Change is at the center of this concept. You've got point A. And you've got point B. In life, generally speaking, you have to get from one to the other. But in the mean time, allllll these things pop up that you didn't except. You got a job! You didn't get into your top choice of school, boo! The list goes on and on. And before you know it, that straight line from A to B has become a mash up of lines and scribbles that look like they have no rhyme or reason. But those changes in the plan called life are what life is really about. You can't plan for everything. It is simply impossible and you'd probably never sleep from the anxiety of it all. Change takes you from something good and transforms it to something great.
This change is vital to group settings as well. Like the video alluded to, if we were being governed the same way we were being governed hundreds of years ago, America would be a very different place. If we didn't welcome change, we'd still be washing our clothes by hand and sending snail mail (which is still cool). If you aren't a mover and shaker (or at the minimum, an acceptor), you should expect to be irrelevant. In your groups, it is important to be that person who wants to become great, and excellent, and superior, and beyond. As a leader, you want to push your group to surpass expectations. To be something in this world is to make a difference.
Yes, change is uncomfortable and scary, I can tell you that first hand. This summer, I'm moving to a city I've been to for 12 hours, living with people I don't know, and working a job where I have no idea what to expect. I'm nervous! The fear of the unknown is indeed scary, but it's also exhilarating. No matter what the outcome of this summer, I know I will have grown as a person. My experiences will be richer and I will be a better person for it. So yes, change is worth it.
Typology of Change:
Adjustment is a pretty easy to change to make that won't make too big of an impact. An example of an adjustment is changing the order of events in a meeting. Maybe you usually have an intro game, then a speaker, then group time. An adjustment would be having group time first instead of last.
An isolated change would be one that has little to no impact on the rest of the group. An example would be a a few people in a group project changing their responsibilities so their strengths are capitalized. Far-Reaching Change would be something that seems like it would be a big change, but internally is really isn't. An example of this could be changing the titles and responsibilities of an executive board in a student organization. Lastly, transformational change is significant in both depth and pervasiveness. An example could be a collaboration or acquisition of two businesses, like Sears and K-Mart. There would be two different company cultures that would have to diverge and transform to become one.
I liked how you said change can take you from something good and transform it into something great. For the most part, that's what change does. It does surprise me though whenever change works in the opposite direction. But it does happen. Change can be just as bad as it is good (lucky for us, this doesn't happen often).
ReplyDeleteIn today's society, I'm glad that we don't govern ourselves the way that our forefathers used to, but it still surprises me on how backwards our nation still is. We can't even keep church separated from state, even though it's blatantly stated in the Constitution. And a lot of things happening in our government are hurting the progress we've made, almost sending us backward. It's hard to think about, but change can be as dangerous as it is advantageous, so that shouldn't be overlooked.
Really great post :)
I really enjoy reading your post. Your interpretation on change really makes me want to get more engaged on making change. What stood out to me the most is when you stated that if you want to be something in this world is to make a difference. I agree with this statement because the reason why great leaders are great leaders is because they are different and their ultimate goal is to make things better. What would be the purpose of a leader if everyone is ok with the way things are and there is no need for improvement? Well a wise man once told me that the biggest room in the entire world is a room for improvement. Therefore a leader is always needed because things can always be better than what it might be. I love your post and I think that you summed everything up perfectly.
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