By Patti Johnson, CEO
PeopleResults
‘There are some big changes ahead’. ‘We’ll be changing your role next month.’ Change is a word with some baggage. But, what if the change is something you want in your life? Change can be filled with opportunities and possibilities.
In my new book, Make Waves I describe lasting change as a wave because it conveys that change is organic and builds momentum over time. It isn’t a one-time event. Amazing changes have started with relatively small decisions by one person trying a new approach, stepping out with a bold idea or just rethinking how their team works together. These first small decisions and actions can pick up speed if they have an underlying bigger purpose.
Any change, or wave, needs a visible “why”. This is how you build interest, stay motivated, and, most importantly, have an impact that matters. I recently heard a great example of a “why”. A company needed to attract more quality nurses in a very competitive market. They realized that they were using their internal language and job descriptions, built for job leveling and pay, to communicate to external candidates. They realized this wasn’t effective for recruitment and decided to appeal to the core reason nurses are nurses—they want to save lives and improve the health of others. This was their purpose. This decision set in motion a series of changes in how they attract new nurses to their organization.
A change that creates a groundswell of interest and has a positive impact won’t be out of vogue next year. Think about your change and your purpose together. And remember why you do what you do. Integrate a sense of purpose into everything you say and do so that others remember it—and so you do too.
About Patti Johnson
Patti Johnson is a career and workplace expert and the CEO of PeopleResults, a change and organizational development consulting firm she founded in 2004. She is the author of Make Waves: Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life (May 2014). She and her team advise Fortune 500 companies and many others on creating positive change in their leaders and organizations. Previously, Johnson was a Senior Executive at Accenture where she played an essential role in creating new change service offerings, global talent programs, and providing expertise on complex changes with numerous clients. She has been featured as an expert in media such as, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, MONEY Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Working Mother and a regular contributor to SUCCESS Magazine.