When to Change
Transforming Obstacles to Opportunities (Live, Leave, or Change - part V)
Change is a challenge. The most challenging person to change is ourselves.
Change can be challenging, but the path often brings the most significant rewards. When faced with resistance, consider whether it’s time to change your approach. Changing resistance requires adaptability, creativity, and persistence—often means finding new strategies to reinvigorate your efforts and unlock progress.
Changing resistance can be one of the most demanding yet rewarding endeavors. It requires patience, perseverance, and the Willingness to have difficult conversations repeatedly. Change management challenges us to step out of our comfort zones, and it often means addressing familiar but entrenched issues.
A helpful framework to guide the process of change is the mnemonic GROW:
G – Goal: Define your ultimate objective. What are you trying to achieve?
R – Reality: Understand the current situation and resistance. What obstacles are you facing, and why?
O – Options: Brainstorm new strategies and approaches. What alternatives do you have?
W – Way Forward: Decide on a concrete plan for moving past the resistance. What steps will you take?
Authentic leadership is required to bring about transformation, as it involves changing processes and influencing the mindset of those around you. Successful change demands a clear vision, perseverance, and a willingness to embrace discomfort to progress.
Resistance is sometimes an invitation to change—not your goals, but your approach. If you keep hitting the same wall, it may be time to find another way around it. Resistance can signal that you need new tools, support, or perspective. Changing resistance is about adaptability and creative problem-solving: adjusting tactics, breaking tasks into smaller steps, or finding new motivation. Familiarity with resistance can provide a foundation for envisioning meaningful change.
Sometimes, resistance is an invitation to change—not to change your goals, but to change your approach. If you keep hitting the same wall repeatedly, it might be time to find another way around it. Perhaps the resistance tells you that your tools aren’t right or that you need more support, knowledge, or a different perspective. Changing resistance involves creative problem-solving. It’s about adjusting your tactics, breaking big tasks into smaller steps, or finding new ways to motivate yourself. This type of resistance asks you to be adaptable and resourceful.
Framework for Changing Resistance
Assess Current Approach: Identify whether your current approach is ineffective or leads to repeated obstacles.
Brainstorm Alternatives: List alternative methods, strategies, or tools that could help you overcome resistance.
Break Down Tasks: Divide larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to reduce overwhelm.
Test and Adjust: Try new approaches incrementally, assess their effectiveness, and be willing to adjust as needed.
When to Change
Repeated Failure: When the same approach repeatedly leads to failure without progress.
New Perspective Needed: When a fresh perspective or different method could break the cycle of resistance.
Adaptability Required: When circumstances change, you must adjust your tactics or strategy.
