Making Change? Think Big, Start Small
Making Change? Think Big, Start Small
Making Change? Think Big, Start Small
At the end of the session one man raised his hand and said, "This is great. But my question is - where do we begin? How can I start this NOW?"
I started to help him figure that out by asking a few questions to target the immediate problems his company faced. It quickly became clear the strongest, surest way for them to begin was by focusing first on where employee "pain" was highest. He began to agree enthusiastically with the approach as we talked, and soon turned to his co-owner to start planning how to get the work underway that day.
I thought about his question on my way back to the office. Great beginnings are so easily overlooked, yet they're critical for action, traction, and results.
Here are a few ideas to get you started on your next project:
Start where the pain is highest
What bothers your employees most about the way you do things now? What gets in their way, or stops them from providing customers just what they want, when they want it - no more, no less?
What do your customers complain about most? What is driving them to your competitors - or what could?
What keeps you awake at night? What is the first thing you worry about when you face a new day?
Start with one of the most painful or pressing problems you find when you ask these questions. Work with people who will personally benefit from the improvements. They're likely to be most committed to action and results.
Tales of great achievements in business, adventure and life show that a team of highly motivated people can work and figure out how to get around, over or through any barrier.
Think big, start small
We all know dreamers who have a hard time getting into action, getting traction, to begin achieving their lofty dreams.
If that's a problem for someone at your company, get around it by breaking a big dream into smaller parts. Focus on individual tasks. Get those done, one at a time. Soon you'll have many tangible accomplishments, and the once impassable mountain will have been ascended, leaving a manageable downhill run.
Try easier
Often we're advised, "Try harder!" Many times, though, it works better if you "Try easier." Relax. Don't force it. Make a plan. Get moving. Keep moving. Get the momentum of success on your side, one action, one result at a time.
Begin with the end in mind
Many teams find they have strong, natural momentum when they're driving toward a powerful shared vision, or a "Big Hairy Audacious Goal" (BHAG). To get this momentum working for you, imagine in great detail what it will be like when you've achieved your goal. Record the dream or vision on butcher paper. Post it prominently. Keep markers handy for people to add ideas, team quotes or comments, and "high fives" as you reach major milestones.
Do the thing you least want to do
Go for it. Dive right in. Learn from others who've successfully navigated the same waters before. Then jump right into the biggest, scariest part. Once that's behind you, often the rest of the project is - or seems - like a much easier exercise.
Pick a place, any place - start there
This is my husband's typical approach for a big project. In his view, some momentum - any momentum - is better than the possibility of early wheel-spinning. Create a rhythm of accomplishment, one tangible result at a time. Seeing a few things quickly checked off the "to-do" list is very encouraging to members of most any team.
GREAT IDEAS ABOUT GREAT BEGINNINGS
It's the start that stops most people. Unknown
More powerful than the will to win is the courage to begin. Unknown
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao-tzu
Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. St. Francis of Assisi
Let us watch well our beginnings and results will manage themselves. Alexander Clark
And now I invite you to get your copy of the free report, "Leading Teams Successfully Through Uncertain Times" when you visit http://www.jgrichardsresults.com from Jan Richards, J.G. Richards Consulting - Turning Business Goals Into Great Results.
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