Making Change: Earn Your Chips Early

If you want to change an organization, you start by changing the patterns in which people talk together, the things they talk about, the frequency of their contact and the makeup of those who overhear them." --Art Kleiner, Who Really Matters

I would add: Start doing those things before you need acceptance for a new initiative.

Change Chips Are Earned Up Front

Most change models start at the point where someone shares a new vision or plan, then asks for enthusiastic support. But we're all poker players (whether we know it or not). We spend time unconsciously earning or collecting chips based on the frequency and quality of our interactions. When it comes time to ask for something, that stack of chips can mean a make-it-or-break-it hand. It looks like this:

So What Does This Mean?

If we're in a position to initiate something new or different, the time we've invested  building solid relationships can determine our ability to gain support and moment.  The leader who spends time playing corporate video poker may revel in his individual genius--but lacks the relational chips needed to convert that genius into action.

What are you doing today to build the stack necessary for a successful change?

Are you "starting change before it starts?"

Comments

[Karl Staib - Work Happy Now]

I'm working on building both my chips and the value of my ideas. This isn't easy and I get off track quite often, but I'm being more gentle with this issue. Instead of being a big bully to myself and tearing down my confidence down, I stay positive and keep on taking baby steps.

When I get negative feedback from a webinar I use this to make myself stronger. Just recently I got a bad review and instead of stewing and ignoring it, I stepped up and asked for more pain. By reaching out, I learned some lessons that I'm going to apply to my next teleseminar.

[Steve Roesler]

Karl,

That sounds unbelievably mature:-)

You also raise a point that trainers and webinar leaders don't often talk openly about: the fact that we put our hearts into the session and, while we recognize that feedback is really important, it can feel really lousy.

The fact that people are being honest with you is a testimony to your openness; I'm betting the next teleseminar will be much different.

Thanks for that one, Karl.

[Chad Hassler]

I put the hustle in on the sales floor with my fellow sales associates at my local best buy. I did this for 2 years. Those relationships that I built are the very thing that has allowed me to come back to that place of business after 6 months away and propose a social media strategy that will allow us to dominate!

As a part timer, I pitched this to my GM (we have a lot of mutual respect despite the difference in our positions) and he said run with it. Getting the buy-in from staff was very difficult, but without the relationships I had with them...forget it. I could have never got it off the ground.