The exercise I recommended is called the Immunity to Change Challenge. It doesn’t export super well, but here is what I can share.
Below/Attached is what is known as an Immunity to Change Map. You’ll move from left to write, answering questions in each column as you go. As you move through the questions you will identify what’s keeping you further and further from your commitment.
1. Commitment
Identify your commitment by asking yourself, what behavior am I committed to changing or developing?
Your commitment:
• Must be important for you.
• Must implicate you. You are accountable for keeping it.
• Must be an area of improvement. Don’t commit to something you’re already doing well.
• Will impact your effectiveness and/or job satisfaction.
Example
Let’s say you’d like to be more open to new ideas as a leader, your commitment might be to foster more collaboration and improve communication on your team.
2. Doing / Not Doing
Answer the question, what am I doing or not doing that prevents me from keeping my commitment? These behaviors work directly against your identified commitment.
What are you saying or not saying? What are you doing or not doing? Look at your behaviors objectively, without offering reasons or feelings that contribute to them.
Example
You might:
• Not give credit for positive ideas.
• Assume people aren’t 100% committed to the work.
• Have narrow standards which make it impossible for other ideas to work.
• Dig too deep into mistakes, causing others to fear bringing new ideas.
• Confuse discussion for venting and vice versa.
3. Hidden Commitment
Identify your hidden commitment by asking yourself, what am I really committed to based on the behaviors I listed in the previous column?
This helps identify why you are exhibiting these behaviors.
Hidden Commitments are:
• Based in fear or worry.
• Rooted in a commitment to self-protection.
• Things you are not proud of, but they make the behaviors in column 2 make sense.
• They feel powerful – there is an emotional, visceral, gut response.
Example
You’re afraid that if things don’t go well, if I don’t maintain control of the flow of ideas and work, things may fail.
4. Big Assumption
This leads us to our Big Assumption. The Big Assumption is exactly that – the assumption driving your behaviors and preventing you from keeping your commitment.
The Big Assumption…
• Makes your hidden commitments absolutely necessary.
• Has a big-time bad conclusion – like, “I’ll lose my job” big.
• It’s a scary place to operate – you could go there, but feel as if you must not, because like your hidden commitment, it feels real, emotional, visceral, and powerful.
Example
We’ll get bad results if I don’t have absolute control. I won’t add value, and it will mean I’m incompetent and expendable.
What do you do with your Big Assumption(s)?
What would the impact be if you changed your Big Assumption(s)? How would it affect your work and your relationships with your team, leaders, and cross-divisional partners? How would it affect your personal life?
Contributors: Open SourceCategories: Tool
SRC Type: Change Management, Talent Management