Paint a PICTURE

Posted on by Byron Darden

Organizational Change Management drives a series of actions to help support a company or organization to alter the way a significant component operates. This could involve the adoption of new technology or IT systems, an aspect of how the organization is set up (its infrastructure), or a culture shift.  

Instead of viewing the change as something that is happening to the organization and in turn happening to you, consider how you can grow through the transition and emerge successfully on the other side.

This process has three phases: preparation, implementation, and completion (follow-through). Its checks and balances are testing, utilization management, relational impact, and evaluation. We’ll call this process PICTURE.

There are different models for launching an organizational change, each with a unique approach to solving the problem. They commonly break down the PICTURE into manageable chunks of actions to complete the entirety of the change process.

Some organizations fail to take into consideration how they will manage human capital, or how the people factor into the change.  Human capital is multi-faceted consisting of:

  • Health
  • Education/Training
  • Experience
  • IQ and EQ
  • Hard and Soft Skills
  • Abilities
  • Creativity
  • Wisdom
  • Discernment

Each of these aspects is a study in itself, and when planning a transition, the goal is how to influence your team to draw on all these different aspects of what they bring to their role (so that the enterprise gains most from their contribution). At the same time, as you are experiencing the change, you can draw on all these personal attributes in planning your transition to your future self. 

Human capital management encompasses overseeing, evaluating, and deploying the value a human being contributes toward an organization achieving its goals. Beginning with well-chosen talent sets the stage for developing, managing, and inspiring that talent to perform well in their role. The development of human performance is the heart of our coaching. 

To optimize the talents of your team to more effectively ensure success in achieving the end goal of change, inspiring that talent to maintain the new state is crucial. Otherwise, your team can become demotivated, lose the spark of inspiration, and impact the new state in ways that render the change ineffective.

The 4 Cs of Performance Management as outlined by HR Tactics are collaboration, connect, clarity, and character. These concepts complement my approach to building leadership capacity in the following ways: 

  • Gaining buy-in,
  • Building strong team alliances,
  • Maintaining the transparency of a clear why,
  • Drawing out the unique alignments between one’s character and what the organization stands for,
  • Influencing the adoption of the new state following the change itself,
  • Responding to, Why it is Important? And
  • Ability to articulate the benefit in a way that’s inspiring to those going through the change

When we focus on the contributions and abilities of the people who will see the change through by acknowledging their concerns, potential obstacles, and fears of the unknown, we must support them in realizing we are all in this change together. We will all learn, stumble, and work together for the good of the outcomes that impact each employee and/or team member in positive and sustaining ways.

Questions to ponder are:

  • Are we really all in this together? 
  • As a leader, have you considered what is most important to you when it comes to change? 
  • Have you done the soul searching that can answer the question, “Why are you here?” 
  • Is it just to have power? More money? Perhaps satisfaction that you put your knowledge and wisdom to work to make a difference for someone else? 
  • Have you identified what you are most passionate about and then sought to fulfill that passion through your leadership?

When we miss the opportunity to ask of ourselves what we are ultimately asking of our team, we also miss the opportunity to walk in their shoes. To see the world from their perspective. We can become tunnel-visioned in leading the charge for change’s sake alone. Yet, when we aren’t steeped in awareness of our world outside of our leadership, we can misstep in managing the human capital of others.

SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

It’s time to Design a Roadmap.

People Side of Change – Step by Step

Posted on by Byron Darden

Change is constant. Organizations must change to adapt to global and industrial conditions to keep up with the demands of their customers and remain in step or a step ahead of the competition. Those in charge of these changes make decisive decisions, where the aim is often to influence consumers and improve the bottom line. What’s missing sometimes is how these changes affect those in the middle. 

When the CEO declares there will be cuts across the board, each department head is tasked with how that will look in their department. Do they search for efficiencies, scrap projects, or lay off employees?  Meanwhile, the employees are thrown into a whirlwind of change, which includes various emotions.  Some employees are excited about change, some resist, and others are left by the wayside – either without a job in the organization or floundering to understand where they fit in.

How change affects the organization as a whole is familiar, as many studies and strategies have been explored in Change Management.  What we will explore here is how change affects the human dynamic, including navigating emotions, perceptions, and personal experiences.

We evolve with each passing day as a response to our environment, our interactions with others, or by gaining an understanding of ourselves.  The response to organizational change is an opportunity to turn inward and determine how it aligns with your purpose.

RESPOND TO CHANGE

Learn to Paint a PICTURE.

Founders Corner – The People Side of Change

Posted on by Byron Darden

What do National Month of Hope, Volunteer Month, Move More Month, Parkinson’s Awareness, Garden Month, Stress Awareness Month, and Women’s Black History Month all have in common? They are all steeped in deepening awareness in our lives. By deepening our awareness, we live a fuller life, more broadly experienced, and in what I’ve discovered along my journey, experiencing my life on a level that allows for greater insight beyond what I ever imagined possible. 

For several months we’ve focused on different aspects of life that cause us stress, and while stress may often find its way to the forefront, this month we honor Financial Literacy Month.

Hi, I’m Byron Darden with another edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this edition, we continue our series on Transitions. In this installment, we focus on The People Side of Change. We’ve covered a great deal about the challenges and stressors of change and how a well-planned transition can make a universal difference in how we leave the current state, and move toward our approach to, the transition through and arrival at the new future state. That’s the Macro level of change.

On the Micro level, are those of us who lead through, and work in, the new state of change of  our organizations. Therefore we need tools to help us along the way to support our internal and external stakeholders. One of the most useful tools I’ve discovered as a leader, and often a leader’s ultimate downfall without it, is the invaluable ability and willingness to listen.

So listen with your eyes and your ears as we share how Triple Axel Executive Coaching can support you in navigating your long-range aspirations in your career and life. Enjoy!

CONNECT WITH US

Dive into this month’s blog with the People Side of Change – Step by Step.

Create Your Own AHA Moments

Posted on by Byron Darden

“I live in the land of delight – of just walking in the street, and the sun is shining, and I’m on my way to Starbucks and I’m feeling good. I also live for those AHA! moments when you understand something new when you see two things fitting together to make a surprising third. There’s actually a chemical that’s produced in the brain by learning that gives you that little ecstatic moment of, Oh, that’s why.” – Gloria Steinem

Whether or not you define a thought or experience as an AHA moment, I think you can agree that there are times when things come into alignment. Those ideas that pop into your head, the instinct to go in one direction or another, or just looking up and having something catch your eye and trigger us to pause.

Cultivating more AHA moments in your work and personal life often involves slowing down and listening.  A message on a billboard could be the catalyst for a new idea at work. Stopping and listening to the voices in your head could provide the answer to a troubling question that’s been nagging at you for weeks.  AHA moments can be found anywhere and my mission is to provide the tools you can use to discover them.  Book a free call and you might just find an AHA moment by the end.

BOOK A CALL

Insights in Everyday Scenarios

Posted on by Byron Darden

Let’s pose an example where you might experience an AHA moment. You have a website and are writing a monthly blog.  Consistently, you have about 100 clicks a month.  You decide to shake things up a bit with a new topic or by adding graphics instead of just text.  The next month, your readership jumps to 500.  AHA, you think to yourself, let me do more of that.  

According to the Harvard Business Review, those brilliant “AHA!” moments that reshape our thinking tend to happen unexpectedly. They occur when our minds are quiet and engaged in unrelated activities, not when we’re actively searching for them. Creating an atmosphere of silence and solitude can enhance the chances of experiencing these transformative insights.

Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, delved into peak experiences, describing them as invaluable and life-changing revelations. According to him, these moments hold intrinsic value, making life truly worthwhile due to their occasional occurrence.

LET’S CHAT

Learn how to Create Your Own AHA Moments.

Navigating Transitions: From Setbacks to Breakthroughs

Posted on by Byron Darden

AHA moments are a regular occurrence in my life. Someone recently asked the question, how does faith help me in tough times? My response was automatic. Tough times typically show up when I think I’ve reached a dead end. Or when I arrive at a crossroads where there doesn’t appear to be a “right” choice. These situations are what I refer to as setbacks or breakdowns after which follows a breakthrough.

You may recall my November 2023 blog on Leadership and Resilience where I write about the 5 Tips To Overcome Setbacks. It was such a powerful topic for me to write about because my chosen careers all tend to have a high level of rejection and risk associated. Facing setbacks and breakdowns are built-in components that go with the industry. One such setback triggered the writing of this series on transitions.

It is  January 10, 2022, when I receive an email from my trademark attorney letting me know the renewal paperwork with the US Patent and Trademark Office is due one year from now. “I went to your website and it does not appear as if you are using that mark to provide services anymore”, shares my attorney. This claim is baffling to me. “What do you mean I’m not using the mark? It’s printed on all my documents, on every page of my website, and is the name on the company checking account. There’s not a single example I know of that isn’t identified under Triple Axel Executive Coaching, LLC.”

What I do not realize is that the name is not in use for marketing in commerce. Aha, I fully understand the issue. Deer in the headlights! I feel my heart begin to race. Sweat breaks out on my forehead. The muscles in my neck and shoulders tense as I sense panic throughout my body as I learn the news. What do I do? This familiar question emerges from my thinking which fortunately leads into a series of steps that outline a transition in the making.

As each of the next nine months unfolds,  I begin the work of reimagining my website, determining a new color scheme, and figuring out an array of brand elements including the design of a new logo. For a moment I face the reality of time and a small fortune, gone. Now I’m overhauling my entire online presence to become compliant.

What I have to accomplish in order to make this pivot, is just about everything you are reading thus far in the sections leading up to this point. In one year I go through an in-depth transition to make the change from just ByronDarden.com to TripleAxelec.com.

Three days before the deadline for filing my trademark renewal paperwork I go live, as we say on the Net. For the next twelve months, I will go through an indescribable transformation, sparking this series on Transitions debuting  December 1, 2023.

Lesson Learned: Life is impermanent. As every moment passes we become more in touch with the reality that nothing stays the same. We must remain adaptable. Everything always changing is one of the most significant ways we know we are alive and living in the impermanence of the present moment. Avoiding change is to cease the action of living.

REACH OUT

Learn about Insights in Everyday Scenarios.

Opening Your Mind to New Ideas

Posted on by Byron Darden

In the dynamic journey towards open-mindedness, arming yourself with effective tools and adopting practical tips can pave the way for transformative shifts. Here are ten actionable steps to become more open-minded:

  1. Be Aware of Your Biases: Acknowledge and confront your biases head-on. Understanding where your predispositions lie is the first step toward overcoming them.
  2. Consider the Opposing Viewpoint: Actively engage with perspectives that differ from your own. Particularly with clients and team members. This broadens your understanding and fosters a more inclusive mindset.
  3. Practice Generous Interpretation: Assume that people have positive intentions. Cultivating a positive outlook enables you to approach discussions and disagreements with empathy.
  4. Ask Questions: Be curious. Asking questions encourages dialogue and allows you to gain deeper insights into diverse viewpoints.
  5. Think About the Neutral Viewpoint: Deliberately consider perspectives that fall in the middle ground. This helps in fostering a balanced understanding of various issues.
  6. Make New Connections: Expand your social circles and professional networks. Interacting with a diverse range of people exposes you to different ideas and experiences.
  7. Experience Different Media: Diversify your sources of information. Consuming a variety of media ensures a well-rounded perspective on current events and issues.
  8. Join a New Group: Participate in activities or groups that are outside your comfort zone. Engaging with new communities introduces fresh perspectives.
  9. Reframe Negative Thoughts: Transform negative thoughts into constructive ones. This shift in mindset contributes to a more open and positive outlook.
  10. Acknowledge You Are Learning: Embrace the fact that learning is a continuous process. Acknowledge that your beliefs and understanding can evolve with new information.

Exercise: Inspiring “AHA!” Moments

Unlocking those coveted “AHA!” moments involve intentional exercises that encourage a shift in focus. Here are strategies to inspire moments of insight:

  • Zone Out and Focus In Spend time in solitude, focusing on your inner life of physical sensations. Eliminate external stimuli to allow yourself to let go of thoughts to get in touch with what you are experiencing. One way to accomplish this is to spend time out in nature. This will foster an optimal environment for present-moment freedom.
  • Allow Your Mind to Wander: Embrace wandering thoughts. This seemingly unstructured mental state often triggers insightful revelations and connections.
  • Avoid Overscheduling Your Day: Create downtime in your schedule. Allowing moments for daydreaming fosters a creative space where new ideas can flourish.
  • Foster Happiness: Cultivate happiness in your life. A positive mindset provides the mental space for insights to emerge, leading to eureka moments.
  • Lift Your Spirits in Low Moments: When feeling under the weather, engage in activities that uplift your mood. Whether it’s reading an inspiring book, going for a walk in nature, or spending time with a friend or supportive community, these actions contribute to a brighter perspective.
  • Take a Necessary Nap: Recognize when you need a break. A short nap can rejuvenate your mind, promoting mental clarity and openness to new ideas.

By incorporating these practical tools, tips, and exercises into your daily routine, you can actively cultivate an open mind and create an environment conducive to those invaluable “AHA!” moments. Think of engaging in these activities as restorative self-care.

FREE YOUR MIND

Let me tell you a story in Navigating Transitions: From Setbacks to Breakthroughs.

The Eureka Effect

Posted on by Byron Darden

Termed the “Eureka effect,” AHA moments are closely associated with sudden realizations that lead to breakthroughs. This phenomenon is not confined to personal experiences alone; it permeates various fields, including technology. A closer look at intentional AHA moments in technology reveals how emotions play a pivotal role in these breakthroughs. The intentional creation of AHA moments for consumers, as explored in the realm of technology, showcases the profound impact that planned insights can have on user experiences.

When the connection between the heart and the brain joins forces with the body in a fluid state, the outcome is what is called the eureka effect. The bright idea emerges. It’s about being in alignment with your purpose. This is the moment when our mind, body, and soul calibrate with one another, leading to more idyllic circumstances. Think of it in terms of the brain receiving signals from the heart that together fall into synchronicity with our physiology (functional body parts). 

Of course, our educational experiences, our ability to think critically, and our understanding of data and science are all significant and essential elements that give us the framework to articulate, define, and execute our vision. Yet the epiphany emanates from the heart and is fueled by its intuition. True visionary leadership develops inside the heart, not the brain. And it is there for each of us to grasp…we simply need to be aware of how to access it. Access is the key to getting to the heart of what is important. Then we are more effectively able to understand why its importance matters.

LET’S CONNECT

Set yourself up for more AHA moments in AHA’s are No Accident.

Insights and Emotional Realizations

Posted on by Byron Darden

An “AHA moment” is more than just a serendipitous flash of insight; it’s a powerful catalyst for change, a sudden and unexpected emotional realization that ushers in a deeper understanding or a fresh perspective. These moments of clarity, often accompanied by a profound sense of enlightenment, have the potential to reshape our thinking and propel us toward growth.

For many of us, AHA moments seem to occur organically, catching us off guard with their sudden impact. They manifest during times of reflection or in the midst of navigating challenges, offering a unique lens through which we can view a situation or concept. These unplanned revelations have the power to shift our perspectives, leading to a newfound clarity that can be transformative.

Contrary to the belief that AHA moments are solely products of happenstance, they can also be intentionally cultivated. Choosing a deliberate path, committing to collecting data, and planning for an AHA in advance are strategies employed to engineer these moments. Consider the metaphor of the overnight sensation in the entertainment industry – an actor strategically planning and executing steps to seemingly burst onto the scene. Likewise, the self-made millionaire meticulously plans and adapts, implementing backup strategies when faced with unexpected challenges.

In the pursuit of our goals, unexpected obstacles often force us to activate our ability to think on our feet. Spontaneity becomes crucial as we navigate changes in direction or unexpected shifts in our plans. Pivoting becomes a necessity – a skill honed through adapting to choices that might not lead us exactly where we initially expected.

AHA moments are, at their core, emotional reactions. By understanding the emotional journey users undertake, intentional AHA moments can be strategically crafted, enriching the user experience and fostering a deeper connection.

WHAT IS YOUR AHA?

How does the brain and technology work together to create AHA moments? Learn more about The Eureka Effect.

Moments of Clarity: Discovering the Power of AHA

Posted on by Byron Darden

In our lives, some moments stand out – times when everything clicks into place. We see things with a clarity that eluded us before.  These “AHA moments” have a unique ability to shape our understanding and set us on paths of self-discovery.

This month, we’ll uncover the essence of AHA moments—from subtle insights to profound revelations. Whether in groundbreaking scientific discoveries or personal experiences, these moments transcend boundaries, leaving a lasting impact on our lives.

Join us as we delve into the origin and impact of these transformative moments, exploring the dynamic relationship between intuition and intellect. From historical turning points to personal growth, AHA moments are the sparks that ignite our quest for knowledge and understanding.

Get ready for a journey through the landscapes of revelation, where the boundaries of what we know are expanded, and moments of sudden clarity redefine our perspectives. As you join us, take a moment to reflect on your own AHA moments, recognizing their profound influence on the human experience.

REFLECT AND CONNECT

What are these AHA moments? Continue to Insights and Emotional Realizations.