is really a normal transitional process.
- Use a transition monitoring team to track progress.
- Encourage innovation and creativity. This "unsettled" time is an excellent opportunity to review how things have been done, revise and invent. Foster a spirit of entrepreneurship.
New Beginnings
Following Bridges' four "P's" will help the final phase, new beginnings, to go smoothly. They are:
- Purpose. Make sure everyone understands the purpose of the change, the problem that will be solved, and the consequence of not changing.
- Picture. Create a vision of what things will look like after the change -- a picture that will excite and motivate your people.
- Plan. Develop and implement a step-by-step plan that specifically address the transition and the people side of the change process.
- Part. People need to know what part they will play in the change process and in the changed organization. Reinforce people as they take on their part.
If you want success in your next change effort, it is essential that you plan time and strategies to nurture people through their transitions.
Who led the best organizational change effort you have ever seen? How did they handle the employees' transitions? Send your stories, quotes, thoughts. As space permits, I will try to publish them. Send them to Glen@SolutionLeader.com.
What's the next step in your life? In your business?
What do you want to achieve?
What do you want to change?
Coaching will help you reach your goals!
Let's work on your future together. You can make it happen!
PLEASE CALL ME at 704-788-9184 or Email me at Glen@SolutionLeader.com.
In the Next Issue:Discover Your Life Mission - What You Were Born To Do
A Little Humor
Thought for the Day
Is Your Organization Ready for 2004?
In the Next Issue
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