We humans – in our private and professional lives – like to be comfortable. When we are comfortable, we maintain our status quo. Even if we know in our heads that a change would do us or our environment good, we find it hard to change habits. And have we, on our own or as a company, perhaps already taken a step of change once/twice: As soon as we encounter obstacles or headwinds, we fall back into old patterns. So what really drives us to act, to make a lasting change and ultimately get where we want to go?
Prerequisites for our doing
How do we get into action? Do we want to change habits, go new ways or achieve new goals: The prerequisite for our action is a driving force – a force that motivates us and moves us forward. Two of the strongest forces that drive us to action are the pressure of suffering and conviction.
Suffering pressure
Suffering pressure can arise as a result of an external change, an external requirement or an internal pain. As soon as something becomes emotionally noticeable, for example through threats, disturbances, discomfort, dangers and crises, this pressure to suffer brings us to action. This applies to ourselves as well as to our company.
Do we not get along with our manager? Are we often annoyed by their behavior, decisions and guidelines? We quickly look around for a new job. We feel the hassle of applying for a job is less than the “ordeal” at the hands of our manager.
To curb the Corona pandemic, there are contact restrictions and meetings can no longer be held in conference rooms? Quickly, we in the company make our IT and employees afloat for home office and video conferencing. The pandemic has given digitalization a powerful jolt.
The competition has a better product or more attractive services? Let’s hurry up and copy them! Competition is also a kind of suffering pressure and leads us as a company to introduce new business processes or even business models.
Conviction
A (new) conviction, a firm belief in something or a vision is also a strong force that drives us forward, (guides) our behavior. Whether a vision leads to the desired goal can often only be seen after a longer period of time.
Do you firmly believe that conserving resources will help reduce global warming? Then turn on the office lights late and print out as little paper as possible.
Your conscious or unconscious conviction is to take things in hand and continuously improve? Then you will soon be responsible for a project or even an area with 15 colleagues supporting you.
Microsoft’s vision from 1975 “A computer on every desk and in every home” was the driving force behind their actions. This vision has now become reality. We even have computers in one hand with smartphones!
If you want to change something, question the driving force so that your goal becomes achievable
If you want to change something and achieve goals in your private life, in a professional context as a specialist or manager, as a team or as an entire company, it is important to identify, name and question your drive motors.
We achieve goals alone or in the company through our actions. In order to get into action and break new ground, we need a driving force. The stronger this motor is, the more consistently we pursue our goals. Two of the strongest driving forces are the pressure of suffering and convictions. If these are strong enough, they drive us into action, give us the strength to overcome obstacles and enable us to achieve our goals.
4 questions to see if your desire for change is drive enough to get you to do something in the long run, and thus to achieve your goal:
- Are you truly convinced of the goal or vision? Or is it just a “away from” instead of a “towards”?
- When will the pressure of suffering be great enough until action becomes necessary? Do you want to prevent it?
- What current conviction (conscious or unconscious) makes you act the way you are acting right now? Is it perhaps just habit or convenience?
- Do you want to reduce or prevent suffering pressure?
When making a change, think less about the past (the “why?”) and more about the future, the “what for?”: What do you want to change something for? Where are you striving as a person, team or company?
Only now is it worthwhile to make plans of action. From big to small, from rough to fine. Also plan for setbacks and hurdles. That is normal. And: Celebrate successes – even the smallest ones! Because success motivates and makes you even more successful:
I would be happy to support you in identifying your driving forces, in moving from a desire for change to sustainable action and in achieving your goals. Arrange a first appointment now!
Claudia Seidel
Coaching Methods
In business coaching with me, I will explore with you your often unconscious beliefs using the iceberg method of coaching priale. We can do vision work e.g. with a fantasy journey and I will ask powerful and often solution-oriented questions.
As a former employee in international teams, product manager and managing director, for years I experienced the difference between executives who manage their employees and executives who lead their employees; the difference between the coexistence of colleagues and the alignment of teams. Exploring this background and passing on my knowledge to employees, leaders, managers, business partners, management boards and teams has meanwhile become my profession. Benefit from my expertise:
- More than 19 years of experience in personnel, organization and team development.
- More than 1,000 hours of coaching for specialists, executives and teams
- professionally educated and continuously trained in various methods such as Scrum, Design Thinking, ORSC (TM) etc.