How to be a Catalyst for Change
The corporate world is full of examples of big changes that failed to take off.
A high percentage of a senior executive’s time is spent in planning for the future, making strategic choices, and committing huge resources to future plans and projects.
Despite such efforts there is no guarantee that the proposed changes will be a success.
No big changes are possible by the efforts of one man. Even Alexander the Great of Macedon (now northern Greece) who conquered the entire Eastern European world of the time had a great army of thousands.
What is a catalyst?
Is it possible that people can succeed in their missions with the help of others who are catalysts?
Literally, the word ‘catalyst’ means anything which creates a situation in which change can occur.
When a change is proposed in a company different people react differently.
People may like the proposed changes, resist them, or completely hate them.
People may also be neutral to the changes.
How can you be a catalyst at your workplace?
1. In order to be a catalyst you have to make things happen
You have to help people who just watch and do not react.
You also have to help people for whom the changes are too much to handle.
If you like some changes in your company, here are some reasons why you should help others adjust to such changes as well.
A segment of a very popular saying reads as follows.
There are people who watch things happen
There are people who make things happen and
There are people who wonder what happened!
2. Try to show others what they are unable to see and rationalise for themselves
it is presented to them by someone they trust - YOU.
3. Try to reason with others by showing them the positive and negative aspects of the change
Remember that you have your own opinion and by sharing your viewpoint you can help others.
4. Try to work with your manager to convince your team-mates of the merits of the proposed changes
Your manager needs support and if you believe in what s/he is doing, there is no harm in giving him an extra hand.
However, remember that when you are projecting a positive image of the proposed changes to your peers, you should not appear as the ‘manager’s man or woman’.
When faced with uncertainty, people like to share their opinions with trustworthy friends and peers.
5. Sometimes it is best to break the larger goal into smaller goals and targets
For example, your company is thinking of outsourcing a particular function which will mean that you and your team will be deployed to another office.
You may consider this as an opportunity to do a new job and grow within a new functional area.
Others may perceive it as a drastic change and find it unacceptable to be tossed around within the company.
Try to portray a positive picture to your friends by discussing things in small pieces.
People find it easy to say ‘yes’ to small, meaningful goals than to a larger and more complicated goal.
In actual fact, one the one hand, people want to change and then, on the other, they want things to stay same.
It is safe to conclude that people need to be educated and counselled to take a proper course of action.
Being a catalyst is a very rewarding role.
There are very few delights in business life that compare with witnessing the expansion and growth in another persion when they have overcome a challenge.
Very interesting post I enjoyed it. Change is hard for some many of. Most of us say we like change, but only if the change is good for us. Thanks
Hello Sherer,
I’ve had a quick look at your Blog and it is now set as a Favourite.
There is so much I am wanting to read on it, extremely interesting material.
I especially liked, and I quote: “Living Infinitely is a philosophy that not only recognizes our souls as eternal, but also forms a foundation for us to unlock our Potential.” Absolutely.
Thank you for your kind words,
Gloria