This 4 Step Change Model Will Rock Your World

Simple is good. Simple and powerful is even better. As a business coach, I look for the simplest possible ways to help clients implement the kinds of changes/improvements they want to make.

Well, there’s an extremely simple, highly systematic way of analyzing where you are and what you can do to improve your operations that’ll blow the doors off your performance.

Last month, I talked about dealing with tolerations, those pesky unresolved issues and to-do’s that are sapping your energy and dragging down your efficiency and productivity.

They’re little demons, and we need to exorcise them.

And that led me to explore a simple 4 step change management model with one of my clients. It’ll help you cleanly assess how you’re doing and develop a strategy for how you can do better. And that includes … but certainly isn’t limited to … getting rid of tolerations.

STOP … START … CONTINUE … CHANGE.

What do you need to STOP doing?

What do you need to START doing?

What do you need to CONTINUE doing?

And what do you need to CHANGE about how you’re operating?

Told you it was simple … and systematic.

Yeah, those 4 little questions help you systematically cover the waterfront of possible improvement.

Systematic … hmmm. Why did I mention that three times? Why is that so important?

Because most people go at the change process piecemeal, addressing one or two things at a time in isolation vs. looking systematically at everything that’s susceptible to improvement.

And that’s not where the gold is. Especially since the things that likely garner most of your attention are problems … things that need fixing … vs. opportunities and enhancements you may be overlooking.

A psychology professor from Brigham-Young named Phil Daniels came up with these questions. They’re used by all kinds of organizations and teams, as well as individual performers to assess where they stand and assist in directing their energies and resources.

Brilliant! Hats off to ya Phil wherever you are.

One Quick note: Stop, start, and change are about doing things differently. We tend to lean into that kind of “gap analysis” quite readily. It’s easy to focus on what needs to be fixed.

That said, continue is just as important. Make sure to give yourself credit and acknowledge what’s working, as well as focusing on what can be improved. Recognize and appreciate what’s made you successful and valued by those you serve. Don’t concentrate solely on how you can do better. You’re undoubtedly doing a lot of “right” things and doing a lot of things well.

And when you want to do even better, just ask yourself these four simple questions.

I think you’ll be impressed with how penetrating and powerful this little exercise can be, as it sweeps away the unnecessary and burdensome … and opens the doors to newly imagined possibilities.

Best Wishes,