Transformation Is a Dirty Business
A Story in Progress
A few years back, I found myself at the top of two ladders I had taped together with duct tape. At this time in life, I was relatively poor and couldn’t afford gas in my car, much less an appropriately sized ladder. The ladders shook in the wind as I took down a 90-year-old wooden gable vent that had started to rot. That wood lasted a long time, and I can only hope to be in half as good shape at that age. By the way, taping two ladders together for extra height is definitely not safe.
At the bottom of the ladder, my four-year-old daughter Andrea spun in the grass, putting on her own show in the yard. A few pigeons watched from the roof, looking interested, maybe even approving. Nearby, a thin metal gable vent lay in the grass, waiting to replace the old wooden one. When I looked down to check on Andrea, my heart raced as I saw her dancing right on top of the new metal vent.
"NOOOOO! GET - OFF - THAT!" I bellow as I nearly slide down the two ladders taped together.
In shock, she glances up at me, then takes off running into the house. I am hot on her heels, but she still beats me to her room and shuts the door.
Renovation Basics
Renovating a home is a lot like making changes in life, business, or any group. Sometimes everything needs an overhaul, and other times just a part or two. Here are three tips to help you plan for a successful change.
Are you and your organization, or your personal relationships, as successful as you want to be? Even if things are going well, is there room for improvement? If you think some changes could help, keep reading for three tips to boost your chances of success.
When renovating, we all know that good project management is important. That means having clear requirements, careful planning, and accurate cost estimates. The four main things to watch are scope, cost, schedule, and quality. To see what can go wrong, let’s look at a conversation between John Mismanege and a local contractor about his kitchen remodel.
Kitchen Analogy
Joe C "I-Can-Do-IT" Contractor: "Okay, so ya want your kitchen redone. I can do it for ya."
John M: "Great. I'm swamped and don't have much time to talk about it. How much do you think this will cost?"
Joe C: "Dunno, have to see as we go along."
John M: Wow, this could cost me out the wazoo! But, as I said, I'm really underwater with everything right now. Why don't you go ahead and get started?"
Joe C: "Great, I'll get the hammer and crowbar and tear it up."
John M: "Oh, by the way, any idea how long it will take?"
Joe C: "Nope, it could be a week, month... maybe longer. I've got five other jobs going and have to pop in and out."
John M: "Maybe we should talk further..." [starts to protest, but Joe has already started and punched a hole in a nearby wall].
This is just a dramatization. Hopefully, no one would let a contractor start tearing into a wall without a plan, cost estimate, or schedule. But when it comes to changing our lives or organizations, don’t we sometimes do the same thing?
Whenever we want to make a change, we need to figure out where we are now and make a plan to get where we want to go.
THE TIPS
TIP 1 - Make it Count
Where am I and/or the organization going? The organization can be business, social, or family-related. In "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," John Maxwell advises us about the Law of the Lid, which states:
"An organization will never grow beyond the capacity of its leader's ability to lead and grow."
For example, if a leader’s ability is at level 3, the organization won’t grow past that point. If the leader improves to level 6, the organization can grow more, maybe from 2 to 5. This might explain why some leaders are replaced when things stall.
The takeaway is that we can't just look at an organization and think about change; leadership has to change first.
Take time to look at where you are now and where you want to go. Keep an open mind. Does your goal match your purpose? Right now, it’s better to focus on what you need rather than jumping to solutions.
Ask for advice, listen to ideas from others, and talk things through. Doing this takes humility.
Think about how you’ll move from where you are to where you want to be. It will take effort and resources. What’s the plan? How long will it take? Who needs to help? What will it cost? What risks are there? How will you stay accountable? What are your chances of success?
Figure out how to move beyond limiting habits and behaviors in your culture.
TIP 2 - Accountability
Accountability is key to making real change. Transformation usually takes more effort and money than we expect, and it often means changing how we think and what we believe. In the end, though, the results can be better than we imagined.
What is your real end goal? Sometimes it’s not what you first think. To stay relevant, you need to keep making changes, not just do a one-time update.
Do you understand your purpose? Do your goals and milestones support that purpose? What are your key performance indicators (KPIs)?
Who supports your vision but is also willing to challenge you and ask tough questions? Who can help keep you accountable so you reach your goals?
TIP 3 - AGILEness
We’re bound to face problems and changes along the way. Even with the best plans, things like roadblocks and detours can pop up. Risk evaluation helps us spot and handle these issues and plan our schedule and costs. The main thing is to expect change and be ready for it.
Learn how to plan for risks and make sure you talk about them with your team.
People, things, and situations all change. How will you handle these changes and adjust to them? Make sure you have a plan for dealing with change.
Strong leadership, clear communication, and flexibility are all essential.
TIP 4 (free) - RISK
Risk is something we always need to consider. How does it fit into your plan? How will you keep it in mind as you move forward? The main point is to keep risk in sight from beginning to end.
There are many examples and details if you search for how to do Risk Planning. This is just one reference:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/project-risks
Write down as many risks as you can think of, even if some seem unlikely.
Look at how likely each risk is and make a note of it.
Manage your risks. Once you know how likely and important each one is, make plans to reduce their impact if they happen.
The Rest of the Story
Seeing my daughter dance on the new gable vent was a wake-up call about what really matters in life. That moment taught me to pause and think before reacting. By the time I got down the ladder, through the basement, and up the stairs, I heard her crying in her room. I stopped outside her closed door, took a deep breath, and waited before going in to scold her. Why was I so upset? Was the gable vent really the most important part of her story?
This realization made me rethink how I saw life and the people around me. How was my behavior affecting others? What kind of relationship did I want with my daughter as she grew up and faced the world? I knew I needed to change, and there was no better time to start than now.
Instead of just walking into her room like I usually did, I knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" I asked.
After she quietly said, "yes," I opened the door, hugged her, and apologized for scaring her. We talked about the vent and why she shouldn’t dance on it. I truly felt sorry for turning her joyful dancing in the sun into a moment of fear.
Like any change, it didn’t happen overnight. It took planning, daily effort, accountability, and constant adjustments. I learned that real transformation needs ongoing evaluation and flexibility. But I always remembered that little girl dancing in the sun, carefree. We can all learn from that — the freedom to just be ourselves.
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H Mark Taylor enjoys living on a farm with his lifelong friend and partner, romping around with their German Shepherd companions, and practicing mindfulness in enjoying life. He is a leadership & life coach with more than 20 years of experience and training, earned his Master's in Information Management from Washington University - St. Louis, and has multiple certifications in Leadership, Project Management, and Cyber Security. H Mark gives all credit to his wife, Young, and to God.
© copyright 2022 H Mark Taylor
