12 months ago my wife and I gave a tearful but proud send off to our 21-year-old daughter who had bought a one-way ticket to her new life in the UK. She has gone to search out her dream of becoming a vet nurse working with wild animals and given New Zealand is not exactly bursting with opportunity in this area a change seemed like a good thing.
But change is HARD it makes you uncomfortable, it makes you scared it makes you sad, but most of all it creates opportunities and tests you and that is exactly why it is GOOD!
In business we have all heard the adage that if your “not changing your going backwards” well it turns out that there is an established formula for change that was suggested in the early 1960 by David Gleicher and had been refined over time- that makes it easy!
D = Dissatisfaction in the current state
V = Vision of a future state
F = First steps (you need to do something)
R = Resistance (your fear or the cost of change)
So what does it mean to a business owner?
First you need to recognise that something is not right. Many of us live in denial that the situation will improve or blame outside forces for our lack of success. In fact it’s only when we take ownership, become responsible and start operating “above the line” that we will accept things need to change, and that change MUST come from us.
So we want the create change; What change? Any change? No we need a clear vision of a future preferred state, this needs an amount of investigation and analysis to determine the best course of action.
But we resist change, we make excuses, create confusion, we avoid we deny and why do we do this? Because its safe, its predictable and does not require additional effort skills or resources. Consequently our vision needs to be powerful enough to draw you to it and be able to sustain you when the going gets tough- and it will get tough, change is NOT easy.
OK so you are dissatisfied, have a powerful vision, now what? You actually need to do something! The formula does not work if there is no action! You need to take that first step, get on that plane, say good by to that safe and predictable place and start to create your vision.
It has been tough for our daughter, hard work, long hours, low pay, high living costs but she is now beginning to see the light. She has gained UK registration, secured a higher paying job and started to travel in her free time. She will not be the same insecure girl when she returns I expect to she a confident young woman at the top of her chosen profession. Can’t wait!