How To Become a Change Catalyst

We are in a period of great transition and change. A historical period. Change is the only certainty, but there are those who embrace it with courage towards new horizons and those who fear and flee from it. 

Catalyzing change means initiating, managing, leading change. 

Those who lack this emotional intelligence competency are usually happy with the status quo. Either they do not recognize the need for change or they overtly and covertly resist change. As a result, they lack the ability to maintain an open mind about change and what it might bring, failing to prepare for the future. 

Most of the time, people who lack these skills say things like: “we’ve always done it this way”, which is “the most dangerous phrase”, according to U.S. Navy rear admiral and computer scientist Grace Hopper. 

On the other hand, change catalysts challenge the status quo. They recognize the need for change, take ownership of change and remove barriers to change, standing up to opposition and resistance and leading the way. They lead, model, champion the change and give people an example to follow.

Here are some ideas and tips to follow to become a change catalyst:

• Challenge the status quo.
• Strengthen your self-awareness
• Erase from your vocabulary the phrase: we’ve always done it this way.  
• Identify how and where things could be better
• Consider new approaches
• Read “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma
• Establish vision and communicate it (in the case of change, you cannot possibly over communicate)
• Create a sense of urgency and establish a guiding coalition
• Address how the change will impact people and deliver the message in a way that allows people to understand how change will improve their lives
• Empower action and generate/celebrate short wins (anchoring, making it stick!)
• Read “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail” by John P. Kotter (Harvard Business Review Press 1996)
• Find a certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach to support you in refining your skills and competences

“There is nothing permanent except change.” —Heraclitus

“Social and Emotional Intelligence (SEI) is the ability to be aware of our own emotions, and those of others, in the moment, and to use that information to manage ourselves and our relationships.” ―The Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence