As promised ...
Here is how you, too, can overcome the challenge that had NEVER BEFORE made it to the TOP 3!!
Challenge #4: Dealing with Others' Resistance:
Of course, this is a challenge for ALL of us ... in our businesses and in our LIFE ... you know, that life outside of the business that we all so want.
In fact, just minutes ago, I had a lengthy conversation with a friend about her partner's resistance.
Funny thing is, you can read about this, even, in my e-book No More Resolutions: Let's Create Solutions, written in late 2005 and first offered for sale way back in January 2006. Just goes to show something all of my clients hear me say:
There's nothing new out there!
whether that be in business, our personal lives, in communities, everywhere.
When we are growing, as we all must, those around us -- business partners; employees; spouses; friends; family members -- RESIST it like crazy! They appear to be unsupportive, sabotaging, self-serving, spiteful even, and many other adjectives you can think up yourself.
In fact ... they're only fearful.
There are but 2 emotions in this world and everything else are variations of these 2.
LOVE, on one end of the bar, is white,
let's say, and
FEAR, on the other end, is black.
Everything in-between ranges from lighter black to darker white and many shades of grey in-between.
You see, it's all about CHANGE. Look around you and you'll see that change is happening at every moment everywhere. This is all due to the Universal Law of EXPANSION. You see it in play everywhere, even in difficult environments: weeds growing in concrete; mold growing in basements all the way through to our beautiful babies growing into laughing, playing children, through their teens and becoming us (adults :-).
And at every moment you can hear people complaining about something that has changed or is changing.
People only like and embrace change ... when they're the ones who made the decision to make the change or are given control of the change. When you decide to change (and every decision requires action or else it is not a decision, it's just another promise likely to soon be broken) the mere fact that you are changing means that the rules of interacting with you are changing.
This change, even when you're only effecting change in your personal self, affects those around us ... and since it's not their decision
THEY DON'T LIKE IT
because
THEY FEAR THE UNKNOWN.
Since they're not the ones who decided on the change, they don't know how it's all going to turn out.
So, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is
1. Explain the "why" of the change. (In fact, for training, communicating, everything: Explain the "why". That, in itself, will have more people jump on board with you than saying or doing anything else.);
2. Show respect to everyone who will be affected by the change. Remember: Change is not easy for them to embrace. It's disrupting their world against their control and against their wishes. Simply showing respect will go a l-o-n-g way in gaining their buy-in;
3. Explain / Communicate the "new" rules -- eg.
- who you or the business will be on the other side of this change;
- the benefits to the person/people to whom you're explaining the changes;
- what is expected of them -- and be mindful of unrealistic expectations;
- where the "tolerations" bar is now being set;
- the natural consequences when the new rules are not met (we do all of these steps - I hope - with our children on an almost daily basis); and,
4. Enforce your rules: ie. hold the tolerations bar firmly in place, being sure not to dip it down to catch those who aren't willing to get with the program; and making sure you don't "cave" and go back to the way things were before the change. WARNING: This is the hardest step to take. It's SO easy to go back inside our comfort zone. You will need proper support to ensure you not only follow through but hold that bar in place.
So, it's not about expecting to see your support team embrace the changes -- though that would be lovely. It's about all of those points above. And, if holding the bar in place doesn't see all of the people on your championship support team accepting the change and complying with the new rules, it's essential that you continue moving forward ... with or without them. Seldom easy ... always essential for your own growth and that of your business.
It isn't easy to release people from their positions, but it's important that you understand that you're actually doing them a favour. If they're not able to rise up above the bar, it's no fun for them to keep struggling. Release them so that they, too, can step into other opportunities for their own growth.
If you have people on your support team who you know are having great difficulty embracing the changes, let's discuss it. It's no good for you ... and it's also no good for that person, either.
Promising you, too,
MORE PROFIT
TONS MORE FUN
RETIREMENT ... on your terms!
'Cause that's what it's all about.
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