Improving AdaptAbility
We have come to the end of the book. A lot of ground has been covered in a short amount of time. If we refer back to the ABC’s of Development, we gained a new Awareness of change theory and how people handle when shift happens. We have been able to apply this learning to three levels or points of view – the individual, the group/team, and the organization. We have gained an understanding of the Behaviors that will help us be successful in our change initiatives and we have discussed behaviors that can hinder us as well.
My hope is that you want to improve your AdaptAbility. With all this learning, we now have the Choice to improve our AdaptAbility, or we can just set this book down and move onto another. As we reflect on all the information we have covered, there are four actions we can take to develop and improve our AdaptAbility.
Mind the Gap
There is a gap between the NOW and the NEXT. It is in this gap that our character is tested and the difficult process of transitioning from Discomfort to Discovery occurs. We have talked about the importance of this moment of choice, this tipping point of effectively managing change on the individual, with a group/team, and as an organization. It is in this TO space that we have the most power and greatest of choices to make.
As situations in our lives change, we will find ourselves in a state of heightened emotions. We will want to desperately hold onto what we know in the NOW. Many would agree that we don’t make our best decisions when we are emotional. Some of our worst decisions are the result of not taking the time to pause, to mind the gap between NOW and NEXT, between Discomfort and Discovery. Choosing to pause, reflect, and reframe at the critical transition point gives us the space needed to make more effective and educated choices.
Make a Plan
If we have the map ahead of time, we can make a much better plan. The Change Curve is a map that we can effectively use to prioritize, plan for, and be better prepared for changes when they occur. Leveraging our Curiosity to identify our place on the Change Curve will help us understand how we are thinking, feeling, and behaving because of the shift in situation or circumstance. Identifying where others are on the Change Curve will help us better support and empower them to move forward and not get stuck in the Wallow Waltz.
Remembering the six D’s of Change will create a map that will equip, empower, enable, and engage you in the process of change. By having the plan, you are no longer required to just survive but rather choose to thrive during times of uncertainty.
If you know a change is coming, I encourage you to work through the success strategies and identify support actions that you can have in place to decrease your performance gap and accelerate your journey through to Discovery.
Reason Well
People often jump to conclusions. Sometimes our conclusions are accurate, and sometimes they can be way out in left field. Our conclusions, when expressed to others, have influence. Our points of view will impact how others make their choices. As we seek to improve our AdaptAbility, it is important to be aware of how we come to our conclusions, and adjust our behaviors.
One of my favorite models describes the thinking process we go through, usually without realizing it, to transition from receiving data or facts to a decision or action. In 1970, Dr. Chris Argyris of Harvard University conducted research and created a visual model to help us better understand this subconscious process of decision making. He called it the Ladder of Inference. This tool became widely known when Dr. Senge referenced it in his work about organizational learning and continuous improvement.
Below is the Ladder of Influence with each rung representing a step in our decision-making process. Like a ladder, we will begin at the bottom and move upwards.
Starting at the bottom of the ladder, we have reality and facts that enter our brains as observations. From there, we experience these data sets selectively based on our beliefs and prior experience. Once we have data selected, we prioritize and attempt to interpret what they mean. Next, we overlay our existing assumptions, sometimes without considering them, to the meaning we have drawn from the select data we have chosen. With this new set of meaning we draw conclusions based on the interpreted facts and our own assumptions and values. From here, we create beliefs, like what is correct or incorrect, based on these conclusions. Finally, we take actions that seem right because they are based on what we believe to be true. In many cases, this all happens in a fraction of a second.
Do you see the potential for error in this process?
All the conclusions we create are based on prior set beliefs, which are the basis for the brain to select which data will influence our decisions. This can lead us to ignore certain facts altogether!
So how do we protect ourselves from action based on selective assumptions and partial data? Well, we go back to the ladder and choose to take a few steps back in our reasoning process.
By being aware of the Ladder of Inference, we can review the rationality of our decisions. We can choose to get back to the facts and use our beliefs and experiences consciously and make better and more effective decisions. By being more aware of how we make quick decisions and choosing to pull deep on our strength of curiosity and wonder – we can catch ourselves making assumptions and beliefs that could cause conflict or errors to occur.
This is a very turbulent time in our history. It seems everyone is screaming their own opinion about what is and what isn’t. No one seems to be listening to each other, and even fewer are choosing to take a step back and entertain the strength of curiosity and wonder.
Do we quickly press the share button or retweet the view of someone we may not even know is credible or reliable?
What if we were to take a moment to verify that the statements we are reposting online were actually true?
Are we willing to do the extra work to validate the facts and messages that so quickly resonate with our personal beliefs?
Finally, I want to encourage us to seek information, data, and perspectives that may be different than our own. Just because we listen to them, does not require us to believe them. The alternative is believing only what we think is right, without facts or data to support our views and statements.
Critically thinking is a personal choice and responsibility. Instead of acting out in assumption, let us choose to exercise maturity and share viewpoints that have been reasoned well, showing respect and dignity to all involved.
Take the LEAD
One of my favorite sayings is:
Education without Application is just Useless Information!
Having Awareness without it impacting Behavior, runs the same result – a good read, but no real change. Taking the LEAD isn’t about taking control or power in a shifting situation or circumstance. Taking the LEAD reflects the following:
- Learn – Challenge yourself to be a life-long learner. Immerse yourself in new ideas and insights, especially those that are different than your own. For me, I absolutely love listening to TedTalks on TED.com, sometimes I just randomly select one to learn something new or gain a new insight on how others see our world.
- Engage – Challenge yourself to connect with others and participate in change initiatives. We are all hardwired for connection. Understanding ourselves is powerful, but connecting and engaging in great conversation and learning about others brings a whole new level to living your best life. Proactively seeking ways to make a difference, no matter how small, is still choosing to engage in the life you are living.
- Appreciate – Challenge yourself to seek opportunities to communicate your appreciation to others for their behaviors and choices. There is a proverb that says, “What You Seek, You Will Find”. Choose to seek the good in others, the beauty in a moment, the benefit of the change, or simply be grateful for the breath you breathe.
- Deliver – Challenge yourself to be accountable, to do what you say you will do. So many great ideas and efforts fail because we don’t deliver on what we have promised. I love the saying by Dr. Arnold Beckman “There is no substitute for excellence.” Make it habit to under promise and over deliver as we seek excellence in all we choose to do.
Learning, Engaging, Appreciating, and Delivering are hallmarks of a great leader. They are also hallmarks of a great Change Champion. Leadership is about influence, not position. Everyone has the ability to positively influence the behaviors of others. In, fact, that is the definition of Leadership!
Regardless of where you are, you have opportunities to LEAD, you only have to choose to do so.
Closing Thoughts
As you explored the chapters of this book, I hope you took the time to ask yourself the following questions:
Who am I being?
How does this information impact me in the real world?
How can I apply what I am reading to the personal and organizational shifts I am experiencing?
Equip yourself, engage others, empower discovery - and when shift happens - you can rise and shine, take up the challenge, and…
