Today President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee saw a window of opportunity to support the new American President in the early days of his first term of office, focusing on his commitment and intention. President Obama, while accepting the prize, also acknowledged his responsibilities to the American public with regard to armed conflict in such places as Afganistan and Iraq.
Windows of opportunity exist for all of us. Sometimes we take advantage of these windows of opportunity and sometimes we ignore or miss them.
Our priorities interact with the windows of opportunity we choose to act on and, sometimes, to skip. For example, if family is a high priority for a certain period of time, we can choose to skip on opportunities which may show up which would have a negative impact on that priority for the family.
Sometimes people place their priorities in their careers and miss opportunities to share with their families. The desire for "work-life balance" reflects the impact of these trade-offs.
Sometimes technology and economies interfere with what might otherwise be a window of opportunity. The history of computing shows examples of the early devices that allowed programming and calculations. Many of Leonardo DaVinci's ideas became a focus for invention and research long after his death. Benjamin Franklin was another inspired inventor who pointed the way for later developments. H.G. Wells and Jules Verne wrote about scientific inventions which were developed many years after the authors introduced them in literature.
One of the challenges for research, invention, and discovery is that there may be no demand for the product of the research, invention, or discovery at the time it is created. The "window of opportunity" is not present yet. In some instances, sufficient numbers of people need to go through the awareness-acceptance-action process in order to create a tipping-point where there is a significant demand for something new.
Showing posts with label acceptance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acceptance. Show all posts
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Choosing to Making a Positive Difference
How and when can we choose to make a positive difference? Part of this depends on understanding what needs to change and knowing what to change to. The circle of concern has a role in this decision. We can choose to make a positive difference in our circle of influence and our circle of control. We need to move through the three phases of change--awareness, acceptance, and action (Slides 8 and 9)--before we can begin to take the action to bring about the change that will make a positive difference.
We have lots of freedom in our choices. I have chosen to make a positive difference for clients and organizations I worked with as an organizational development and change management consultant. More recently (on 9-11-2001), I decided to make a difference by being a classroom teacher for English language learners (ELLs).
This year I am looking to make a positive difference in new ways--working with new clients and organizations and school systems. In my earlier choices, I made lots of one-on-one differences. Now it is more effective to make a difference by teaching others to duplicate these efforts.
In my volunteer work with the American Red Cross, I started as a water safety instructor, then became a first aid and CPR instructor. After teaching classes for years, I became an instructor-trainer in each of those health and safety areas and eventually cross-trained in disaster services and became a leadership volunteer. Many years later I made a positive difference with the American Red Cross by helping organize a "CPR-Sunday" event where volunteer instructors came together in facilities provided by the community and trained 800 people in CPR for free in one day.
Making a positive difference is habit forming and is a habit I thoroughly enjoy.
We have lots of freedom in our choices. I have chosen to make a positive difference for clients and organizations I worked with as an organizational development and change management consultant. More recently (on 9-11-2001), I decided to make a difference by being a classroom teacher for English language learners (ELLs).
This year I am looking to make a positive difference in new ways--working with new clients and organizations and school systems. In my earlier choices, I made lots of one-on-one differences. Now it is more effective to make a difference by teaching others to duplicate these efforts.
In my volunteer work with the American Red Cross, I started as a water safety instructor, then became a first aid and CPR instructor. After teaching classes for years, I became an instructor-trainer in each of those health and safety areas and eventually cross-trained in disaster services and became a leadership volunteer. Many years later I made a positive difference with the American Red Cross by helping organize a "CPR-Sunday" event where volunteer instructors came together in facilities provided by the community and trained 800 people in CPR for free in one day.
Making a positive difference is habit forming and is a habit I thoroughly enjoy.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Finding Who Cares--An Idea Crucial for Change
“Finding who cares” is critical to making change happen. Caring motivates individuals and organizations to move through the awareness—acceptance—action phases of preparing for change (slides 8 and 9). More than that, caring can motivate individuals to move beyond “paradigm paralysis”—a locking in to a comfort zone of the old paradigm when a paradigm shift is beginning to happen. (Similar to the idea that “the sun revolves around the earth” rather than that “the earth revolves around the sun.” –The paradigm shift attributed to Copernicus.)
The USA economy of 2009 shows elements of both paradigm paralysis and an emerging paradigm shift. One way to see this in action is to look at the efforts of Team Earth. Team Earth created a new website today to encourage others to join with them (in the process of awareness—acceptance—and action) to preserve Planet Earth. Two other interconnected concepts relate to what is happening around us today.
Stephen Covey, in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, introduced the idea of “circle of concern.” The outermost circle is a broad circle of concern—the edge of awareness of the individual owning the circles. Inside the broad circle is a person’s circle of influence—an area where actions on the part of the individual can have an effect, direct or indirect. Inside the circle of influence is the circle of control—a much smaller circle where decisions and actions by the individual are largely under the control of the individual. When a person moves through awareness—acceptance—and action, most effective action takes place in the circle of control with less effective action in the circle of influence. The circle of concern is at a limit of awareness without consequence on the other two circles.
“What’s In It for Me (WIIFM)?” is second interconnected concept that is in play in today’s challenges for caring and change. True caring, accompanied by progress through the awareness—acceptance—action phases, (Slides 8 and 9) helps an individual make the personal decision and take the personal action that moves him or her beyond the limits of his or her comfort zone.
In schools, students who consistently read below-grade level frequently respond by engaging in off-task behavior, actively intervening to avoid difficult or unpleasant work. They are often successful, with the result that they do not learn what they need to learn in the classroom. In business, upper-level decision makers may not fully support a vision for change held by a few executives. In their resistance, they can actively sabotage the efforts toward change initiated by the senior executives. While successfully maintaining the “status quo” and their comfort zones, it may lead to the dissolution of the business. Some of these actions were part of the “melt-down” of the economy in the USA. Some executives whose comfort zones (and life styles) dictated that they needed high salaries regardless of the financial performance of their organizations worked to continue their executive pay-outs even when the organizations were bailed out by taxpayer dollars. Some organizations said that the money paid to executives came from the organization and that the federal dollars were used for other needs of the organization.
A few years ago Al Gore introduced a movie, An Inconvenient Truth, documenting the negative effects on Planet Earth caused by “global warming.” Evidence from observation—frequently in multimedia format accessed over the Internet—shows major changes on the planet. There is still debate regarding the cause. Whether or not global warming is the cause of what is happening to the planet, major changes are taking place on a daily basis. The feature story of National Geographic’s August, 2009, issue was on the super volcano located below Yellowstone National Park.
Team Earth and National Geographic are both looking for concerned individuals and organizations to care enough about Planet Earth to lobby for change—and to take other action. We all know how hard it is to make a personal change—such as moving to an ideal weight, becoming smoke-free, reading successfully, speaking another language fluently, engaging regularly in healthy exercise.
Actions to improve healthy lifestyle bring the focus to the health care system in the USA. Regardless of the changes proposed by President Barack Obama, many people and organizations are lobbying strongly for their personal WIIFM. The public at large needs affordable, comprehensive healthcare--that's a WIIFM for the public. How to meld an entire nation into a shared vision for positive change is a challenge for the Obama administration and for all U.S. citizens.
The American Red Cross is an organization that is part of a world-wide movement of people who care. Caring can take many forms--from donations to volunteer service to the community and to the world community.
“Finding who cares” is an important pursuit. Our “wisdom models” need to be people who care. If we want to make a positive change in our lives, we need to care enough to make it happen. If we want to make a positive change in our families, our family needs to care enough to make it happen. If we want to make a positive change in our organizations, sufficient levels and numbers of people in the organization need to care enough to share the vision and to bring the change about. How do we know when we’ve found people who care?
That will be the subject of another post. It is important to keep asking ourselves that question. Perhaps one of the characteristics will be that what they care about will be reflected in their answer to WIIFM and not be limited to themselves.
The USA economy of 2009 shows elements of both paradigm paralysis and an emerging paradigm shift. One way to see this in action is to look at the efforts of Team Earth. Team Earth created a new website today to encourage others to join with them (in the process of awareness—acceptance—and action) to preserve Planet Earth. Two other interconnected concepts relate to what is happening around us today.
Stephen Covey, in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, introduced the idea of “circle of concern.” The outermost circle is a broad circle of concern—the edge of awareness of the individual owning the circles. Inside the broad circle is a person’s circle of influence—an area where actions on the part of the individual can have an effect, direct or indirect. Inside the circle of influence is the circle of control—a much smaller circle where decisions and actions by the individual are largely under the control of the individual. When a person moves through awareness—acceptance—and action, most effective action takes place in the circle of control with less effective action in the circle of influence. The circle of concern is at a limit of awareness without consequence on the other two circles.
“What’s In It for Me (WIIFM)?” is second interconnected concept that is in play in today’s challenges for caring and change. True caring, accompanied by progress through the awareness—acceptance—action phases, (Slides 8 and 9) helps an individual make the personal decision and take the personal action that moves him or her beyond the limits of his or her comfort zone.
In schools, students who consistently read below-grade level frequently respond by engaging in off-task behavior, actively intervening to avoid difficult or unpleasant work. They are often successful, with the result that they do not learn what they need to learn in the classroom. In business, upper-level decision makers may not fully support a vision for change held by a few executives. In their resistance, they can actively sabotage the efforts toward change initiated by the senior executives. While successfully maintaining the “status quo” and their comfort zones, it may lead to the dissolution of the business. Some of these actions were part of the “melt-down” of the economy in the USA. Some executives whose comfort zones (and life styles) dictated that they needed high salaries regardless of the financial performance of their organizations worked to continue their executive pay-outs even when the organizations were bailed out by taxpayer dollars. Some organizations said that the money paid to executives came from the organization and that the federal dollars were used for other needs of the organization.
A few years ago Al Gore introduced a movie, An Inconvenient Truth, documenting the negative effects on Planet Earth caused by “global warming.” Evidence from observation—frequently in multimedia format accessed over the Internet—shows major changes on the planet. There is still debate regarding the cause. Whether or not global warming is the cause of what is happening to the planet, major changes are taking place on a daily basis. The feature story of National Geographic’s August, 2009, issue was on the super volcano located below Yellowstone National Park.
Team Earth and National Geographic are both looking for concerned individuals and organizations to care enough about Planet Earth to lobby for change—and to take other action. We all know how hard it is to make a personal change—such as moving to an ideal weight, becoming smoke-free, reading successfully, speaking another language fluently, engaging regularly in healthy exercise.
Actions to improve healthy lifestyle bring the focus to the health care system in the USA. Regardless of the changes proposed by President Barack Obama, many people and organizations are lobbying strongly for their personal WIIFM. The public at large needs affordable, comprehensive healthcare--that's a WIIFM for the public. How to meld an entire nation into a shared vision for positive change is a challenge for the Obama administration and for all U.S. citizens.
The American Red Cross is an organization that is part of a world-wide movement of people who care. Caring can take many forms--from donations to volunteer service to the community and to the world community.
“Finding who cares” is an important pursuit. Our “wisdom models” need to be people who care. If we want to make a positive change in our lives, we need to care enough to make it happen. If we want to make a positive change in our families, our family needs to care enough to make it happen. If we want to make a positive change in our organizations, sufficient levels and numbers of people in the organization need to care enough to share the vision and to bring the change about. How do we know when we’ve found people who care?
That will be the subject of another post. It is important to keep asking ourselves that question. Perhaps one of the characteristics will be that what they care about will be reflected in their answer to WIIFM and not be limited to themselves.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Awareness-Acceptance-Action and Evidence for Action
In an earlier post I described the aspects of learning and change. There are three components that must be in place for change to take place at an individual or organizational level. These are: Awareness, Acceptance, and Action (view slides 8 and 9). In the last 24 hours I have had conversations in multiple contexts that show how these steps have to be personalized before action can be even considered.
Yesterday I wrote about the need for flu vaccinations early this year--the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have already approved the release and distribution of "regular, seasonal" flu vaccines that we usually see in October. Because we need three shots this year, the CDC is encouraging everyone to take the seasonal shot early. Several people I spoke with had not personalized that information. They had "lumped" the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 (Swine flu) shot--not projected to be available until October or November--together and were avoiding thinking about any flu shots until later in the year.
Today I was having a conversation about the challenge that some association managers have in trusting in and personalizing information they may receive from research reports, news letters, and well known speakers regarding the needs of the members of their associations. At the same time few of these association managers actually ask questions of their members to take authentic input regarding unmet needs.
This reminds me, again, of some classic action learning concepts. Reg Revans, one of the founders of action learning, was a researcher in the United Kingdom and was involved in the follow-up to the sinking of the Titanic.
As I recall the history, he went to leaders of the different engineering groups who built the Titanic and received the same kind of message from several of the most distinguished engineers working on the project. (This is a paraphrase, of course.) "I thought that the "xyz" (pick an engineering problem) was a problem and then I realized that "Dr. ABC" (another leading expert in the field) was in charge of that department and I knew that what I was wondering about must have been handled by the experts. Enough of the "xyz" problems existed when the Titanic went to sea that it sank after colliding with an iceberg.
Association managers and everyone else make decisions every day--some of which are based on evidence and others on emotions or other factors. A major question remains, what evidence is required to be accepted and trusted on a personal level to allow a decision-maker to move through the phases of awareness (there is a need to change); acceptance (I must take--or approve--action to make a change); and action (actually moving through the learning and change and investment required to accomplish the change)?
The earlier post mentioned the concept of denial. What evidence of decay (lack of positive growth) or dis-ease is needed before a decision-maker recognizes that there is a new need to change. What used to work is no longer working. What do I (we) need to do now?
Sometimes membership groups need to ask questions of their members. At other times the information resources of newsletters, magazines, reviews, media, and informed speakers can provide the necessary information to allow the decision-maker to take action--even if the initial action is to ask questions of the membership. In fact, sometimes the act of asking questions actually informs the people being asked.
What evidence for change are you looking for? How will you recognize it when you see it? What will it take for you to move through the three phases--awareness-acceptance-action--and do something about it?
Yesterday I wrote about the need for flu vaccinations early this year--the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have already approved the release and distribution of "regular, seasonal" flu vaccines that we usually see in October. Because we need three shots this year, the CDC is encouraging everyone to take the seasonal shot early. Several people I spoke with had not personalized that information. They had "lumped" the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 (Swine flu) shot--not projected to be available until October or November--together and were avoiding thinking about any flu shots until later in the year.
Today I was having a conversation about the challenge that some association managers have in trusting in and personalizing information they may receive from research reports, news letters, and well known speakers regarding the needs of the members of their associations. At the same time few of these association managers actually ask questions of their members to take authentic input regarding unmet needs.
This reminds me, again, of some classic action learning concepts. Reg Revans, one of the founders of action learning, was a researcher in the United Kingdom and was involved in the follow-up to the sinking of the Titanic.
As I recall the history, he went to leaders of the different engineering groups who built the Titanic and received the same kind of message from several of the most distinguished engineers working on the project. (This is a paraphrase, of course.) "I thought that the "xyz" (pick an engineering problem) was a problem and then I realized that "Dr. ABC" (another leading expert in the field) was in charge of that department and I knew that what I was wondering about must have been handled by the experts. Enough of the "xyz" problems existed when the Titanic went to sea that it sank after colliding with an iceberg.
Association managers and everyone else make decisions every day--some of which are based on evidence and others on emotions or other factors. A major question remains, what evidence is required to be accepted and trusted on a personal level to allow a decision-maker to move through the phases of awareness (there is a need to change); acceptance (I must take--or approve--action to make a change); and action (actually moving through the learning and change and investment required to accomplish the change)?
The earlier post mentioned the concept of denial. What evidence of decay (lack of positive growth) or dis-ease is needed before a decision-maker recognizes that there is a new need to change. What used to work is no longer working. What do I (we) need to do now?
Sometimes membership groups need to ask questions of their members. At other times the information resources of newsletters, magazines, reviews, media, and informed speakers can provide the necessary information to allow the decision-maker to take action--even if the initial action is to ask questions of the membership. In fact, sometimes the act of asking questions actually informs the people being asked.
What evidence for change are you looking for? How will you recognize it when you see it? What will it take for you to move through the three phases--awareness-acceptance-action--and do something about it?
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