From knowledge to action

Cartoon of the week 

About shoes and change management

Everybody has somewhere this pair of old shoes they still wear every once in a while. They are old, perhaps a little bit (or very) damaged, but they feel sooo comfy, because they fit your feet perfectly. Over time they got shaped around your feet and they feel like you could walk miles with them.
This is like our old habits. We are used to these habits, they feel comfy and safe, so we keep on doing things like we used to do them before.

But after even more time, those shoes will really get damaged and the shoe repair guy gives you this look saying 'game over my friend'. This is the moment you realize it's time for a change. You will have to look for a new pair.

You go to the shop and none of the shoes in the window look like your old ones (what a disappointment). But hey, you need shoes so you buy some new ones. And in the beginning those new shoes might hurt some and then you have 2 possibilities : or your new shoes end up at the bottom of the closet or you say let's walk a few miles with them and in the end, they will fit my feet. And yes, if you persist, they will become more comfortable. You realize they feel good as well. And if you keep on wearing them, in the end they feel like the most comfy shoes you ever had.
With change it goes exactly the same way. It might scare you to move into new situations. You might have some resistance towards the new change, but once you give it a try, you'll realize you can cope with it, and you might even enjoy the new situation.

But stay sharp, because at a certain moment, your new shoes will get old and you'll need a new pair.

Leren = Leven en Leven = Leren

Ontdek hier m'n nieuwe presentatie over levenslang leren.

Indien de link niet werkt : http://www.slideshare.net/PimVandijck/leren-leven-en-leven-leren

It is one of those Fridays

IT'S FRIDAY.

You and your team have worked throughout the week on a project. You have been looking forward to the weekend (how I feel) because you want to spend some time with your family. You arrive at work earlier than usual (what I do) because this is the best way to get a head start on your day (how I think). You find out that there is an unanticipated need to work over the weekend and your plans will have to change.
As you mentally reorganize your day and your weekend, you meet several of your peers in the hallway. They talk about how miserable they are because they have to ask their employees to work over the weekend (how I feel). They also tell you that they are going to ask their employees to work over the weekend by email to avoid personal contact (what I do). They further share that they think that it was unfair of the company to make such a last minute request (how I think).

The possible outcomes of this situation shed light on the cascade effect that individuals’ attitudes can have on others. You could adopt the attitudes of your peers and behave as they are or you could continue to work with your employees as you always have, even though you have to change your plans. As a manager, your employees will learn about how you feel, what you do, and how you think, and very likely, they will align themselves to you. Your attitudes will influence their attitudes, and eventually, their level of engagement. If something is important for you, it should be important for them and vice versa.

-Excerpt taken from ASTD Links, "What Is Organizational Culture?"
Thursday, October 31, 2013 - by Norma Dávila and Wanda Piña-Ramírez

Attitudes play a critical role on engagement, as they do in this hypothetical situation.

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