April 28, 2009

What's Your Speed of Change?   Every person has their own speed of change.  That is the "pace at which you can bounce back from the confusion caused by uncertainty and grasp the opportunities that the new environment presents," according to change consultant Daryl Conner.   In other words, how fast and how well do you bounce back from challenges, setbacks, and disappointments in your life?  How fast are you to embrace the new opportunities that will open for you?    How well do you roll with the punches?   Conner says that the number one factor which affects your speed of change is resilience. The higher your resilience, the greater your speed of change.   Conner has described five characteristics of resilient people:   Positiveness.  You are able to identify opportunities in turbulent environments (work, home) and have confidence in your ability to succeed. Focus.  You have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and use this vision to guide you if/when you become disoriented. Flexibility.  You are able to draw on a wide range of internal and external resources to help you creatively adapt to change. Organization.  You use structured approaches to manage ambiguity, plan and implement your strategies to cope with change. Proactive.  You act in the face of uncertainty and take calculated risks rather than seek comfort.   Furthermore, people with high resilience are Type O. They are opportunity-oriented.  They look at change as opportunities to become architects of their own future, not only in their personal lives, but also professionally. They have that inner strength that allows them to rebound more quickly from their challenges. People with low resilience are Type D.  They are danger-oriented and dwell on their problems.  They remain victims of change and find it difficult to move forward.   What's more, research has shown that resilient people are healthier, enjoy better friendships, live longer, and age more slowly.   How resilient are you?  How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highly resilient?  How about your employees/co-workers, friends, family?  How can you use that information to help you implement change in your workplace or at home or within you? Recognize that not everyone will embrace change in the same way and that you must "seek first to understand" the speed of change in those around you and within you.    Given that resilient people are better able to roll with the punches, how can you become more resilient?  Be positive and engage in positive self-talk.  Be optimistic.  Be open to new opportunities.  Surround yourself with resilient people. Step out of your comfort zone.  And yes, make lemonade out of lemons.   You can do it!   P.S.  To see how resilient you are and learn more, take the resiliency quiz offered by Al Siebert, PhD, director of theResiliencyCenter.        "People who are more resilient have the ability to say to themselves, 'OK, this bad thing happened, and I can either dwell on it or I can learn from it.'"             Edward Creagan, M.D. Mayo Clinic   "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."             Confucius   "The leaders I met, whatever walk of life they were from, whatever institutions they were presiding over, always referred back to the same failure - something that happened to them that was personally difficult, even traumatic, something that made them feel that desperate sense of hitting rock bottom - as something they thought was almost a necessity.  It's as if at that moment the iron entered their soul; that moment created the resilience that leaders need."             Warren Bennis   "The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists."             Japanese proverb     My resiliency score could improve, but I give myself credit for the advancements I have made the past few years.  I am aware that much of my personality style, though, is that I like things slow and steady, I'm cautious, and I may resist change and/or high risks.  So I have to push myself to be more resilient.    If you would like to delve deeper into your personality plus learn how that can affect your resiliency, and also explore how you can better interact with and understand your loved ones and your co-workers, visit the Forte Institute and then contact me for a personal introduction to the group.   Have a fantastic week and be resilient.   Stephanie     We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com