Stop starting your change initiative with skills training. That's not why your change initiative is struggling.
The Improv Audition Lesson Nobody Expects
Over the years I have seen hundreds of people audition for improv comedy groups. And often the person with no experience would CRUSH the audition while the experienced veteran would be kinda…meh
Why?
Because Mindset Comes Before Mechanics.
It didn't matter how much experience they had, how many classes they took, how many performances they had been in. If they lacked the proper mindset, they would be competent at best.
The newbie with the right mindset might be rough with the skillset, but that’s stuff that can be taught and learned.
But having the right underlying mindset? That meant that they had the absolute potential to UNLOCK BRILLIANCE.
I find the same is true in business transformations.
You can have the most sophisticated change management plan, the best training programs, years of experience leading initiatives. But if you've got a sub-optimal mindset - if you care more about being right than getting a result, if you focus on everything you can't control, if you fear failure, etc. - you'll miss out on the opportunity to unlock your own brilliance (or that of your team).
Unlocking Brilliance Requires More Than Skills
Don't get me wrong - skills training and change management tactics are important. But they need to come hand-in-hand with (or after) making sure people have the right mindset to actually use them.
For this reason, all six steps in the YES AND Framework I present in my book "Say Yes, And!" To Change are, at their core, mindset shifts.
The Part Some People Will Dismiss
This may come across as "soft" or "fluffy" to some.
That's fine. They are not who this book is for.
But to those who get it - they'll see that the key to harnessing change, to unlocking brilliance, to transforming apathy into excitement isn't just about mechanics or method.
It starts with mindset.
Because mindset comes before mechanics. Every. Time.
Three Ways to Start Building the Right Mindset Before Your Next Change Initiative
1) Assess your team's change readiness - Before rolling out training, ask: "What fears or concerns do people have about this change?" Address the emotional landscape first.
2) Model curiosity over certainty - In your next team meeting, replace "Here's how we'll do this" with "What if we approached this by..." Show your team it's safe to explore.
3) Create psychological safety for failure - Explicitly tell your team: "We're going to mess this up at first, and that's exactly how we'll learn what works."
What's been your experience? Have you seen teams succeed or struggle with change initiatives? Drop a comment and share what worked (or didn't) - I love hearing insights from my community…
Hi, I’m Avish and I help leaders turn resistance, hesitation, and “going through the motions” into initiative, excitement, and possibility during times of change. If your organization is going through a major change and you’d like people to harness, rather than survive it, contact me now…