CHANGE “When you're finished changing, you're finished.” Benjamin Franklin

Change/Switch and Ramblings by James

Analogy of the Elephant and the Rider: Elephant – our emotional side. Rider – our rational side and, perched atop the elephant, the rider holds the reins & seems to be the leader. Path – situations including the surrounding environment.

Discussion of Some Key Concepts Regarding Change: Self Control/Self Supervision: Is an exhaustible resource. It is difficult to tinker with behaviors that have become automatic. Changing those behaviors requires careful supervision by the rider.

Mindsets Fixed Mindset: Believe their abilities reflect the way they are wired. Behavior is the result of their natural ability, i.e., “You are so smart” or “I was born with this attitude.” Tend to not look for challenges and are not keen on self improvement.

Growth Mindset: Believe their abilities are like muscles – they can be built up with practice. These folks compliment effort rather than natural skill, i.e., “I’m proud of how you worked on that project.” Tend to accept more challenges despite the risk of failure.

Mindset – Skillset - Toolset An M-16 is useless without the proper mindset or skillset to put it to use. A #2 pencil is a deadly weapon in skilled hands with the willingness to use it. Advanced toolsets are useless without a mindset to develop the skillset to use the toolset.

Building a Growth Mindset Remember – Everything is hard before it’s easy. Like with a muscle, ability grows stronger with exercise. Prepare others for the “foggy periods” that includes failure. Project mood charts that predict how people will feel at different phases of a project.

The Rider is Much Smaller Than The Elephant Both have strengths and weaknesses, but the elephant is just plain bigger. The Elephant looks for immediate gratification, but also has the energy and drive to get things done. The Rider has the ability to think for the long- term and to plan for the future, but also a tendency to spin his/her wheels – overanalyze and overthink.

Direct the Rider Follow the Bright Spots – 86% in Item 20. Script the Critical Moves – Think in terms of specific behaviors, i.e., staffings at handoffs from investigations to ongoing with investigator, ongoing worker and FTM coordinator present. Point to the Destination – No child shall be a victim of recurrence of child abuse.

Analysis Paralysis: Contemplating, analyzing and identifying problems resulting in too many problems, which makes you tired and the problems seem to be too big to solve. i.e. digging up bones

Motivate the Elephant Find the Feeling – Use scorecards, make outcomes personal. SHRINK the Change – Seed the jar, i.e., you are at 50% in Item 20… with a little refinement, you can be at 86%. Grow your People – Cultivate a sense of identity, i.e., Perm + Unit – Promote them as the experts on a bright spot.

Shape the Path Tweak the environment – When the situation changes, the behavior changes – so change the situation. Throw out those reports that you don’t use or give them value (find the feeling). Do away with the wizards. Flex work schedules, one region one state.

Build Good Habits – Habits are automatic and self-control becomes less work. Set action triggers, i.e., Every Monday morning, we will huddle to look at examples of documentation in WB1 for last week.

Quotes Success Breeds Success The prospect of going from a team that’s at the bottom of the standings to one that’s on top is daunting. When you’ve done a lot of losing, it gets hard to imagine yourself winning. When you set small, visible goals, and people achieve them, they start to get it into their heads that they can succeed. They break the habit of losing and begin to get into the habit of winning. - Bill Parcells

Quotes Only 45% of US workers feel their contributions at work are valued. 3 in 5 workers (59%) feel the organization does not tap into the best of their talents and passions. - Franklin Covey/ Harris poll

Rally the Herd – Behavior is contagious; “seeding the tip jar.” Why not get your bright spots together in each area and market their work. This promotes learning and friendly competition. Help your reformers find one another – they will create a language & talk their values, and rally the herd. Remember – behavior (success) is contagious.