Dream Center For Change..

Workforce Development | 18 April 2013 | Team EACPDS

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I have spent a decade working with companies of all shapes and sizes. The second I walk into an office I can tell whether that company is thriving or dying. I’m sure you are familiar with the typical clues: Are the grounds kept? Is the receptionist ornery? Is the restroom clean? Is the decor updated? In any case, I believe that a company’s growth potential is reflected right in front of your eyes. A company’s success is often advertised proudly on its walls and on the faces of the employees.

Success is driven from the top down. Is executive leadership wiling to embrace technology and change or are they stuck in the old way of doing things? Those that do not prioritize change, especially product development dependent organizations, will eventually be left behind. Companies who are not willing to adapt or accept change as a part of their growth process will diminish like the fading paint on their lobby walls.

In many companies, addressing change is often pushed to the back burner as urgent matters often take precedence. I find that many view change as a manual necessity versus an opportunity for productivity gains and growth. As a result, few companies have mastered the art of change. As the saying goes: “Like a plant, you’re either growing or dying.”

The willingness to change is also true in our personal lives. We either embrace change or resist it. The good news is that change can be learned! According to the research of Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at UC Riverside, attitude is derived from 3 parts. 50% of your attitude is predisposed at birth through genetics. 10% is attributed to circumstances (success, health, family, money, etc.) The remaining 40% is left up to what’s called “intentional behavior”. These are learned behaviors, and by exercising these behaviors, your mindset can be changed.

Someone, smarter than I, once shared with me a strong piece of advice about living in a rut. He said, “The past only has power in your mind. Let your mind be a dream center for change, not a museum of the past.”

Click here for more about Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky’s Documentary on the Study of Happiness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_(2011_film)

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