action speaks louder

I have been training people for 13 years now. And I’d like to share an observation. My pertinent observation is this: people wait for others to change instead of changing first.

There is a specific group of senior managers whom I have been coaching. After a session, one senior manager approached and asked me what I think of the effectiveness of our coaching session that we just had. I know and am trained too well to just give him an outright answer without knowing what he had on his mind. So, I asked him instead what he thought of it. His answer was as I anticipated. He said that he doesn’t see changes in “other people”. So, I facilitated our conversation to his realization at the end with the fact that he himself did not make the necessary changes and was waiting for others to do it. I was happy to hear him say that he will do his best to change things around within his areas of control. I patted him on his back and said well done!

So many of us wait for others to change instead of making the change ourselves. We first must be transformed by the renewing of our minds and behaviors. Only then will the whole group, community and society will transform itself.

This learning point is already in your hands. Will you use it and change or are you going to wait for others to change first?