|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Using the Principles of Neuroscience to Sustain Long Term Transformational Change
| Guest post by: William Seidman |
Article Overview: How can any leader, even one with transformational skills, sustain a change without intense labor? Neuroscience, as well as information from the positive deviants, provides a means of achieving sustainability with minimal, but critical, leadership involvement. This article is from our collection Executive Operations articles about using the latest science to integrate human support and persuasive technology to produce extraordinary performance. Our focus is to provide information to quickly and efficiently create a high performance corporate culture.
 |
Free Download - Maximizing New Hire Value By William Seidman |
Using the Principles of Neuroscience to Sustain Long Term Transformational Change
From Transformational Leadership for the Rest of Us by William Seidman, Ph.D. & Michael McCauley
Have you heard anyone refer to a transformational initiative as the “fad of the week” or possibly respond to it by saying, “just ignore it long enough and it will go away.” These are all too common responses to most change efforts. As such, they capture the essence of one of the biggest challenges for transformational leadership.
Specifically, a leader must not only get people motivated in the short-term, the leader must find ways to sustain motivation in the face of contrary daily pressures. How then can any leader, even one with transformational skills, sustain a change without intense labor? Neuroscience, as well as information from the positive deviants, provides a means of achieving sustainability with minimal, but critical, leadership involvement.
Not surprisingly, since the positive deviants have already had most of the relevant learning experiences and assimilated the information required to create their expertise, they can provide insight into the type and length of practice required to completely learn a new attitude, thought pattern or behavior. All you need to do is ask the positive deviants about the optimum experiences others should have to develop and sustain the desired new capabilities. They will identify the practice experiences that are most effective at optimizing long-term learning.
Practice of the positive deviant wisdom, particularly thinking about the social good and how to achieve it, creates transformation with only one leadership requirement. The leader must insist that people actually practice.
More specifically, the leader must overtly require that people practice the new capabilities, monitor progress and intervene with consequences if the results are not satisfactory.
This is particularly important at approximately 6 weeks into a transformation. At the 6-week mark, it is common to hear many complaints about the change. People will say things like: “This is too hard,” “I am too busy keeping the business running” or “I don’t see the value.” The resistance to change is quite overt.
Neuroscience has shown that at this time, the new neural structures are not yet dominant and are in conflict with the old structures. This conflict creates a feeling a physical discomfort that is manifested in these types of complaints.
Research has also shown that these complaints are actually false signals from the brain that, if ignored, go away within a few weeks.
Here is the most important test of management commitment. If the leaders’ accept these complaints and reduce the pressure on the organization, the change will not occur.
Conversely, if the leader has the courage and commitment to ignore this common organizational resistance, then the likelihood that a significant change will occur increases dramatically. It doesn’t take significant fortitude to get through the 6-week barrier, but it definitely takes some commitment beyond just a laissez-faire approach.
Once through the 6-week barrier, management must continue to demonstrate commitment by monitoring progress, rewarding people who commit to and follow-through with the change.
Again, this isn’t a particularly severe requirement, but it is absolute. We have found that the change will stop almost immediately if the leader cues that he or she is either no longer committed or interested. Leaders must be consistent in their commitment and the approach discussed here will take care of the transformation.
Related Articles
Leadership Theories Pros and Cons
Effective Marketing to Bring in Customers and Grow Your Business
Sales Development isn't rocket science, it's neuroscience!
Transformational Leadership Theory - The 4 Key Components in Leading Change & Managing Change
Shift Your Marketing Now For Success in the New Year
Home Business Expert: How To Set Your Goal – Short, Mid And Long
Transforming Power by Hugh Ballou
Accelerating Organizational Change
Sales Leaders Must Accept Change
Why Dying makes one Smart?
Getting to your North Pole
How to Know The Difference Between Intention and Attention?
Types of Business Leaders
Lesson #4: Plan Today So You Can Act Fast Tomorrow
Business Leaders and the Three Brains of Neuroscience
Neuroscience of Goal Setting
5 Tips for Start-Up Businesses (and even those that have been around a while...)
Creating Massive Results From Change
Leadership Development
Andre Agassi Had the Wrong Big Goal
Home
> Leadership
> William Seidman
> Using the Principles of Neuroscience to Sustain Long Term Transformational Change
> Google +
Article Tags:
Leadership,
Positive Deviant,
transformational initiative
|
About the Author: William Seidman RSS for William's articles - Visit William's website Click here to visit William's website   Maximizing New Hire Value Maximizing Retail Growth Using the Principles of Neuroscience to Sustain Long Term Transformational Change |
Related Forum Posts
Re: How do you budget your life?
- Here is my financial management categories for today:
15% Long Term Savings;
10% Home Expenses;
45% Business and Marketing charges;
10% Friends (Meeting);
20$ Scientific and Law Books.
But this will change when it is August or September.
Orxan
Re: How do you budget your life?
- I agree that the Tithe 10% and Personal Long Term Savings 10% have been the most consistent percentages for me over the years.
The Richest Man in Babylon is a book that really helps nail that point. there's something subconcious about knowing that you're not just working to pay the bills. You're actually creating a long term quality lifestyle and significant retirement for you and your family.
The other percentages have shifted over the years but those number have been constant.
Re: Spellcheck?
- [quote="TheAnonymousMan":2f894q6j]When discussing the majority of people I would definitely say that most people hit the "Change" or "Ignore" button without thinking too much about the correct spelling of a word. All bosses are concerned about is getting the report to the Directors meeting on time.[/quote:2f894q6j]
That probably depends on what the "majority" are trying to accomplish. I have word set to alert me about misspellings and grammatical problems, so I fix most as I go. But I also add names etc to the dictionary because I get tired of seeing the red and green squiggles when I know the info is right.
If you're only going to click "Change" or "Ignore" then why bother to take the time to use spell check????? Business people that I work for want the info compiled in a timely manner and they want it right - which is fine because that's the way I strive to do any project. Sending out a memo, letter, report etc with obvious spelling and grammatical mistakes makes the person and the company look bad as far as I'm concerned.
Shri
Re: Great start, but no finish
- Hi Guys,
I always, always recommend a starter upper read THe E-Myth by Michael Gerber. Many of those that decide to start something dont realize how much work, and how multifaceted running and building a real company is. This books shows people the ins and outs in a simple and effective way.
As far as commitment goes, they have to be willing to become lifelong learners. If they arent willing to do that, I have very little hope in their businesses getting past the 1 year mark.
There's alot of self reflection that has to go into starting a business, and recreating your life essentially. I also recommend books and resources like The Success Principles by Jack Canfield.
Jude
Re: Brag: 100 Confirmed email opt-ins
- I'm very impressed with what I've read. I'm pretty new to this sort of thing and so far I'm not getting too many people signing up - I get about 60 hits a day on my web for about 30 visits but I don't get new email opt-ins- ony 5 in the last 3 months. Obviously there's something I could be doing but ain't or there's something I am doing but shouldn't. Suggestions would be welcomed. I update my web weekly and update my blog twice a week and have been posting articles on Evan Carmichael now for 5 weeks.
Doug Long
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
Featured Article
Clearing the Path 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It
by: Kim Castle, Business Brand Creation
by: Kim Castle, Business Brand Creation
Build Your List with Joint Venture Giveaway Events
May 2012 Top 100 Social Media Experts to Follow on Twitter
What to measure to be phenomenally successful in business
10 mistakes of media relations
Making Money Blogging Can Be Tons Of Fun 
Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Popular Articles
Selling What Sizzles vs. Delivering Real Value
Mistakes Made by New or Inexperienced Sales Staff
ROSI Return on SUNK Investment
Selling What Sizzles vs. Delivering Real Value
Mistakes Made by New or Inexperienced Sales Staff
ROSI Return on SUNK Investment
Suggestions
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.