Getting a grip on behavioural change!
When was the last time someone tried to change your behaviour? Maybe it was a demand made by your spouse or your boss. I wonder, did their demands have the desired effect? Undoubtedly, the answer is no! In this episode of ‘Live It! Lead IT!’ we’ll be discussing change – how do you change the behaviour of others? How do you change your behaviour? With the insights into these questions, I guarantee you can make the changes you need to become a more effective business leader!

Stop that nagging already!
When behavioural demands are made of us, we have two possible options. We can do the minimum of what is required of us at the moment, with little consideration of what will occur the next time we are faced with the same situation, or we can genuinely seek to make the changes requested of us, understanding the negative implications of our on-going, habitual behaviour. It is little surprise however that if these demands are made of us in the form of nagging, the latter outcome will be all the more unlikely.
When applied to the office environment, employees will adopt the same set of attitudes. As a leader, shouting at your employees is unlikely to cause positive behavioural change. Under such circumstances, your team may simply be working in your presence out of fear, only to slack as soon as you are no longer in the building. So how do you motivate your team?
Change who? Change you!
It would be an error to think that you can change your employees. Accepting this fact is critical to becoming a good leader. However there is one person you can change, and that person would, of course, be you! Trying to change others is a waste of your time and effort.
Rewind quickly to episode number two, and if you listened, you’d recall that we spoke about understood and taken goals. Once you have your goals clearly in your mind, you can identify which behaviours you need to change to achieve your goals. Remember it’s just a simple switch in your brain – understand the purpose or need for the changes in your life and you’re on your way.
What about changing my team?
But what about your team? How does this affect your leadership skills? Well once you accept that you cannot change others, but you can change yourself, it’s all about adapting to each employee to bring out the best in them. Good leadership also means identifying the right people for the right job – identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your team members can help you maximise their capabilities. Understanding these dynamics and becoming better at how to deal with people, will enable you to get the best out of your team in the most effective way possible.
In today’s business climate, change is the order of the day. Indeed ‘innovation’ appears to be a buzz word across all organisations. Being change-ready is key! Listen on to unlock the secrets to understanding change to become an effective business leader!
Olaf Kapinski