We Can Change… before we have to

Signals from your system that something’s gotta shift

Change management practitioners often invoke a “burning platform”—a clear and compelling case for change that focuses on the urgency of the desired shift and the risks of not embracing it.

I’m not a fan of this particular strategy. It’s fear-based and reactive instead of visionary and creative. It’ll spur people to immediate (read: automatic) action, but it’s unlikely to sustain the hard work of transformation.

Plus, why wait to change until the platform is on fire?

This got me thinking about what moves us to change, so here are my top 10 indicators that something’s gotta shift. Take a look and let me know: What do you think? Which are the most compelling? What’s missing?

It’s time for your team or organization to transform if:

1. Revenue is flat or in decline, consistently over time.

2. Operational costs are up, and profit margins are tightening.

3. Client or customer satisfaction is slipping, tracked explicitly through NPS or sentiment surveys and/or implicitly through organic growth, frequency of repeat business, new briefs, etc.

4. Voluntary, undesirable turnover is increasing and desirable turnover is decreasing. Employee turnover can be a good thing, as long as you aren’t losing the people you want to keep, and keeping those who really need to move on.

5. Mistakes are repeating. Of course, mistakes made in the course of learning are a given. But the same mistakes made over and over indicate the team is not learning and/or integrating those lessons into the ways they work. The goal is to always be making new mistakes.

6. Capabilities are no longer competitive. Every organization benefits from continual upskilling but if a workforce finds itself behind the curve, it’s probably an indication that organizational priorities are off. Is your team more focused on today’s urgencies than creating tomorrow’s opportunities? Which brings us to…

7. You’re constantly fighting fires. When the days are flying by in a blur without a sense that you’re making progress on what matters most, a reset is required.

8. Engagement is low, or to put it another way: The distance between you and your team is increasing.

9. You lack structure or systems that support sustainable success. As a result, you may be continually reinventing the wheel. Outcomes or processes may look wildly different from team to team. When leaders are working below their levels, it’s often a structural issue.

10. Other people are the problem. When we as leaders blame those around us for the issues in our organization, it’s a sign we may be avoiding some lesson we can learn—or some less-than-perfect part of ourselves. Coaching can help us remember (and be responsible for) our own part in the problem—and move swiftly toward solutions.

Then, I wondered how these would translate to change we may need in our lives and/or work. Here’s what I came up with, and I’m sure you can think of many more!

It’s time for a big change in your life and/or work if:

1. You aren’t achieving (meaningful progress toward) your goals.

2. You are not using/spending your resources (money, energy, time) wisely.

3. Your work is not reliable, sustainable, meaningful, challenging and/or supportive enough for where you are in your life right now.

4. Your unhealthy choices are increasing and/or your healthy choices are decreasing.

5. You are repeating mistakes, not learning from them and integrating their lessons into your lifestyle, career, relationships, etc.

6. You know everything. Or, you don’t know anything. Neither is true.

7. You’re at the mercy of other people’s needs, desires and discomfort.

8. Key relationships (friends, partner, manager) are growing distant or strained.

9. You lack routines, rituals or habits that help you focus on what matters most in your day-to-day life.

10. Other people are the problem. In life as in leadership, blame can feel powerful but is counterproductive, even corrosive. Taking responsibility for what we can control—even if that doesn’t feel like much—is usually a solid first step.

What resonates for you on this list? What would you add? How do you know it’s time to change?

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Are you or your team on the precipice of a big shift? Are you overwhelmed, not sure where to start? Or are you already over it, ready to be on the other side?

I’m creating a new course called ARC: Agents of Radiant Change, and you’re a perfect candidate. I’ll have more to share on this soon, or you can sign up here to be notified when registration opens.