I haven’t posted for a while but I’m back.
I’ve had some interesting conversations and learning experiences over the last month or so. I want to reflect on some here.
My friend and business colleague, Patrick Mayfield, presented some very interesting findings about change from the world of science, particularly medicine. “The central issue is never strategy, culture, or systems,” says John Kotter. “The core of the matter is always about changing the behaviour of people.”
Most behavioural change programmes fail for patients with preventable disease fail. But Dr Dean Ornish’s programme for turning round people with clogged arteries has bucked the trend.
Without going into details, it was holistic and the marks of its success were:
framing the change with the incentive of the joy of living rather than the fear of death – and telling a different story about life than the one that has become ingrained.
introducing radical changes rather than incremental ones. They are often easier for people!
supporting the change with the help of peers, trainers and motivators.
How might that apply in your life and setting? I’m working it through in mine.
April 26, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Like the ‘telling a different story about life’, it certainly applies within my contexts to communicate human experience within a set of new parameters or a more invigorating or infectious shape. What excites me is the sense of bringing in radical changes – don’t hear a lot said about that (or not in my ears anyway!). Be interested to know in what way ‘they are often easier for people’?
April 27, 2007 at 12:36 pm
How refreshing I found it to read that “The central issue is never strategy, culture, or systems,” says John Kotter. “The core of the matter is always about changing the behaviour of people.”
I lead an organisation where our trustees and most of our senior managers are obsessed about the need for a convoluted and detailed strategy, accompanied by much navel gazing. How I wish that their attitude would change to developing both the enthusiasm of the staff for the work and in doing so focus more on the work itself.
April 27, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Bishop, glad to have you back and posting again.
April 30, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Hello Mike and Anthea. My Name is Frances Walton. I have been following Anthea’s progress since the accident and I was just wondering how you both are getting on. I live in London and worship at All Souls Langham Place where Rupert Higgins used to be Senior Associate Minister before he moved to Christ Church Clifton. I have been praying for you all since the accident and am continuing to do so and remember you. Take care both of you. from Frances Walton.
May 2, 2007 at 8:42 am
Interesting post. I have often wondered if there is something ‘set’ about our approach to life. I have been, I think, blessed with optimism although it’s shadow-side is over-confidence. I would never imagine that I couldn’t get better, recover or improve.
Yet I meet so many people whose mindset is ‘victim.’ Somehow their whole personality is set by bad things happening to them. You feel they might be unhappy if they were not suffering.
In the words of the wonderful Modest Mouse album title, what is the ‘Good news for people who love bad news?’
May 2, 2007 at 2:46 pm
‘The core of the matter is always about changing the behaviour of people’ – absolutely, but the motivation for this has to come from within, and won’t happen without both an awareness of the need to change and belief that change is possible.
As a college chaplain developing external work in coaching and mentoring, I find that ‘my’ successes with people in all kinds of contexts are really down to the degree of motivation and hope that they have. Often my task is to try and engender that hope, to get people to envision the possibility of change, however small; once that is done, the sky’s the limit…