Artists of Change are those who can thrive in the new economy. They don’t just give and take orders but also move smoothly between boundaries, like the marketing wiz who understands the latest technology or the insurance adjuster who speaks four languages.
Here is a summary of the top traits you need to develop to be an Artist of Change:
1. ACCEPT PARADOX: To accept paradox is to see an issue from many different perspectives. It means being vastly empathic not just towards people but towards circumstances. For example, seeing how to improve customer service even though you have just been told the budget is being cut.
2. DESIGN AND RE-DESIGN: The ability to Design is now a form of workplace literacy like knowing how to use Microsoft Office. If you can’t Design then you need to take a crash course. Design is a multi-faceted skill that involves envisioning a new possibility, then re-configuring existing information, tools and resources so that it’s usable to others. For example, instead of accepting that your industry will always be high turnover, you might envision the possibility of attracting stable employees. Then you would re-design your recruiting strategy for an entirely new population segment.
3. THRIVE IN CHAOS: The Conceptual Age is filled with possibilities that point to no single “right way” anymore. Breakdowns, turnovers, mergers, acquisitions, upgrades are all happening more frequently. At the beginning of any change process you will always find chaos. People who get stressed and resistant when chaos reigns will lose out. Those who can thrive, and even enjoy, chaos will be able to stay in higher performance states and therefore be better able to carry on and get the job done well.
Bottom Line
You’ll have to be creative to stay employed. But who doesn’t want to be creative? It’s inherently more rewarding to be creative than to be an information drone.
By the way, you can only transform if you develop on-going practices or habits that allow those traits to flourish. For more ideas, tips, workshops, staff development programs, keynotes and products go to The Artistry of Change website