Last week we identified factors that contribute to the resistance of change. As we continue to explore the topic of change, we will dive into three elements that reinforce our resistance to change: Our Beliefs, Our Experiences, and Our Attitudes. These elements live inside each of us, molding who we are and how we visualize and interact with our surroundings. We develop these three elements through living the lives we have chosen, and to change them, we have to be willing to look in the mirror and see the people we are and identify what needs to be different in order to achieve the change we desire in our business and in our life.
- Beliefs -"No one can do this better than I can." This is a common belief we have heard time and again from business owners. The fact is, the statement “No one can do this better than I can” may be correct, or have been correct at some point in time. What you need to remember about beliefs is that they may be true, or based on some truth, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the best for the business.
You may be the best qualified for a certain job in the business but it doesn't mean you should be the one to complete the job. Beliefs like this can take root and prevent a business owner from sharing information or processes that build the training and growth of the employees. A business owner or manager that feels others can’t do it as well as they can also causes employees to withdraw into themselves and be less engaged than they should be.
- Experiences - How many times have you seen the belief stated above prove true? In the mind of a business owner this situation is a self-fulfilling prophecy; a task is delegated to an employee and the employee stumbles in the task or doesn't get it right. As a result, the business owner has to go back and fix the issue. But is this an employee issue or a training issue? In the mind of the owner at that particular moment, it is most certainly an employee issue.
- Attitudes - The beliefs and experiences lead the business owner to develop attitudes that support what is known or perceived to be known. The perceptions can be wide ranging: employees are lazy, employees are untrainable, I might as well just do it and get it done, etc. The point is that these attitudes are unproductive and only serve to limit you, your business and your employees, while also reflecting poorly on your customers’ experience.
Your beliefs, experiences, and subsequent attitudes create opportunities to stay in a comfort zone, resisting the idea of growth or change. Remember that the beliefs that got you here are often not the ones you need to continue to build your business. In order to change those beliefs you have to change your experiences (do something different) and in the process, change your attitudes. This week we challenge you to examine your beliefs and work with your business coach to identify which beliefs are holding your business back.