Change: Necessary Evil or Exciting Challenge

Change!

It’s a relatively small word, but one that can strike fear into the hardest heart. 

For the last decade or so, we have been constantly told that change will continue to happen, it will continue to happen more often and that the need for change will continue.  We live in times where it would seem that nothing remains constant.

And when we hear about the ‘need for change’ we often become fearful, angry, pessimistic, cynical or just disbelieving!

Yet if we think about our lives, from the time of childhood we have naturally adapted to change.  We grew up, moved house, we changed schools, we made new friends, we lost others.  None of these experiences was particularly easy, but we got through them and we learned in the process. We adapted.  We changed. We fitted in.  Perhaps others fitted in around us.

What were the common features?  Well let’s think about changing school.  I think … 

• We needed to plan.  A new school meant perhaps new subjects, new books, new challenges.  With the help of teachers we planned for our new venture.  And where we didn’t or couldn’t, it was all the more difficult to make a good start.
• We understood the message.  We knew we were going to a new school and we knew when.  It wasn’t a surprise when it happened.  We may not have liked the idea, but we settled in much more quickly when we bought into it and accepted the change.
• We needed to adapt to survive.  We moved to a new school and needed to learn the building plan, the teachers, the new timetable, in order to operate effectively within that environment.  If we moved to a school where we were met by friendly faces who helped us settle in and showed us around, we settled in more easily.  If we were left to fend for ourselves, it was much more difficult and a much less pleasurable or easy experience.
• We needed to change some behaviours.  Some things that were acceptable in our previous school or at our previous age level needed to be modified or adapted to the new environment or culture.  Some things different.  We had to know the difference and act accordingly.
• We formed new relationships (and perhaps lost some).  In our new environment we met new people, perhaps whom we had never seen before, and built new relationships.  Some didn’t get off to a good start.  Others worked immediately, perhaps because we and our new friend ‘clicked’ in some way that made the process easier.  Some relationships dropped away, for a variety of reasons, but our social and working structure and support changed.
• We started working according to the new rules.  We adapted to the rules and regulations, we worked to the new timetables and in accordance with the wishes of our new teachers and mentors.  And as we settled in, we also contributed to the life of the new school making our own little imprint in sports, science, arts, mathematics … whatever.  We converted the plan into something personal and made it happen, not only for ourselves but also for others.  If we didn’t, we became familiar with detention, or exclusion, or pain!
• Our working style became part of us.  As we settled in to the new way of doing things, what we practised became habit, and a pattern for our daily, weekly, monthly routine … until the next change!

The fact is that most of the time we survived.  Unfortunately, as we grow older and often have more control over our life, we fall into patterns of doing things which last for longer periods of time.  Therefore, change becomes more difficult.

We know that for change to be effective, it must be well-planned and executed, but we also know that if we look back into our history we have faced it and come through it … in one piece.

Sometimes the biggest barrier to change is in our minds, through fear of the unknown and a fear that we may not be able to handle it.  But we have in the past.  And that should be an encouraging start.  We may not like the thought of change, but it is here to stay.  So the better we handle it, the better we are equipped to face and conquer the next challenge … and the next change.

The Brain: Our Creative Powerhouse

Our brain is an amazing organ.

Located in our skull, at the top of our body, this relatively small structure is our own central processing unit (CPU).  Much more intricate and infinitely more powerful than any computer, our brain works silently 24 hours-a-day, 365/366 days-a-year, from before we are born until we die, controlling organ function, thought, emotions, movement, hormone levels … the list goes on.

To help put its complexity into context, there are estimated to be more connections/junctions in our brain than there are stars in the universe; that is more than 100 billion!

But even with our extensive knowledge and intense research efforts, many areas of the brain remain a mystery.  From what we do know and without getting into too much detail, our brain is divided into different anatomical areas with different structures and functions.  A significant part is dedicated to the processing of information fed in by nerves connected to our senses (e.g., touch, sight, smell & hearing), through the detection of changes in levels of hormones and other ‘body chemicals’.  Interaction of the different areas provides our thoughts, deductions, analyses, feeling and emotions.

And different areas provide specific types of thoughts and responses: emotional; rational; sexual.

It follows that what we feed into our brain influences what we get out.  Benefits of a healthy diet, exercise regimens and work/rest balance have all been demonstrated to one degree or another.  The way in which we ‘train’ our brain influences how much information we retain, how we process the information we receive and how we arrive at the conclusions we draw.  Our life experiences also greatly influence how we process information.  All of these factors add up to a very complex series of interactions and influences.

One thing we know is that the brain responds well and adapts, even changes when we repeat actions (we call this practice).  New skills are learnt, information retained and brain processes modified.  Think of learning a new skill … very rarely do we start off an expert.  Athletes train their bodies and brains for the physical and mental battles on the track and field.  Musicians train their fingers, hands, feet and minds as they master tunes and rhythms, read music and improve dexterity.  Actors learn their parts through the repetition of words and actions.

And in our school and colleges, we repeatedly stimulate our logical, deductive faculties through repetition and the exercising of our ‘left brain’.

But if we wish to be creative it is important that we understand the need to exercise our whole brain.  The right side is important in engaging our emotions, non-logical or deductive thinking and artistic skills.  When we hook this up with our logical thinking, we arrive at creativity.

Creativity is not a gift of the few it is a talent we ALL possess.  Neither is creativity something that just happens.  Just like any other skill, we need to work at it, exercising the different faculties of our mind and intelligence, honing the skills that make creativity part of our life.

Whatever area of life we find ourselves in, creativity has a place and application.  In one of my earlier articles, 5 Simple Steps to Creative Thinking and Idea Generation, I listed some time-proven steps which help us to train our brains to think creatively and come up with new ideas.  These steps were identified by a master of the advertising industry from the 1940’s, but they are equally applicable today across a broad range of disciplines.

Our brain IS an amazing organ and the potential IS almost infinite.  How we tap into that potential often lies with the way in which engage our faculties, however good or bad we think they are.  When we engage these effectively, we are repeatedly amazed by our own creative potential.

So let’s learn how to use our whole brain, our whole intelligence, rather than just our intellect, and benefit ourselves and others from the creativity that emerges.

Innovation: A Team Sport

Innovation and creativity are not entities and they do not happen spontaneously.

They are the fruits of people, people interacting and working together, complete with all of the friction and personality clashes.  Innovation is analogous to a musical writing partnership or team sports.  If all roles are performing well, we get a positive force for innovation.  And just with sports teams, it is not essential to have total excellence in every area.  Some of the most effective and innovative teams have true excellence in one or two areas combined with strength in many others.  There may be stars in our team, but the team is the powerhouse.

Perspiration, dedication and hard work are also at the centre of creativity and innovation, honing skills practiced and developed over long periods of time, until they really work.  Here are Some basic principles for success:

1. Stretch for Strength:  Flexibility is more important than strength, size or power.  Many ‘giants’ of the business world have disappeared as smaller, more nimble companies stole the market through exercising their flexibility and operating according to new business models.
2. Go for distance:  Innovation is less about a programme and more about a way of life; a culture.  It is a culture that should be at the centre of every part of an organisation and one which continues to evolve and develop with time, and over time.  It is about longevity rather than fad.
3. Never give in:  Wherever there is innovation there are obstacles and these must be overcome.  Personalities within our teams will be able to see ways around whatever obstacle is in the way or objection raised.  At these times close collaboration and problem sharing are essental for going the distance.
4. Fight the mental battles:  One of the biggest obstacles or hurdle to our progress looms in the battle of the mind; our psyche.  To quote Tom Kelley, ‘Innovators have the uncommon sense to pursue ideas long after others give up.’
5. Celebrate the coach:  Behind every great sports team there is a geat coach.  Behind every great project team there is a great coach.  They may not be in the limelight, but they labour tirelessly in the background making sure everything and everyone stays together.  The right coach brings out the best and we notice the difference

The most successful teams comprise a rich mix of different types of people with different personalities or personas, different talents and abilities, different temperaments.  The correct mix will produce sufficient innovative friction to push forward the team and push forward the innovative process.

When innovation is experienced, it is a mighty force to inspire further innovation.  Perhaps the most important step is to make a start, no matter how small, get the innovation engine turning over, see the benefits and build on them.  And these benefits will be pretty obvious when they occur, hopefully enough to overcome politics and convert even the most cynical as they see a turn-around in their group, department, business unit or  company.

And innovation doesn’t just turn companies around, it becomes a way of life.

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