Key to Change

Alan Deutschman talks about the framework which enables individuals to manage change .In his new book, Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life, Alan Deutschman discusses how some of us just not prepared to adapt and change despite do or die situations. He looks in-depth at the three "impossible" cases of far--heart patients, drug- addicted criminals, and rebellious autoworkers. He outlines three keys to change, which he call the three Rs: relate, repeat, and reframe.

THE FIRST KEY TO CHANGE
Relate
You form a new, emotional relationship with a person or community that inspires and sustains hope. If you face a situation that a reasonable person would consider "hopeless," you need the influence of seemingly "unreasonable" people to restore your hope--to make you believe that you can change and expect that you will change. This is an act of persuasion--really, it's "selling."

THE SECOND KEY TO CHANGE
Repeat
The new relationship helps you learn, practice, and master the new habits and skills that you'll need. It takes a lot of repetition over time before new patterns of behavior become automatic and seem natural--until you act the new way without even thinking about it. It helps tremendously to have a good teacher, coach, or mentor to give you guidance, encouragement, and direction along the way. Change doesn't involve just "selling"; it requires "training."

THE THIRD KEY TO CHANGE
Reframe
The new relationship helps you learn new ways of thinking about your situation and your life. Ultimately, you look at the world in a way that would have been so foreign to you that it wouldn't have made any sense before you changed.

These are the three keys to change: relate, repeat, and reframe. New hope, new skills, and new thinking.