I recently came across a new ‘fun’ formula that is quite different to the one my kids are learning in algebra:
C = D* V + FS > R
Or
Change happens when the level of Discomfort (in your current context) multiplied by your Vision (for a future state) plus a knowledge of the first steps you must take is greater than the Resistance (or comfort) that keeps you where you are.*
It doesn’t look quite as hip written out, but when I paused to take this concept in my relationship to change management shifted radically.
As humans we are designed to want comfort. To crave stability. And for many of us there are so many temptations and apps that help keep us comfortable. But that comfort, that soft fluffy duvet of the status quo, can be what stops us metaphorically from getting out of bed in the morning.
If we have a very big vision and clear picture of what we are wanting to achieve, that is critical. But it is the combination of both vision AND discomfort– that gives the push to get going. And if we have both of these but are lacking the
So, when we say we want to create change but are not actually succeeding in making it happen it can be helpful to look at the three parts of the equation:
- Is my discomfort not enough to really cause me to really want to change? Do I want to intentionally create a little more pressure on the situation?
- Is my vision for the future not clear enough or inspiring enough? Can I do anything to change that?
- And am I clear on what my first couple of steps might be to set me on the right track? And if not, is there someone who could help me figure those out?
Finding someone who can really help us be honest with ourselves is often an important first step – whether this is a friend, coach, boss, mentor or someone at work we trust – having someone who we invite to help us see whether we are being entirely candid, is a really important first step. Maybe those conversations help us to get unstuck and start to bring about the change we say we want to create. Maybe instead we realize that while we might want change, we aren’t actually ready to create that momentum (and that’s OK too). As the authors write in The 15 Commitments,
“Remember that the ego/identity is powerful (and that’s good). It doesn’t want to let go of control and step into the unknown. It equates control with security and safety. One way it most likes to stay in control is to allow us to think we’re willing to change when we’re really not”
Either way we come away from this kind of reflection understanding where we are really at.
*Adapted from The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A new paradigm for sustainable success by Jim Demther, Diana Chapman and Kaley Warner Klemp who adapted it from work by Richard Beckhard, David Gleicher and Kathie DanneMiller.
