Culture change

 One of the biggest challenges to making a significant change is fighting the current system. This applies internally and externally.

A big change in how a company does business can bother a lot of people who are used to the old way of doing business. Sometimes the changes are easy to adapt. Other times those changes are more challenging. I believe the he buzz phrase is culture change.

The culture is how things are done. The processes, procedures, interaction between different parts/people, written and unwritten rules of conduct and expectation, the pecking order, hierarchy, along with a host of other things are all part of the culture.

If a new CEO, with a new vision, is hired to "turn a company around" there can be immense push back by the company's culture. Often the "turn around" is unsuccessful. Success can only happen when the people "buy in" to the new vision and have a vested, even emotional, attachment to that vision.

Just as it's difficult for an established company to change its culture, each of us has an internal culture. And it can be a challenge to change our internal culture. 

For our changing ourselves, it might help to consider our conscious self as the CEO, the one with the vision. 

Our subconscious mind is the company culture, including all the "people" that perform normal everyday tasks and respond to external factors. They like things to be comfortable, normal, expected. They generally don't like drastic changes, especially if they aren't sold on the idea and can "see" the expected outcome and how it will be awesome. Culture change is different, the idea is uncomfortable. Some may be more open to it, but most will either directly or indirectly challenge and/or sabotage culture change efforts.

Our internal processes of going about everyday life are no different in responding to change. They are used to doing things the same way, usually for years or even our entire life. Our response mechanisms are programmed into our subconscious and they don't like to change. Change makes us feel uncomfortable. And if the change opposes the normal comfort of our life, you can bet your internal voices will be hollering at you to go back to the predictable, the known, the comfortable.

These subconscious internal programming are referred to as paradigms. They are how we "naturally" respond to, act, and re-act to the world around us. They are constructs of our genetics, upbringing, environment, experiences, personality, preferences, and a host of other factors. However, the biggest factor in the programming of our paradigms is from environmental influences.

Although I have never ridden a bull, and have no desire to do so, trying to change a paradigm might be compared to that. The bull is content on its own, then some rider gets on it so the bull starts freaking out, kicking and spinning to get the rider off. I know when I try to do things differently or to just try something new, I get all kinds of internal push-back. My emotional self wants to keep the status quo. It's comfortable with things as they are. It wants to stabilize the boat my conscious mind is trying to rock.

Self-doubt is real and kicking. Who am I to really believe I can be the person in my affirmations? I'm the one with the vision of who I able to become.

When looking to change your life for the better, expect at least some (if not a lot) of culture change push-back. 

Something else to keep in mind, which I'll go into at a later date, is change is more sustainable when it is made in small increments. Don't try to change everything, or even a lot, at the same time...this is almost a guarantee of failure. You might have brief success, maybe a few days or weeks, but your internal culture will dig in its heels against the change.

Being aware of the vision, your dream of where you want to be or who you want to become, can help identify areas that need to change. Make small changes, get some momentum. Then use those small successes to build your momentum into additional changes.

Just as a new visionary CEO has to inspire those in the company, and get them to buy into the culture change, you need to inspire your heart, your subconscious, your internal beliefs, your mindset...your internal culture...to accept and believe in the change and how it will make you better.