Recently Eileen wrote about a book she read called “FISH!” Another book in this series by Stephen C. Lundin is called FISH! Sticks. Like the previous book, Lundin continues to weave his teachings in a fictional story about Good Samaritan Hospital in New York; however, this story talks about adapting to changing times and how to keep your work fresh.
With so many stories on the news about companies closing or laying off employees, there’s a lot of people hoping President Obama can fulfill his campaign vision, “yes, we can change.” At the moment, this energy is external and you need that to get people to jump on the band wagon. Lundin states that “external energy is necessary at beginning of any large-scale change initiative. But it’s only effective for the short-term.”
At some point in order to sustain change, the energy “must be replaced by natural energy in order for the change to stick,” otherwise you’ll backslide into old ways. Lundin says that natural energy is created when we “find IT, live IT, and coach IT.” IT is how we see ourselves personally contributing to the vision, whether it’s President Obama’s vision, your company’s, or your own.
Once identifying what your IT is, you need to find opportunities to contribute to the vision, called “vision moments.” Lastly, in order to achieve natural energy that will sustain a changing environment, you need to coach IT. Coaching isn’t about who is right or wrong, who is the boss, or more senior; instead it’s about keeping everyone on the same path. “Coaching is the glue that holds us together and the fuel for the little corrections that keep a place burning bright.”
So if you really want change to happen, read “FISH! Sticks” to understand how important your actions are to fulfilling the vision.
