Author: stevenewadmin

What you will get: Ways to increase the effectiveness of change processes

 

“Your elephant does not like change”

 

No really it doesn’t.

 

So you have to find ways to get your elephant on board.

 

And that’s not all…

 

What about engaging other people’s elephants?

 

So what am I talking about?

 

You see…

 

Your elephant is your unconscious mind or limbic system – big and powerful and strong and stubborn.
It’s responsible for your emotions, your motivation – it drives your behavior.

 

Then you have your poor rider (the rational part of your brain).

 

It gets logic.
It understands reason.
It invented and comprehends language.

 

So armed with reason and logic…

 

Your poor rider is forever trying to persuade and engage your elephant in change processes.

 

Personal change. (I want to lose weight)
Professional change. (I want to be a more effective leader)
Change in teams and organisations.

 

But the elephant has 3 positions when it comes to behavior change…

 

If it experiences something it likes from memory it produces positive emotions, which drive positive thoughts and towards behaviour.

 

If it experiences something it doesn’t like from memory it produces negative emotions, which drive negative thoughts and away from behaviour.

 

If it experiences something it does not know, in other words CHANGE, it triggers negative emotions, which drive negative thoughts and resistance behaviour.

 

That’s why change can be so hard!

 

All the logic in the world can be screaming at you to do something – but if the elephant hasn’t overcome it’s natural resistance it won’t budge.

 

Think about it…

 

People know they shouldn’t smoke and drink too much – but they still do.
People know cream cakes are bad for them, but they still eat them.
People know they can’t really afford the new shoes or gadget, but they still buy them.

 

Welcome to the world of the elephant – your change master!

 

So what can you do to make change in your life more effective?
And what about effective change management in your team?

 

Well you need to work more with the elephant before you start talking to the rider.

 

Deal with emotions first and then give the logic later!

 

And how can you work more with your emotionally driven elephant?

 

Here’s some simple steps:

 

1 – Never, ever go into the details of a change process until you have created a clear picture of the destination – what does the end result look, feel and sound like?

 

2 – Always be clear on why you (or others) are undergoing the change – what benefits does it give you and others? What are the drawbacks if you don’t make the change?

 

3 – Engage the elephant by focusing on the top 5 motivators for all humans in any change process. That means focusing on:

• The purpose and meaning of the change
• The recognition you will give yourself and others during each small step of success
• The opportunities for you and others to master new tasks (mastery motivates)
• The autonomy and responsibility you and others will have in the change process
• The opportunities for personal and professional growth

 

Now you are speaking to the elephant!

 

And as you and I know, if you don’t get the elephant on board, your poor rider will be forever trying to drag around 100kgs of huge, grey stubbornness.

 

It’s really hard, isn’t it?

 

I’m off to feed my elephant and get it ready for change.

 

How about you?

 

To your success.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership

So what is it?

 

It’s a hormone.

 

But not just any old hormone.

 

It’s your happy hormone (or at least one of them).

 

It’s like this…

 

The higher the levels of serotonin in your blood, the happier you feel.

 

And what’s more, it’s easy to give it a boost!

 

Like to know how?

 

Who wouldn’t!

 

So serotonin levels in your blood are regulated by the limbic region of your brain.

 

And there are certain things you can do that have been scientifically proven to stimulate your brain to release more serotonin.

 

Here’s just a few:

 

• Remember Love. Think about someone in your life who you care deeply about. Reflect on why you love them and what they mean to you. Then write a letter to them expressing those feelings of love (you don’t have to actually give it to them if you don’t want to). Notice how you feel afterwards.

 

• Love your body. Rather than focusing on what you believe is wrong with your physical appearance, write down what you love about it. Is it the colour of your hair, your natural blue eyes or the slim legs you are proud of?

 

• Give a compliment to someone. Acts of giving have been proven time and time again to boost your own serotonin levels. Think of someone you value and think of all the reasons why you value them as a person. Then make a time to go and tell them face to face why you like them.

 

• Sit and stand upright. Fact, if you adopt an upright posture when sitting, standing and walking you feel happier. Dedicate the next week to focusing on your posture in different situations, correcting it to a more upright position if you notice you are slumping in any way.

 

• Celebrate a success. Far too often society and companies focus on what is wrong and what needs to be better. Reflect on one small success you have had today and how you will celebrate this success. Write this down and notice how you feel afterwards.

 

So there you have it…

 

5 simple, proven tools for boosting your serotonin levels so you feel happier.

 

And the good news is…

 

This is just a few – there are many, many more tools proven to work.

 

In fact, there are so many of these wonderful little tools out there that I felt compelled to write an e-book to share a whole month’s worth with you…

 

Just click here to get this book right now: http://stevenealeinternational.com/products/active-reflection-journal/

 

I’m off to rocket my serotonin levels to the moon and beyond.

 

How about you?

 

To your success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership

What you will get: Reflections on the benefits of company values

 

“What’s the value of your company values?”

 

Values mean everything.
Values mean absolutely nothing.
And everything else in between.

 

You see…

 

Most companies have values.

 

And sadly, from my experience, more often than not they mean nothing.
OK, so the company paid a lot of money to some consultant to help create the values.

 

And then even more money to put them on a beautiful plaque in the reception.

 

But what do they actually mean in terms of daily behaviours?
What do they mean to each employee?
What do they mean to customers?

 

Quite often when I ask my clients about their company values, at best they can remember what they are (or they can look them up on the internet!)

 

But what’s the use of that?

 

As I see it…

 

In order to be useful, company values need to be fully integrated into daily behaviours.

 

They are used actively in meetings.
They are the deciding factor in key decisions.
Employees live, breathe and feel the values every day.

 

So why is this so often not the case?

 

Well, the interpretation of values is a very individual thing.

 

Let’s take an example – RESPECT.

 

If you were to write down 3 words that clarify the value of Respect to you, what would they be?

 

And if each member of your team did the same, would the interpretations be the same?

 

No they wouldn’t! (I know this as I have done this activity hundreds of times on my training courses)

 

So just by stating that your company value is Respect will mean each employee interprets this in different ways.

 

So how do you overcome this?

 

By defining the value and then attributing a specific behaviour code to it.

 

For example:

 

Value: Respect
Definition: In this company we ask staff to respect themselves and others equally
Behaviours: We arrive on time to company meetings, we do not interrupt each other, we keep our promises, …and so on.

 

Now the value of Respect is beginning to mean something.

 

In fact…

 

One way to review where your company values are at currently is to use the 5 point values scale:

 

1 – Unknown (you know the company has values but most people can’t remember what they are)

 

2 – Stated (the values are clearly stated and everyone knows what they are)

 

3 – Defined (not only do employees know what the values are, but they also know what they mean)

 

4 – Aligned (the values have been broken down into specific behaviours so there are consistent employee behaviours in line with the values)

 

5 – Fully Integrated (employees live, breathe and feel the values and they are an active part of daily life including meetings, presentations, recruitment, performance reviews and decision making)

 

So, if you were to rate your company on the values scale, where are you at right now?

 

You see…

 

Values are a vital part of company performance and success.

 

They define your company.
They inspire your employees.
They guide your decisions.
They send a consistent message to stakeholders.
They ensure you stay true to your purpose.

 

But only if you know what they are and what they mean!

 

I’m off to go live my company values, how about you?

 

To your success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership

What you will get: Reflections on the benefits of meditation

 

“What’s your job title?”

 

And I don’t mean your day job. I mean you whole life job title?

 

You see…

 

Many people have developed into “human doings” – spending each moment of every day being busy, and then busier, and then even busier.

 

But we are actually called “human beings”.

 

But sadly…

 

So many people have forgotten how to just BE.

 

Living life in the moment.
Enjoying every second.
Not worrying about the past or the future.

 

Now there is one simple activity that will help you to BE more.

 

But that’s not all.

 

The measured benefits of this simple habit include…

 

• Lowered blood pressure
• Lowered cholesterol levels
• Increased mindfulness – living in the moment
• Reduced stress hormone (cortisol) in your blood
• Reduced risk of heart attack
• Increase focus and creativity
• Increase serotonin in your blood (the happy hormone!)
• Reduced pain
• Improved sleep patterns
• Reduced risk of blood clots
• Decreased addictions
• Increased energy
• Changes to the structure of your brain so you become calmer and more empathic

 

So what am I talking about?
(No it’s not sex!)

 

I am talking about meditation.

 

This simple, ancient ritual that has now been scientifically proven to give you all of the above benefits and more.

 

So how do you meditate?

 

Find a quiet place.
Sit it a comfortable position.
Close your eyes and focus on something.

 

For example, focus on your breathing.

 

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

 

But just like learning to run a marathon, you have to learn to run 5K first and increase your ability in steps.

 

You see…

 

If your thinking brain is used to only “doing” and chatting, chatting, chatting then you may find it hard to switch it off.

 

But that’s ok…

 

Because each time you find yourself thinking about something, just gently return your attention back to your breath and continue to focus on that.

 

In fact…

 

Just 10 minutes of meditation a day for 3 weeks has been proven to have lasting, measurable benefits.

 

So why wouldn’t you?

 

Why not give it a try? Set yourself a 3 week meditation challenge and notice the benefits you get in how you think, feel and behave.

 

I’m off to BE in a state of deep meditation, how about you?

 

To your success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership

What you will get: Reflections on why positive pressure is a good thing.

 

“3 frogs are sitting on a lilypad…”

 

And one of the frogs decides to jump off.

 

How many frogs are left on sitting the lilypad?

 

3

 

Why?

 

Because deciding to jump off is not the same as actually jumping off!

 

We’ve all done it…

 

Been to a great training course.
Read a great personal development book.
Heard a great idea.

 

Then we make a promise to ourselves to make changes.

 

But somehow, we don’t.

 

We forget.
We procrastinate.
We lose focus.

 

In fact, a recent study showed that the chances of people completing a personal development action (providing it is a realistic one) if they just mentally decide to do it is around 40%.

 

So how can you make your success chances higher?

 

First of all, you need to make a step by step plan…

 

Visualise the end result and see, hear and feel how you have changed.
Then write down the small, realistic steps you will take to get there.

 

If you do this, your chances of succeeding go up to around 60%

 

Still not great, I hear you saying…

 

So how can you take your personal development aspirations to the next level?

 

This is where you need others.

 

You see…

 

If you make a promise to others that you will do it, and then you make a specific accountability appointment (a time, method and place) to share your success with them, you increase your chances of succeeding to around 90%.

 

In other words, a little positive pressure helps you to stay focused.

 

In fact…

 

I once used this principle to write one of my books.

 

For a while I had an idea that I should write a leadership book by interviewing children, and sharing the lessons we can learn from children with adult business leaders.

 

But for some reason I did not start writing.

 

So I decided to use social media to help me.

 

I posted an online message that the book launch event would take place in Vilnius in a day in September and invited people to come along for free.

 

I soon had over 100 bookings.

 

Did that give me enough positive pressure to write the book?

 

You bet it did.

 

3 months later (only 2 days before the launch event) “Leadership through the eyes of a child” was published!

 

(Check it out here if you are curious about the 11 key lessons business leaders can learn from children:“http://stevenealeinternational.com/products/leadership-through-the-eyes-of-a-child/”)

 

 

Not that I always recommend putting this much pressure on yourself – but it sure did work!

 

So are you off to make a promise to others about the personal development changes you will make?

 

I know I am.

 

To your success.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership

What you will get: Understanding the importance of stepping back from thoughts, feelings and actions

 

“I think therefore I am”

 

Wrong!

 

You see…

 

You are not your thoughts.

 

And what’s more…

 

You are not your feelings.

 

And you are not your actions.

 

In fact…

 

You are bigger than your thoughts, feelings and actions (I call these 3 your TFA Triangle)

 

And if you want to you can change all three.

 

You can change the way you think…
…which will change the way you feel
…which will change the way you behave.

 

It’s all too easy to believe you are trapped by your thoughts, feelings and actions and they are you – but you are not trapped and they are not you.

 

And that’s where mindfulness comes in.

 

Mindful people have developed the ability to take a step back from their thoughts, feelings and actions and just observe them from a curious, non-judgmental place.

 

So next time you catch yourself having unnecessary negative thoughts, try to take a mindful look at those thoughts – just observing them and noticing them.

 

And next time you notice you are feeling down or frustrated in some way, again step away from the feeling in your mind and label it with a colour, taste, sound, shape, picture and words. Now suddenly the feeling is not you, but something you are observing and trying to understand.

 

And the same goes for your actions. If you find you do something ineffective, just take a step away and reflect on it. What can you learn from this and what can you do differently next time?

 

And remember…

 

Every thought you have is electrical energy.

 

And this electrical energy gets converted into chemical energy around the body (we call this energy feelings)

 

So every negative thought you have will produce stress related changes around the body.

 

And every positive thought you have will produce positive hormonal changes around the body.

 

So isn’t it time you take a step away from your thoughts, feelings and actions, observe them and realise you manage them, and not the other way round.

 

Because once you start to manage your TFA Triangle, you are in charge of your life.

 

No more will you be a victim of chance, destiny or fate.
No more will you be dependent on your environment.
No more will you need to rely on others.

 

So in the words of an unknown 21st Century Philosopher (me):

 

“I observe my thoughts feelings and actions, therefore I am.”

 

OK, it’s not as catchy as the famous philosophical quote, but it sure is more empowering.

 

So are you ready to masters your TFA Triangle?

 

To your success.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Neale
“Europe’s Leading Expert on Personal and Professional Growth”

 

Psychologist, Executive Coach, EI Practitioner, Award Winning Trainer, International Author, Psychodynamic Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor, International Speaker, Creator of the LPS, Creator of the Accredited Masters in High Performance Leadership