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Somewhere, someone may have told you, “Don’t stir up trouble.”
Maybe you challenged an idea that you thought needed closer consideration. Maybe you proposed a solution that goes against the ideas of everyone else in the room. In any case, someone may have advised you to follow the status quo.
Patti Johnson suggests a different approach. She explains it in her book, Make Waves: Be the One to Start Change at Work and Life.
Johnson is the founder and former CEO of PeopleResults, a transformation and organizational development consulting firm. She previously served as a senior executive at Accenture, a global management consulting firm. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and many other media outlets.
Johnson says the wave starts with “if we could…” and explains how people can gain confidence by adopting that mindset.
“Once you have a dream or a vision, the important thing is to put it into action. If your goals are too big, it can feel like too big to achieve,” she says. “This is why New Year’s resolutions are forgotten in February. Wave Makers use strategies such as starting small and taking one step at a time. They start, learn, and adjust. Wavemakers are also gradualists who keep moving forward, even if they don’t know everything there is to know when they start, because of their ‘I can figure it out’ mindset. You can get started without any worries.”
Patti Johnson
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Johnson explains that “self-talk” can hinder a person’s ability (or willingness) to make waves of positivity.
“Our ideas are so powerful that they are hidden dominoes in making waves,” she says. “We all carry an invisible backpack with us wherever we go, based on how we were raised, how we see ourselves, and the messages we receive from the world around us. But if you know and anticipate your triggers and vulnerabilities, you can overcome or avoid them.”
For example, she says, perfectionism is common among high achievers and is sometimes seen as positive in our culture. “But perfectionism by design means that everything has to be perfect. This desire for perfection can be harmful. Whether it’s a new business or a community effort, change If you’re starting out, it won’t be perfect. You’ll have setbacks because you’ve never done it before. Perfectionists fear that they’re not good enough or don’t have all the answers. , action may be delayed.
What role do curiosity and effective listening play in a person’s ability to succeed?
“These are both huge factors in creating waves of success,” Johnson says. “Research shows that our curiosity peaks around the age of six and dies down as adults. The most common answers to this tendency are ‘we’re too busy’ or ‘we already know all the answers’. This is because they think it should be. However, a lack of curiosity directly affects your ability to “learn your way around” by doing something new. ”
According to Johnson, wavemakers are voracious learners and quickly assess knowledge gaps and ways to fill them. “They decide whether to learn new information themselves or involve others who know what they don’t know. If they don’t learn and listen to absorb new information, There are great risks involved in bringing the answer to today’s problems.
Johnson quotes Steve Jobs, saying, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” How does that perspective apply to Wave Maker?
“This is a great quote and a reminder to not rely solely on past experience when starting something new,” she says. “It is human nature for our views to come from what we have seen and done. For example, people who have worked for only one company throughout their career are likely to It can be more difficult to imagine working in a different way just because of the changes you make. Also, if you try to initiate change, you may face resistance just because you change the “normal.” Please be prepared as well. The current situation and our personal habits are very powerful forces. ”
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Johnson offers advice for potential wavemakers whose “why” seems unclear.
“I speak from my own experience,” she says. “For years, I’ve been saying, ‘I want to write a book.'” When I got more serious about it, a mentor asked me, “Why?” I started saying it was a bucket list item. But she kept pressing me, “But why?” In the end, it came down to “I wanted to feel like I was sharing what I learned in case it might be helpful to someone else.” We needed to be clear about that because it affects everything. So, if you have any ideas or changes that you would like to implement, please do the same. Really think about why it’s important to you. The answer can influence whether you take it on and how you deal with it. Knowing your “why” is important. Because it keeps you moving forward when you encounter difficulties and setbacks. And you will. ”
When leading change efforts, how can Wave Makers create cascading sponsorship for change across the organization?
“Change rarely happens alone,” Johnson says. “Involve others early on your idea and let them put their fingerprints on it. This is a way to make change about ‘us’ and not ‘me’.” Gathering ideas and involving others is also a way to develop your own wave of champions. Be prepared for some backlash. But be open-minded enough to understand and consider why. You can’t make everyone happy, but you can listen, accept what you hear, and consider everything to make the best decision for your change. ”
