Have you ever seen someone 'bristle'? If you're not sure, tell someone to do something they really don't want to do. You can almost see the hairs standing up on the back of their neck. Instant porcupine. A colleague once said, the reason people struggle with change is that they don't like...
Comforting or Condescending? PayPal’s letter to customers
I previously wrote about how well Starbucks' letter to customers exemplified the right way to communicate. Since then I've reviewed many more messages that range from uplifting to vague and inconsequential. Enter PayPal's memo today which really caught my attention (pasted in entirety at the end of this article). Keep...
Reframing Fear
There is a lot of fear out there. People respond in many ways. They buy toilet paper. Others invest in the stock market. Fear drives fight, flight, freeze and flourish responses. Regardless of your response to fear, for everyone it causes stress. The higher the stress, the more likely people...
How to Communicate During Chaos
Dramatic events distract. We are living through a pandemic which seems to demand absolute attention from everyone. It’s easy to get caught up in every bit of news, constantly drawn to social media for the latest update. How do we cut through the distraction to effectively reach our employees during...
Your leaders don’t know how to help their people through change. Here’s how to help them help others.
I was called into my boss's office. "Jeff, due to financial performance below expectations we have to make cuts. Unfortunately, we have to let you go. Effective immediately." I was completely surprised and had no idea what to say. So I asked my manager how she was coping with this. Seriously!...
8 Steps to Defuse Objections Before They Blow Up Your Program
An unanswered objection can derail your project quickly. While in Hawaii my wife and I wanted to visit Pearl Harbor on a fairly expensive tour. At the concierge desk we were intercepted with an offer to have the excursion paid for if we would commit two hours to hear a...
I was lost in the jungle. A temporary setback on the road to success.
This post is one of Jeff's regular submissions in the "Supercharge Change" series. Subscribe for free insights, tools, and videos here. Vines wrapped around my legs and chest, I was lost in the rainforest. Yesterday I took off on one of my long walks in Hawaii, headed in the general...
Is your history preventing your future? How to help people move past pain to embrace change.
Despite all the wonderful aspects of change touted in my posts, not everyone loves change. Not all change is healthy or good. A history of bad experiences and violated trust makes it hard to move forward. People have been hurt. Damage has been done. As the United Kingdom seeks to...
VISION: Driving dedication while avoiding WeWork’s Disaster
While in Australia I visited a WeWork location to meet a client. It was more than beautiful - you really felt like a pat of something very 'on trend' in the open workspace, with room for private meetings and a schedule for the barber's visit posted next to the coffee...
Even Change Experts Worry: Managing My Own Reactions to Change
I’m in Asia to meet with a small international group of top entrepreneurs. It’s fabulous!! Having never been here before, as the date for departure got closer, nerves began creeping in. Why? As an expert, shouldn’t I be immune to the effects of change? When I assess the impact of...
