Ask Questions…

The second step toward mastery of Change is to ask questions. To backup one step, this assumes you have done a responsible job of HEARING the message. And again, to listen is passive, and to HEAR is active. And if we want to be maser's of change, rather than victims, we want to be active, and engaged in the process as much as we can.

A thoughtful listener will ask the RIGHT questions. The RIGHT question is one that does not waste other people's time, or your valuable time. One general guidance is to stay within topic. If you have side bar issues not related to the change you are about to address, hold those for the right time, and place. If your question is emotionally charged, weigh out the pros, and cons of putting the question forward. The prudent option is to not engage in emotionally charged questions. But as with much in life, there can be exceptions. One exception would be to raise a flag if you feel there clearly an injustice that is being proposed. If you are in a leadership position, there are times you do need to make a strong stand, and this may be the case. Another valid question to ask, is how will this change impact my job, and responsibilities. But if this has been clearly stated in the message, there is no need to ask. However if there is some gray area a good option is to say “so I think I heard you say my job will be impacted by...” The most important question you should consider is “how will this change impact our customers?” As an aid below is a list of things to consider when deciding if your question is the RIGHT question:


Has there been a time/place designated to ask questions? (If not, you need to pursue the time/place to ask questions.)

Will my question drive an insight around the topic?

Will my question clarify the who, where, what (sometimes why) around the message of change?

Is my question on topic?

Will my question address a gray area?

Is my question emotionally charged?

Will my question result in an emotional response?

Does my question waste my time?

Does my question waste others time?

Will my question bring value to my organization?

Has my question already been asked – perhaps using different wording?

Will my question help bring value to our customers?


In closing, a Change will be more successfully implemented, if a time/place is designated to ask questions. To be a master of Change, it is our job to ask the RIGHT questions. Asking questions is a ACTIVE process.

HEAR THE CHANGE...This piece is so important it needs to be called out as a distinct step. I also want to make a distinction between LISTEN, and HEAR. To me to listen is passive. There may or may not be something worth while hearing. To best address change in our lives, make the assumption that the change we are about to hear about is important, and will impact our lives. To help focus on the message, take the perspective “how will this change I am about to hear impact my Business Quality of Life”. This will give the active act of listening more urgency. When about to hear of a change in your business, or in your life in general for that matter, my most important message on changes is to understand you are not passive in the change. The first ACTIVE step is to hear the message of change with the assumption that the message is important, and the change will impact us. Our active task is give our full attention to the information about the change, and actively process the information to arrive at the message of what the change really is, and what its impact will be to us, and others.

Below is a list to consider when presented with a change. Actively hearing the message of change is the first step in negotiating change:

• Have you set aside enough time to hear the message
  
  
• Are you free of distractions to hear the message
  
  
• How will to handle “chatter” around you that may distract from the message
  
  
• Do you have a way to take notes
  
  
• Do you need to let others know you are unavailable so you can hear the message
  
  
• Will you be able to simple explain the change to a colleague after hearing of the change
  
  
• Will be able you describe the change in one page or less if you were asked to
  
  
• Can you simply explain the reason(s) that led to the change
  
  
• Consider how the change may impact our business, our department, our customers
  
  

In summary, be prepared to actively hear the message of change. Have the right amount of time, right tools, and right frame of mind. To best address change we need to actively hear the message of change, from the perspective that there is an important message here, it is our job to decipher what the change is.

Change and the Power of Choice – Part 1

Change is a given.  From a personal perspective, I have made at least four Career changes.  I went from Marketing Support, to Sales, to Computer Consultant, to Network Manager, to Business Analyst, and finally to Career Coach/Public Speaker.  Each move was a world of change.  So a Career change is a significant change, and there is a niche of coaches for job transition issues.  But in addition to Career change, where do other changes come from in the business world?

One source of change is a morphying economic environment.  Our economy is a world economy, and changes in Asian economies, such as growth, sales, import, export, and buying trends very much impact our US economy.  On a national level the above factors also impact US economy, in addition to interest rates, and political shifts.  Most US companies need to be aware of this changing economy, and business environment to survive.  Changes in the external environment often drive changes within companies.  These changes within an organization may manifest themselves in changes in products, change in niche market, change in manufacturing, change in processes, and sometimes changes in methodology.

Because my calling is to improve business quality of life, I am most interested in those changes within business that impact the individual directly.  In addition to a career change, or loss of job, the common changes that impact the professional directly are 1) Changes in Management 2) Changes in job duties 3) Changes in how the work is to be done 4) Change due to acquisition/merger 5) Change in Company Policy.  To my thirty plus year experience in corporate life, the single most common source of change is new management, and that change often drive other changes as listed above.  On a personal note, I worked for a large financial institution, and there was a change in my supervisor every 6 to 12 months.

So often I have seen professionals, and management respond to change in a way that projects they are powerless to change.  The most important message I want to send out, is that we DO have power when impacted by change!  We have power that no one can take away!  We are in a very real way empowered, but we don’t see it!  As with many things in life, the first, most important aspect of dealing with an issue is to recognize it.  Have you been informed of change in management?  A change in job duties?  A change in responsibility?  A change in HOW you are to do your job?  Or a change in the product of your job?  If you answered “Yes” to any of these, you need to recognize you have been impacted by change.  In future segments we will look at what options we have in change, and where I power is to respond to change.  But for now, realize you are only a victim of change if you perceive yourself as such!  Rejoice!  You are EMPOWERED!

About the Author:

Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, CCC is a Career, and Job Performance Coach and Public Speaker that works to improve Business Quality of life.  Brian owns and manages Ascender Professional Coaching LLC (AscendProCoach.com) 

Different Strokes...I need to point out that the above are general suggestions. Each individual's situation is unique. Your head, heart, and most important your emotions will tell you if you have chosen an option that makes you feel better, feel healthier, feel like you rare taking back control in your business, and personal life. Again, a Professional Coach has great value in this by providing a sounding board, and weighing out options.




Your Time for Quality Starts NOW...The topic we have introduced is the impact that work, and business pressures have on quality of life. We need to acknowledge that work, and business pressures impact overall quality of life. We have referred to the impacts of job, and business on overall quality of life as Business Quality of Life (BQOL). As in most life challenges, acknowledging there is a problem is the first step to solving the problem. Proven tools that reduce job stress include meditation, exercise, and massage. In certain circumstances if work, and business pressures threaten to collapse the balance of work, family, and personal time, a candid conversation with our supervisor, and business partners may be needed. For many, the best option to drive positive change, is to hire a Career, Business, or Wellness Coach. We need to strive to have the best quality of life we possibly can, Professional Coaching is a resource we can not afford to ignore. The costs are high.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, is a Career Coach, Author, and Keynote Speaker.  Brian has spent thirty-five years working in corporate America, including corporate positions at five Fortune 500 companies. Brian received his MBA at the University of St. Thomas, and holds a BA in Communications from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Brian is a Certified Professional Coach, and owns and manages Ascender Professional Coaching, LLC, that specializes in Career, and Small Business Coaching. Ascender offers a free consultation to new clients. Brian can be reached by email, at [email protected], or by phone at (800) 658-8516.




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