by D. Luke Iorio, CEO, iPEC Coaching

The recent healthcare debate offers us a great opportunity to talk about change, and just how layered our responses to transitions can be.

Most people would agree that healthcare could benefit from change. But even with so many wanting to make changes, we can see that it does not come easily. So often people say they want change, but what they actually want is the positive results and feelings that they will have after the change happens - rather than to take the tough actions that implementing the change requires.

So what was it about this particular change that was tough? I think it goes back to the usual suspects - uncertainty, confusion, and attachment.

How well does the general public really know what these healthcare changes will mean? Everything is filtered through PR messages that get channeled through political rhetoric and party agendas that get filtered by news media that get edited down to sound bites. Not a whole lot for us to sink our teeth into, and so without knowing the real ramifications of what this means to us as individuals, families, and businesses, confusion sets in.

Confusion is the logical and emotional result of hearing opposing views and facts without knowing who really is presenting the information without bias. And, we have little time left in the day to sit down and read a healthcare reform bill that’s a little less user-friendly than the instructions for programming your VCR.

And, in the midst of uncertainty and confusion, we arrive at “well, the devil we know is better than the devil we don’t” - i.e. attachment to how things are. The fear of moving into the unknown can often be paralyzing because we tend to hesitate when we do not know what to expect OR, just as often, we don’t want to move forward unless the outcome is likely to be 100% on our own terms.

When we hesitate because we want it all our way, this is where our best excuses come out - “well I wanted to but…” We can firmly and confidently place the blame for the lack of progress elsewhere. We can feel good about ourselves in this scenario because it wasn’t us that gave into fear. We can successfully trap ourselves into living with what we know to be a much less than optimal situation. In this way, we do not have to take responsibility.

So, where do we go from here?

Re-commit to the goal and state the motivations for going after it.

Resolve that progress will be made - that the status quo is worth challenging.

Next, CALL IT OUT IN THE OPEN! Admit that you are uncertain and confused, and be willing to examine your beliefs about what is possible, and your ego’s involvement in holding on to the status quo. Acknowledge your fear about change.

Resolve to release judgment as you become aware of it.

Do your best to experience and absorb all that you can, and remain teachable and open to other possibilities that may seem to deviate from your current beliefs.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 2:16 pm and is filed under Coaching and Coach Training, Current Affairs, Energy Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.