you want to engage people? Behave as a Change Multiplier!

This is the second article of a series on ways to engage your ecosystem to change the world. The first article focused on the type of mindset required to best influence one’s surroundings.  

Change multipliers question the way they interact with others 

The scale and urgency of our environmental and social challenges may overwhelm any rational and motivated sustainability enabler. With such a burdensome objective, the latter, intent on transforming our work, consumption, and production patterns, may want to impose radical changes too rapidly. Still, what seems like one’s best effort in the short term may not be the best tactic for engaging people in the long term. 

According to Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown (see the book “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter”), the multiplier’s leadership relies on the belief that anyone can figure out puzzles on their own, even if they initially seem to struggle.

One could conclude that the role of a leader willing to foster sustainability would be to set the vision, gather the ‘wannabe’ changemakers, create the promising conditions to unleash people’s best ideas and creative endeavors, as opposed to commanding and controlling every step of their way. 

Change multipliers act as challengers

This kind of leader is able to turn anxiety into trust and determination. Here is an example of how a multiplier motivated others to overcome uncertainties: 

“ We are facing an unprecedented crisis across the world. This situation could become an opportunity for our organization. Let’s turn upside down our business models to demonstrate a company can thrive while preserving nature, nurturing employees, and co-creating with its external partners. I need you to face this ambitious challenge. Here are my questions to facilitate your brainstorming: Why are we in this business? How useful are we for the planet and its citizens today? What would it take to be 100% purposeful? I don’t need 100% answers now. I need us to grasp around 30% of the answers so as to assess how to organize our time and resources to find 100% of the answers in the coming months. I trust your commitment to the company. Recenter yourself on what drives you in life and work. I will support you.”

At the other end of the spectrum, changemakers behaving as diminishers could remain in control of every detail, telling others what to do and how to proceed. They would generate both the questions and the answers, turning others into robots executing orders. They may also lower down the expectations to make sure to reach targets.

Change multipliers act as investors

Such leaders engage their ecosystem because they foster ownership and motivate action with an inspiring vision. 

““If you want to build a ship; don’t drum up the need to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea”. ”

— Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Allowing yourself and others to dream big about what you aim for in the future, will create a motivating compass for the long run. It will also prevent you from directing all the steps towards the higher goal. 

Activating towards change

Every day, reassure your busy anxious mind with empowering thoughts, such as: 

• People are smart and can figure problems out.

• I give myself permission to stumble as I cultivate new, multiplier habits

• Change is a journey 

• Lasting change depends on my ecosystem’s commitment and buy-in 

Refine your engaging tactics through these questions: 

• Based on my role and added values:

  • What do I need to focus on to ensure our sustainability mission is smoothly implemented? 

  • How can I leverage the talent of others to tackle the remaining challenges?

• What would enable other people to appear more capable around me to strive towards systemic change?

• How can questions foster people’s ownership of the vision to illuminate the path forward? 

“ “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.””

— Lao Tzu

Feel free to share your thoughts with me and keep an eye open for the next article. We will assess ways to anchor your sense of legitimacy as a change leader!

If you want support to become the leader you want for the world you expect, and if you want to accelerate the engagement of your ecosystem towards the change you hope for, contact me! Here is a form find to further elaborate your ambition and challenges: English

Vous voulez engager les gens ? Devenez un.e multiplicateur du changement!

Voici le deuxième article d'une série sur la manière d'engager votre écosystème pour changer le monde. Le premier article portait sur l'état d'esprit nécessaire pour influencer au mieux son entourage. J’utiliserai le masculin pour faciliter la lecture. Je ferai l’inverse la prochaine fois. Ce sont des articles pour tout le monde!

Les multiplicateurs du changement remettent en question

la façon dont ils interagissent avec les autres 

L'ampleur et l'urgence de nos défis environnementaux et sociaux peuvent dépasser tout individu rationnel et motivé. Avec un objectif aussi lourd, ce dernier, désireux de transformer nos modes de travail, de consommation et de production, risque de vouloir imposer des changements très radicaux, très rapidement. Pourtant, ce qui semble être le meilleur changement à court terme n'est peut-être pas la meilleure tactique pour engager son écosystème sur le long terme. 

Selon Liz Wiseman et Greg McKeown (dans le livre,"Multipliers : How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter"), le leadership du multiplicateur repose sur la conviction que n’importe qui peut résoudre des énigmes par soi-même, et quelles que soient les difficultés du départ.

On pourrait en conclure que le rôle d'un leader désireux de favoriser la durabilité d’un système et d’une organisation consisterait à définir une vision ambitieuse, à rassembler les acteurs du changements pour engager tous les parties prenantes du système, à créer les conditions permettant de génerer les meilleures idées et les actions de tout à chacun, plutôt que de commander et de contrôler chaque étape de leur parcours. 

LES MULTIPLICATEURS DE CHANGEMENT AGISSENT

COMME DES CHALLENGERS

Ce type de leader est capable de transformer l'anxiété en confiance et en détermination. Voici un exemple de la façon dont un multiplicateur pourrait motiver son équipe à surmonter les incertitudes :

" Nous sommes confrontés à une crise sans précédent dans le monde entier. Cette situation peut devenir une opportunité pour notre organisation. Bouleversons nos modèles d'affaires pour démontrer qu'une entreprise peut prospérer tout en préservant la nature, en prenant soin de ses employés et en co-créant avec ses partenaires externes. J’ai besoin de vous et de vos idées pour faire face à cette mission ambitieuse. Voici mes questions pour vous accompagner: Pourquoi faisons-nous ce métier ? Quelle est notre utilité pour la planète et ses citoyens aujourd'hui ? Que faudrait-il faire pour incarner, à 100%, notre raison d’être? Je n'ai pas besoin de toutes les réponses maintenant. J'ai besoin d’environ un tiers des réponses afin d'évaluer comment organiser notre temps et nos ressources pour trouver l’ensemble des réponses dans les mois à venir. J'ai confiance en votre engagement. Recentrez-vous sur ce qui vous anime dans la vie et le travail. Je vous soutiendrai."

À l'autre extrémité du spectre, les acteurs du changement se comportant comme des ‘rabaisseurs’ (“diminishers”) pourraient rester maîtres de chaque détail, disant aux autres ce qu'ils doivent faire et comment procéder. Ils génèreraient à la fois les questions et les réponses, transformant les autres en robots exécutant des ordres. Ils pourraient également réduire les ambitions afin de s'assurer de les atteindre.

LES MULTIPLICATEURS DE CHANGEMENT AGISSENT

COMME DES INVESTISSEURS

Ces leaders engagent leur écosystème parce qu'ils favorisent l'appropriation des ambitions par tout à chacun et motivent l'action par une vision inspirante.

““Si vous voulez construire un bateau, ne recherchez pas des gens pour ramasser du bois et ne leur confiez pas de tâches, mais plutôt apprenez-leur à désirer ardemment l’immensité infinie de la mer”.”

— Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

En permettant, à vous et aux autres, de rêver au monde que vous souhaitez et à ce que vous voulez créer dans le futur, vous offrez une boussole motivante sur long terme. Cela vous allégera également au quotidien et vous évitera de diriger toutes les étapes vers l'objectif ultime. 

s’activer pour changer

Chaque jour, rassurez votre esprit anxieux et occupé avec des pensées soutenantes. Voici des exemples: 

• Les gens sont intelligents et peuvent résoudre n’importe quel problème. Je suis là pour les soutenir et non pour les sauver.

• Je me donne la permission de trébucher alors que je cultive les habitudes, nouvelles, d’un mulitiplicateur du changement.

• Le changement est un voyage. Il prend du temps et est parsemé de surprises.  

• Un changement durable dépend de l'engagement et de l'adhésion de mon écosystème. 

Affinez vos tactiques d'engagement grâce à ces questions : 

• Au regard de mon rôle, de mes talents et compétences:

  • Sur quoi dois-je me concentrer pour que notre mission de transformation, via les principes clé de développement durable, soit mise en œuvre sans heurts? 

  • Ceci étant défini, comment puis-je tirer parti du talent de mon équipe et alliés pour relever les défis restants ?

• Qu'est-ce qui permettrait aux autres membres de mon écosystème d’être fiers de leur contribution vers un changement systémique ?

• Quelles questions pourraient favoriser l'appropriation de la vision par les individus et leur permettre d’éclairer la voie à suivre ?

“ ”Quand je laisse aller ce que je suis, je deviens ce que je pourrais être.””

— Lao Tseu

N'hésitez pas à partager vos réflexions avec moi et gardez l'œil ouvert pour le prochain article. Nous évaluerons les moyens d'ancrer votre sentiment de légitimité en tant que leader du changement !

Voulez-vous devenir le. la leader que vous souhaitez pour le monde que vous attendez ? Est-il temps de trouver et d’affirmer votre leadership ? Souhaitez - vous intégrer les enjeux d’impact positif et de raison d’être au coeur de votre organisation ? L’enjeu est -il d’accélérer l'engagement de votre écosystème pour créer un changement systémique ?

Si vous répondez par l’affirmative et si vous voulez être accompagné.e sur votre chemin, contactez-moi ! Voici un lien pour réserver un entretien d'exploration et le formulaire pour élaborer davantage votre ambition et vos défis.

WHAT IF Responsibility MEANT Impact AND freedom ?

In our daily lives, being responsible is often seen as a burden or a price to pay for a mistake. “You are responsible for this mess.’’ “It is our responsibility to take care of the planet.” “This is not my responsibility but yours.”. Who has not felt stressed, angered, or even powerless when hearing similar statements?

Is having to be responsible so troublesome? Is there an alternative to either suffering from or ignoring our sense of responsibility? 

FINDING MEANING 

“where does our responsibility start and end”? 

Originally, the notion of responsibility was positive. In Latin, “respondere” means “answer to, promise in return”. Basically, having the capacity to hold oneself accountable. What shall we be accountable for?

• Shall we still be held responsible if the requests we face are unrealistic? When your boss asks you something impossible considering the resources at your disposal, should you try to turn the impossibility into a possibility?

• Is it a person’s responsibility to take care of others’ irresponsibilities? For example, should Greta, a 15-year-old child, be responsible for fighting the climate change crisis created by previous generations?

The growing awareness of our human responsibility, for climate change and epidemics like the Covid19 pandemic, illustrates a shift in the people’s perception of their sense of responsibility. Whereas pre-industrial societies thought that natural catastrophes were caused by forces external to humans, modern society holds a different understanding.

If it is important to face reality, putting the job of changing human behaviors on the shoulders of individuals’ may be too overwhelming. Rather than being empowered, our reptilian brain tends to activate our “fight-or-flight” mode in front of such a monumental task. Could we see our responsibilities as a trigger for our expressing our humanity and sense of creativity?

FreeDOM to Determine our responsibility

We are neither omnipotent nor powerless. If we can't change the many circumstances of our world, we can change our perception of it, by tapping into our superpower called consciousness.

If we are conscious about what we think of a situation, we have the power to decide what we want to do about it. In doing so, we regain the ownership of our responsibility.

As Victor Hugo said, “everything that increases freedom also increases responsibility”. Yes, it is scarier to be accountable for our choices. But isn't it also exciting to see we have the power to act upon our environment and control its effect on our lives?

What impact do you want to HAVE? 

When facing a situation, thinking about the reality you want to shape (rather than the effects or causes of that situation) may help you shift your mindset around the notion of responsibility. 

Let’s escape from your rational brain for a second. Let’s imagine you’re diving in the Indian Ocean. You are enjoying being immersed in another dimension and being surrounded with nature. You’re peaceful… until you see a plastic bag on a coral reef. 

Here, you have a few options:

• You may think: “What a shame! Nature is getting destroyed! People are irresponsible!" You most likely feel pretty angry, ashamed or depressed.

  • You may decide to do nothing because, you have nowhere to put this bag, and there are so many other tragedies in the sea that it’s useless to take this singular action.

  • Alternatively, you may become enraged, pick it up and spend the rest of your dive being infuriated with human society. 

• Another way to think could be: “This is unfortunate and terrible for nature. We need to change the way we produce and consume on the land. In the meantime, since I saw it, I can pick it up even though it’s not convenient. It will at least be one less threat to fish.” Proud of your sense of responsibility, you enjoy the rest of your diving experience. 

Some will say this reframing of the situation is positive psychology’s brainwash. Others will think that we will not save the planet by focusing on an individual’s small actions. Someone else may simply wonder what is the “right” attitude to have in this situation. 

Honestly, this question is too complex for a simple singular answer. It’s up to you to decide what you want to think and do in relation to a given circumstance. Your impact depends on YOUR CHOICE. 

actualizing your change

A SIMPLE TOOL 

When facing either an obstacle, a fear or a rejection, what about taking a step back and asking yourself:

• What are the facts?

• What thoughts are generating a negative emotion within me?

• What do I want to be like instead?

• How may I act the way I want to feel? 

Here is an example: 

• Facts: a business leader is explaining “sustainability is, at best, a cherry on the cake that shall be tackled only once the rest is taken care of and if time and resources allow”

• Thoughts & emotions: “This is so wrong. With this kind of thought, our world will end pretty soon. I can’t work with people like that. I am feeling hopeless, exasperated & drained”

• Ideal me: responding with empathy, trying to understand the real needs of the person and the smart ways to demonstrate sustainability’s added values 

• Aligned action (amongst many others): “do you feel overwhelmed and pressured with all business development & cost savings targets you are facing”? If yes, “what about discussing your challenges and seeing if we come up with some sustainable solutions?” 

A MANTRA TO ACCOMPANY YOU 

““If you own this story you get to write the ending.” ”

— Brene Brown

Now, back to YOU! How do you want to be responsible for your story today?

***

Feel free to share how such an article resonates with you, I’d love to know. Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me in using this form (English / French)

One Thing Every (Wannabe) ChangeMaker Must Understand

Everyone seems eager to “lead change” these days. I keep hearing people say: “ I want to be a changemaker”, “I transform the way our company does business”, “I am a social entrepreneur”, “I support others to go through inner transformation” and so on. 

Yet, when we do experience change - like the mind-altering Covid 19 crisis - it often scares people off. Besides, our ego put aside, the fact remains that change does not wait for us to initiate it. Heraclitus warned: “The only thing that is constant is change”.

So, what’s about “changemaker” label that makes it so sexy? Who’s a “changemaker”? Can we even become one? How, so? All these answers lie within ONE simple truth. 

FINDING MEANING 

What does “changemaker” mean? 

Funny enough, when I looked at the Merriam-Webster dictionary, I found a single definition: “a device that mechanically supplies change in coins of desired denominations upon the operation of the proper levers or keys”. I guess this is not what you had in mind. 

Yet, it gives us some clues. It implies a process of transformation, a shift from one original state to a desired one thanks to the action of an external subject and the use of resources. One may then wonder if every person’s thought or action - whether writing, speaking, cooking or working - makes him or her a changemaker. After all, everything done by an individual is, by itself, a unique way of creating a reality.

Is “changemaker” just another way to speak about any human being? 

Well…. Yes and no.“Changemaker” is a term coined by Ashoka organization as “ anyone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem”:

• The label “changemaker” could apply to someone like Esther Duflo (Economic Nobel Prize) recognized for her approach to alleviating global poverty; or members of inclusive digital schools like Simplon; or students who participated in the global green strikes; or corporate sustainability workers who walk the talk of the Global Compact; or disadvantaged people who are developing their own innovative solutions and so many others.

• No barriers of any kind - neither geographical, social, economic, political, gender nor age-based - can hinder someone from being a changemaker.

Yet, not everyone is a changemaker. So, how does one acquire this status? Aiming at solving a worldwide issue (either social, environmental, or economical) for the common good is a first “selection criteria”. Turning ideas into action - despite the many hurdles along the way - is another. The capacity to be disruptive in striving for a future goal is a third attribute.

I could continue on and on with many other characteristics, categories and learning methods. Is that what really matters? 

look into YOURSELF to activate your power 

Everyone has the possibility to be a changemaker. Thanks to Aristotle, we may understand that those that become changemakers are simply turning this option (a “potentiality”) into a reality (an “actuality”). Everyone has the inner power to use his/her story, strengths, emotions and intelligence to build and/or amplify smarts sustainable solutions for the world. What really matters is the answer to “what changemaker do I want to be?”.

Confused? Let’s break it down. 

• It’s a Sunday afternoon. A 30 year-old corporate women looks through the window: spring is coming, the sun is shining, it’s a new start. She has worked hard to figure out she desired to move from auditing to human resources. She will leverage diversity for individuals’ creativity and well-being to boost the company’s global impact. She is a changemaker in “power” (“potentiality”). 

• Months go by. It’s September. She is leading an internal survey to understand how to disrupt the system and make diversity a reality within her organization. She is, now and in real life, a changemaker (“actuality”). 

Bottom line: YOU CAN and YOU DESERVE to actualize your inner power to contribute to society and the environment in your own way. 

actualizing your change

a simple Tool 

You may then wonder where to start or even how to reconnect to this inner power. Here is a simple approach that may help you to get the ball rolling. 

First, let me ask you: are you fully satisfied with your mission and impact at work? 

• If yes, great! I invite you to think about what is working so well and what can be done to boost your impact and excitement.

• If you’re like “well… I like (e.g my job or company or colleagues …) but I am (eg. less motivated, confused on the value of my contribution…), you may want to ask yourself if the frustration and/or the desire for a better situation is strong enough to overcome your fears (yes we all have many) and make a change.

• If it’s a clear “I am lost and it’s time for me to change.”Celebrate your honesty and courage as it is a KEY step!

Now: don’t worry - dare greatly. Becoming the changemaker you want to be (even if you don’t really know what it means) is possible... It’s a great and endless journey that evolves and gets refined over time. It simply takes patience, faith, personal efforts, and care. 

How to start? Take a few minutes, think back over the past 1 to 2 months and ask yourself: 

• What activities did I love doing? Why? 

• When did I feel useful or proud? Why? 

• What did I hate or dislike doing? Why? 

• Looking at all that, what do you learn? 

Tips: I recommend you to write and your notes for later. If it can motivate you, send me your answers. I would love to read them!

The Mantra

““The only thing you are sure you won’t succeed in is in the one you don’t try” - Paul-Émile Victor, French ethnologist ”

Feel free to share how such an article resonates with you, I’d love to know. Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me in using this form (English / French)