What stops us from making change?
When individuals who have been successful in their previous positions step into a new senior role, they are usually required to learn new skills. Whatever got them here is not going to get them further. While it is true that achieving promotions and advancements often require new abilities, the process of acquiring these skills can be challenging.
One common misconception is that deciding on an action and then performing it is sufficient for learning. But knowing something theoretically does not equate to actual behaviour change. For instance, leaders may understand the importance of delegating tasks to team members but continue to micromanage due to their mindset around controlling outcomes.
Our mindsets, shaped by experiences and past successes, can be obstacles to learning new skills and adapting to new roles. Changing our behaviours might feel inauthentic and contrary to common advice. Thinking this way usually keeps us within our comfort zone. Paradoxically, when we are pushed to the edges of our comfort zone, we may become more rigid and resistant to change. We stick to what we know, and what has worked for us in the past.
To address this dilemma, we should be asking ourselves: how do we define our authenticity? One way is by viewing new actions, behaviours, and decisions as experiments. It means trying new things outside of our comfort zone, and being open to failure and iteration. By reframing these changes as experiments, we can approach them with a growth mindset and a willingness to learn from our experiences, rather than staying in our lanes. It requires redefining our personal authenticity to include novel and adaptive ways of being. By doing so, we can continue to grow, learn, and thrive in new situations while staying true to our values and who we are.
One of the sessions in our Empowering Individuals for Team Success workshop is about self-care and resiliency. Resiliency is our response to challenges, big and small. One way to build resiliency is facing smaller challenges, which sets us up to deal with bigger ones. Another is by reframing how we think, also known as cognitive reappraisal. For example, normalising a new challenge as a new adventure, an opportunity to learn, or an experiment. It makes us put less importance on the experience, be more open to fail, and to learn from our experiences while staying authentic to ourselves.
Coaching can also support individuals as they navigate challenging circumstances and adapt to change. The coach can provide guidance, support, and practical strategies to help build coping skills and adjust mindset and ways of thinking.
So a couple of question to you: how do you approach change in your personal life and at work? And is it working for you?