We live in an ever-changing world. You know as well as I do that some changes are a great thing while others seem to be a move in the wrong direction. There are changes happening right now that get us fired up excited. There are likely changes occurring in your world that are confusing or frustrating.
Change is a key part of life. Think of the nearest natural body of water in your area – that body of water is constantly changing. Somehow water flows into that pond or lake which makes it possible for fish to live there. There is a famous body of water that is void of change – we call it the Dead Sea.
Despite the fact that change is critical, many of us are hesitant to change. We get comfortable with the way things are and deceive ourselves by thinking; “it can stay this way forever.”
Change is going to happen – but I believe that each of us has the ability to be more than a bystander of change. We were created to be drivers of change, not simply passengers or bystanders. (Click to tweet)
You are called to be more than a bystander – so no matter your role in the family, the church, the team or the organization you can help create positive change. That is a great thing – because from your vantage point you probably see where change is needed. Perhaps even now God is bringing something to mind – a vision for a better future that can happen if we make a change today.
To create change in your sphere of influence here are 3 things you need to do:
- Think Better, Not Different – The goal is positive change, which means it makes things better. Better can take on many forms – lower cost, higher productivity, more moral or fewer breakdowns. You have to figure out what better looks like in your context. When you want to create change just make sure the change is to move things forward in some way. Change without improvement is a lateral move, using time and energy to make things different but not better. (Click to tweet) A lateral move does not always equal a good move.
- Do the Hard Work with Relationships – Change is good, but people often struggle through change. The more influence you have the easier it could be to make a change and simply inform everyone who is affected. To win change in your circles, spend the time talking and processing with people ahead of time. A shrewd leader will win individuals over to a change before ever presenting it corporately. (Click to tweet) You can spend the energy now leading people towards change or you can battle with them later when they fight against it.
- Focus on the Goal, Not the Method – The purpose of change is improvement, so focus must be on achieving improvement. People have a tendency to fall in love with the method. How many times have you heard the phrase, “we have always done it this way.” Many times improvement means re-evaluating the methods we currently use. The goal of a better tomorrow or the time-tested method of today – only one can be king. (Click to tweet)
Cory Lebovitz 