Managing Complex Change

The diagram above illustrates each of the elements necessary to create lasting change. If just one element is out, change will happen very slowly or not at all.

Use this worksheet for each of your projects, large and small. There is no right way to do it. You can take minutes or weeks to complete. Keep updating as you go. No plan is ever perfect. Continue to get support from your coach.

Fill in each area below as thoroughly as possible. Use as many pages as you need to thoroughly explore your project needs.

Finally, notice the emotional states on the right side of the worksheet. These show what occurs if you ignore or don’t have one of the key elements of managing complex change in place. Manage this, continually review your project and GO!

Name

First Name

Last Name

VISION: What will the project look like when it is complete? Get specific. Stretch yourself. Be bold.

SKILLS: What are the skills necessary for this project? Which skills do you already possess? Which skills will you develop? How exactly will that happen?

RESOURCES: What resources are necessary to make this project a reality? A resource can be a person or a thing. List all the resources you already have, including people in your support network, existing technology, databases, facilities, and other assets, plus all the resources you will need to gather for this project. (If you are not sure what is necessary, use your existing resources to find out.) List the resources AND what it is a resource for.

Example: Computer - word processing, email, Skype, information.

REWARDS: Rewards or incentives inspire action and greater effort. They act as “added value” to increase your productivity. What will you offer yourself to move you further into action and keep you there? Attach rewards to your action plans and be sure to follow through and give the reward to yourself. (Most people either pride themselves on needing no reward, or give themselves rewards all the time so the rewards have little meaning.) Practice setting a goal, accomplishing it and then rewarding yourself for it. Rewards may change in size according to the size of the action, i.e., a larger incentive for a more challenging action. List small ($25 or less), medium ($50 or less), and large incentives ($100 or more).

ACTION PLAN: An action plan is most powerful when it is created in reverse. Imagine you are at the completion date and look backward. How did you get here? What was the action in the days, weeks and months it took to get here? What do you have and what is missing? Make a complete list. Enlist the support of your coach and others to stay in action toward what you say is most important to you.

An action plan includes: -Individual goals -Steps required (plus rewards) -Support necessary -Completion dates *Note: Use the “SCHEMES” mnemonic to double check that your plan is comprehensive. SCHEMES stands for: Space, Cash, Helpers/People, Equipment, Materials, Expertise, Systems.