One of the biggest reasons people resist change is because they fear the outcome. They fear the failure of mapping out their journey yet not reaching their destination. They fear the challenges that come with adjusting and pivoting to a new idea or system.
Raise your hand if you’ve been in the same boat. I’m raising mine. But that’s why Edge Moves work so well. They’re sustainable actions that stretch you from your comfort zone and take you closer to your courage zone/goal. They get you invested in the process, not just the results.
There’s isn’t a codex for making change successfully, but throughout my career in financial services and now as the CEO of Finka Inc., I’ve uncovered these 10 strategies to make change with success:
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1. The 80/20 Rule
When it comes to the first of strategies to make change, know this: You don’t need to do Edge Moves everywhere in everything. The Pareto Principle states that 20% of your efforts will yield 80% of your results. So, be strategic with your Edge Moves. Limit comfort-zone-stretching activities to 20% of your work and do 80% of your work in what you’re already good at in your comfort zone.
2. Be Open to Becoming Someone New
Edge Moves help you break through a glass ceiling, giving you the opportunity to become someone new, an upleveled version of yourself. But this newness equates to uncertainty in your brain, and it will try to keep you in your comfort zone.
I’ve been stuck in this cycle. Before a big presentation, meeting, or keynote, my brain tends to find a way to self-sabotage myself, keeping me safe in my comfort zone. Usually it results in built-up tension, and I get into a fight with my husband for no reason.
It’s important to detect these patterns within yourself and approach change with the mindset and expectation of becoming someone new after you endure it.
3. Repetition
You don’t become a healthier version of you after one workout or one balanced meal, but you will if you show up consistently with these behaviours over a period of time.
Edge Moves build upon Edge Moves, each one accumulating to the next to ultimately create the result you want. At times you will fall off the bandwagon and teeter back to your comfort zone, and that’s okay. Get back in the Edge Move “gym” and start again.
The goal or solution you seek doesn’t happen with one Edge Move. You need to be consistent and keep up with your Edge Move reps.
4. Manage Your FUDGE Energy
FUDGE isn’t the tasty dessert many of us love. It’s fear, uncertainty, doubt, guilt, and ego. It’s all the negative energy and baggage that can arise when making Edge Moves. They beg for your attention, but you can displace and process this energy with what I like to call deliberate positive interruptions (DPIs). They can look like:
- Praying.
- Meditating.
- Journaling.
- Talking to a friend or family member.
- Moving your body.
When negative energy arises during time of change, how will you manage it?
5. Anchor in the Familiar
Do something new in a familiar territory.
For instance, when I was developing a new skill—teaching—I did it in an environment I was already familiar with, surrounded by people I knew. Doing this new skill in a different industry at first would have paralyzed me. But knowing the ins and outs of financial services helped me teach my content in an environment I could easily connect with. It was something familiar I was doing something new in. Eventually, the workshop I built became familiar, and I ventured out of financial services to teach it to mechanical engineers and pharma researchers.
6. Focus on Skill Development
No one can take away your knowledge, skills, and abilities. You are your best investment. Even if your company isn’t paying for it, invest in yourself. Don’t wait for them to give you the dollars.
At one point, when I was still working in corporate, I invested $10,000 in a program to improve my presentation skills. I recall an executive coming up to me after a presentation and saying how inspiring my delivery was. It was because of that program!
My point is, when you develop your skills and talents, managing change and trying new things becomes a whole lot easier, and people get to bask in the impact of your Brilliant Difference.
7. Sell the Outline
This concept mirrors the Edge Moves philosophy of starting with an inch to gain a mile.
When you’re pitching an initiative to your executives, you don’t know if they will say yes yet, so don’t waste time building an entire solution and presenting a big “ta-da.” In my experience, that never works. More than likely, you’ll be off on the problem you’re solving, the solution you came up with, or the priority it ranks for your leadership team. Instead, just keep pitching ideas and solutions.
I like to sell outlines, not the entire concept. This way, when they say yes, you’ve got a yes on something that’s important to them and now you have the green light to move forward with it.
This approach is tied to change in general too. When introduced to something new, sell yourself on the outline first. You can master all the details later.
8. Build External Support
Telling people about your Edge Moves and the changes you want to make keeps you committed and honest. If you go back on your word for anyone, it’s usually yourself. You’ll find a way to back out.
For me, I avoid it by spending more time outdoors. My farm makes sure I get outside, as the animals and gardens need tending.
But building external support means you can’t work yourself out of your goal. Have an accountability partner. It’s like meeting a friend at the corner for a run; you won’t hit the snooze button every morning because someone is waiting for you.
Client-wise, once you’ve already sold the outline and pitched your idea, you now have to see the entire concept through because they’re waiting for your next step.
9. Have a Brilliant Difference Project
This is one of the easiest strategies to make change and get out of your comfort zone because a Brilliant Difference project is fun, something that aligns both your purpose and the business mission. It’s often something that goes above and beyond your job description, helping you develop your skills and expand your network. It’s not expected but how you over deliver value and get noticed because no one else is doing this. Going back to the Pareto Principle, you can make this your 20%.
10. Bring an Edge Move Mindset to Everything You Do
This brings us full circle in my strategies to make change. Don’t be attached to the outcome of your Edge Moves, but rather the impact you make on people and yourself with every action. That’s where the true magic resides and how you’ll reach your biggest goal. And remember, how you do anything is how you do everything. That means, how you do Edge Moves will determine the trajectory of your leadership, impact, and results.
How Will You Make and Embrace Change?
There you have it, 10 strategies to make change with success. What will your tactic be? The 80/20 rule? Having a Your Brilliant Difference project? Let me know at finka@finkainc.com.
And if you want to go beyond the blog to get more in-depth leadership mentorship and support, join my Find Your Brilliance Community.
Your next level of leadership awaits!
