A couple of years ago I
was working with a man new to working in teams and having some difficulty
getting along with others. 

He was intelligent,
skilled, and very motivated. 

Two things were getting in
his way: his ego and his expectations. 

He was trying to initiate
some badly needed changes and he wasn’t getting anywhere.  

According to his
assessment, his problem was that he couldn’t convince others to implement his plan.  

Why was he having such a
hard time? 

Instead of focusing on the
issue and the desired outcome, he had already decided his way was the right way.  

His “communication”  and “team building” activities were focused on
persuasion and one-way dictation of what would need to be done.  

The possibility that feedback
might alter his proposed solution was inconceivable to him. 

When he received feedback,
he’d consider it negative and label the originator a change
resistor. He’d immediately attempt
to devise ways to bring that person around to his (correct) point of view. 

Among other things, implementing
change requires an open mind, humility, good listening and negotiating skills, and
a whole lot of respect for others. 

If we’re serious about
change, we need to continually reflect on our own biases, consider where there
might be gaps in our knowledge, and genuinely solicit input from the people
that can fill those gaps.  

When objections arise, we
need to listen, reflect, and determine how best to handle them. Do they change the approach? Are we missing valuable in formation? 

Implementing change does
not mean convincing others to do it our way!