Change is hard...except when it's not!

The Positive Psychology website has an interesting and potentially practically helpful piece about ways to achieve personal change by identifying the resistors to change, in ourselves and in groups, and melting them away. The model quoted draws implicitly on positive psychology constructs, which in my view gives it an added benefit. 


The article quotes Kegan and Lahey's four-column model of analysis and action to reduce and overcome resistance to change (from their book Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization). The four elements are:

1	Commitment, i.e.  unable to follow through on commitments to new and beneficial behaviours
2	Doing/not doing — mindful observation rather than instant challenge and change, using curiosity and mindfulness to uncover big assumptions at work
3	Hidden competing commitments - begin identifying the hidden competing commitments that are inhibiting achievement of the commitment, using emotions as an information system
4	Big Assumptions - see how those big assumptions support who we are today, and to imagine a different set of assumptions that would allow for a bigger, more complex self that could function in accordance with our new commitment and still be safe.

The article has more about each column of the model to help us use it to achieve reduced resistance. It ends by reminding us that "change is hard when you feel it puts you at risk. Change is exhilarating when it moves you in relative safety toward a more complex and capable self. Detecting your big assumptions and making new ones make the difference."
For more on the model check out this link:


http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/dave-shearon/2010041710682