Understanding the Need for Radical Change
Understanding the Need for Radical Change
Understanding is the awareness (or lack of awareness) that we live as members of overlapping systems. Each system is its own microcosm, and exists primarily to provide stability. It doesn’t take a lot of awareness to realize that stability is the enemy of change. The role of each member in a system is the preservation of the system — the maintenance of the status quo. When any element of a system starts to create change — even changes that the system nominally agrees are necessary — the rest of the elements shift to neutralize the change effort. Still, we’re surprised when a system proves resistant to the changes that will help it. We should expect that reaction from a system.
In addition, human systems all have their own individual cultures. A culture is ‘the way things are done’ within the system. Culture provides the unquestioned context within which decisions are made. Culture is the undefined yardstick against which members of an organization judge certain behaviors to be ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable’. Since cultures exist in the context of a system, very often the transformational decisions that could effectively create change within a system are dismissed out-of-hand as unacceptable by that system's culture.
The only kind of change that can escape from the stifling that systems and their cultures perpetuate is a quantum change. Quantum change doesn’t move things forward gradually. Quantum change breaks the rules for a higher purpose. We can’t get to quantum change until we’re ready to challenge our own basic assumptions about right and wrong. The awareness we call understanding allows us to create a synthesis from our embrace of two opposing viewpoints. This awareness moves us out of the ‘safe’ zone and into the world of radical personal responsibility. It’s primarily there that purposeful change exists.
It sometimes feels scary taking an unpopular stand and going against the grain. People who have studied these things tell us that relatively few people live their values deeply. Most are content to absorb their opinions from others. However, I find that when I live in radical awareness, amazing things happen. I connect with people at an entirely different level. My appreciation begins to make a difference.
Sometimes the difference that awareness makes stimulates other people to react, and sometimes their reactions are unpleasant. For many people, change feels dangerous, and they’ll fight very hard to avoid that danger. Yet, there are always a few who are ready to say, “Yes! You have the awareness I was waiting for!” Real, purposeful, lasting change seldom happens bit by bit. It happens when one person makes a passionate commitment to an ideal in such a way that other change leaders wake up and take notice. ‘I can make a difference!’ What a radical thought!
Understanding the Need for Radical Change - To learn more about this author, visit Les Brown's Website.
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I chose the term ‘understanding’ for the awareness of our social connections, even though sometimes it’s used as a synonym for comprehension. This term, however, I think has a more communal connotation. We use the term mutual understanding to refer to the way that individuals in a community relate one with another. I use comprehension to refer to the way we interface with our world, while I use understanding to refer to our social and cultural context or environment.
Understanding is the awareness (or lack of awareness) that we live as members of overlapping systems. Each system is its own microcosm, and exists primarily to provide stability. It doesn’t take a lot of awareness to realize that stability is the enemy of change. The role of each member in a system is the preservation of the system — the maintenance of the status quo. When any element of a system starts to create change — even changes that the system nominally agrees are necessary — the rest of the elements shift to neutralize the change effort. Still, we’re surprised when a system proves resistant to the changes that will help it. We should expect that reaction from a system.
In addition, human systems all have their own individual cultures. A culture is ‘the way things are done’ within the system. Culture provides the unquestioned context within which decisions are made. Culture is the undefined yardstick against which members of an organization judge certain behaviors to be ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable’. Since cultures exist in the context of a system, very often the transformational decisions that could effectively create change within a system are dismissed out-of-hand as unacceptable by that system's culture.
The only kind of change that can escape from the stifling that systems and their cultures perpetuate is a quantum change. Quantum change doesn’t move things forward gradually. Quantum change breaks the rules for a higher purpose. We can’t get to quantum change until we’re ready to challenge our own basic assumptions about right and wrong. The awareness we call understanding allows us to create a synthesis from our embrace of two opposing viewpoints. This awareness moves us out of the ‘safe’ zone and into the world of radical personal responsibility. It’s primarily there that purposeful change exists.
It sometimes feels scary taking an unpopular stand and going against the grain. People who have studied these things tell us that relatively few people live their values deeply. Most are content to absorb their opinions from others. However, I find that when I live in radical awareness, amazing things happen. I connect with people at an entirely different level. My appreciation begins to make a difference.
Sometimes the difference that awareness makes stimulates other people to react, and sometimes their reactions are unpleasant. For many people, change feels dangerous, and they’ll fight very hard to avoid that danger. Yet, there are always a few who are ready to say, “Yes! You have the awareness I was waiting for!” Real, purposeful, lasting change seldom happens bit by bit. It happens when one person makes a passionate commitment to an ideal in such a way that other change leaders wake up and take notice. ‘I can make a difference!’ What a radical thought!
Understanding the Need for Radical Change - To learn more about this author, visit Les Brown's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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