Make a fist with one hand. Press the fist against the palm of your other hand.  Press harder. What are you doing? You are resisting by pressing back against your fist with your other hand. 

Resistance is a normal part of human nature when faced with change. Whether positive or negative, change creates loss.  We fear loss, therefore we resist change. 

·              Change creates the threat of loss

·              The threat of loss creates resistance

·              In all societies (organizations, families, cultures) the normal human instinct is to protect oneself and one’s “normal way of life”.

There is a real, scientific phenomenon, a self-protection mechanism that works against change. Our bodies and our brains, for example, have a built-in self-protection mechanism to maintain the “status-quo”. Consider the way your body self-regulates temperature, blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels.

This self-regulating, self-protection phenomenon applies to psychological states and behavior as well and is called homeostasis.

Homeostasis applies to all self-regulatory systems; from microscopic bacteria to human beings to societies like families, organizations and entire cultures. It is designed to defend against the “distress” of change by encouraging the familiar in action and behavior, even when what is familiar is inappropriate.

A few real life examples of homeostasis in action:

A Golfer shoots under par.  He exclaims, “I don’t believe how well I played. That’s wasn’t like me at all!”  The next day he plays one of the worst games of his life.  He balances the two round and gets back to his “normal game”.

Consider the hourly wage earners who win millions in the lottery.  Many lose or spend all of their winnings in a relatively short period of time; many ending up in a worse financial position than before their win.

One reason it can be so difficult to encourage an abused individual to leave the abusive situation is this self-regulating system. The abusive situation has become the “norm” and therefore, changing that can be very difficult.

How does this relate to you and your business?

When was the last time you tried to make a change?

Network more; Do more with less; Process improvement; Company reorganization; Increase sales presentations; Lose weight; Get the bookwork done earlier; Leave work at work; Eat healthier; Organize the prospect database; etc., etc., etc.

So what can you do? You’ve done the first thing; understanding why change is difficult is an important first step. The next thing to do is to be aware of the stages you go through when making a change. This way you’ll be more likely to persevere through the difficult times until the change becomes the new norm. James Mapes in his book Quantum Leap Thinking defines the stages of change as:

1. Letting Go – Resistance is as it’s peak. Denial, despair, anger, blame, illness, sadness, mourning. It is in this state something is lost. Letting Go is the first step.

2. The Dead Zone – This is a time of reorientation. Often we feel at our worst. We feel a combination of hope and despair, confusion and adjustment. We begin searching for meaning. Because this stage can be so painful, it is here where the natural tendency to regain “balance” takes over and many revert back to the status-quo position, pre-change.

“Every change looks like a failure in the middle.” 
--Rosabeth M. Kanter author of The Change Masters.

3. The Leap – We finally begin to identify with the new, changed way. We may feel a combination of fear and excitement.  In order to take the leap we first have to let go, release the old and experience and persevere through the dead zone. The Leap is made. Here is where creativity and comfort begin to take over.

Once you understand the phenomenon of change and these three stages, you can take positive action to handle changes. You may feel uncomfortable, but you do have the control over how you deal with the change. You can resist or you can let go, work through the discomfort and take the leap.

The best way to handle change? It depends on your vision.  Be Bold - because, that’s where it all starts; a Bold Vision.

Attend the Business Bootcamp: A one-day business and life planning workshop – What seems impossible to achieve in your business - or life - today IS possible. Take a holistic approach to planning. With a vision and the right process you can fundamentally transform your results not just once, but forever.  Wednesday, April 25; 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Location; TBD (Greater Portland area)  Download the Business Boot Camp application or find more information on the Business Boot Camp here.   

The next Ocular Forum starts April 11. The application deadline is March 27. For information check out www.OcularForum.com

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