cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

emember a time in the past where you gave an excellent presentation.What did you see? What did you hear? What did you feel? Really enterinto that experience, then pinch yourself and repeat a word that comes tomind. Rerun the experience and pinch yourself and say the word. Nowtry it the other way, pinch yourself and say the word – and the experienceshould return. Before your next presentation, as you go into the roomreconnect to the positive experience by pinching yourself and saying theword. Does it work? If it does not, simply try something else.Rational analysisRational analysis is a cognitive technique par excellence. It is based on thenotion that our beliefs are not necessarily rational: ‘I could never do that’or ‘I’m always going to be like that’. Rational analysis suggests you writedown all the reasons that is incorrect. You need to be specific and notgeneralize (for example, ‘I’m always doing that’ – always?). You need to setmeasurable criteria, objectively based, and you need to use your powersof logic. By continuously proving that this is an irrational belief you willeventually come to disbelieve it.STOP AND THINK!Q 1.6Q 1.7Individual changeWhat might the main benefits be of a cognitive approach?What do you see as some of the limitations of this approach?Summary of cognitive approachThe cognitive approach builds on the behaviourist approach by puttingbehaviour into the context of beliefs, and focusing more firmly onoutcomes. Many cognitive techniques are used in the field of managementtoday, particularly in the coaching arena. This approach involvesfocusing on building a positive mental attitude and some stretching goals,backed up by a detailed look at what limiting beliefs produce behaviourthat becomes self-defeating.A drawback of the cognitive approach is the lack of recognition of theinner emotional world of the individual, and the positive and negativeimpact that this can have when attempting to manage change. Someobstacles to change need to be worked through, and cannot be made ‘OK’by reframing or positive talk.31