Professionals Don’t Care.

WHY THE GOOSE IS FAT AND

The talk of disruptive technologies is all the

rage right now but to be honest, is there

really any professional still out there that

HASN’T NOTICED the changes in their

business environment??

I’d like to be so bold (and confrontational) as

to suggest that if there is, that ‘lack of

awareness’ is the least of their issues…

So let’s be clear; we’re not talking about

technology ‘sneaking up’ on professionals

and they find themselves struggling to

deliver to their client’s needs. We’re talking

about professionals that are fully aware of

the need to make changes but are unsure as

to what to do, why and HOW.

As a result of indecision and current work

demands, they choose to delay their

response until ‘another day’ and they find

the job is so much harder again. Kind of like

when you notice you’re putting on weight…

the first 1-2kg’s is the best time to get onto

the issue; by the time you (ignore) the fact

that you’ve ballooned to 20kg overweight

it’s all too hard to deal with and all too easy

to find excuses…

So, let’s start again.

There are no ‘steps of change’ so don’t

bother looking for them; there is only

dynamic interaction with the forces

(generally 3 of them) in your business

world.

Solving any problem starts with the ACCEPTANCE that you have a problem in the first place.

Think of it like this; do you have a teenager living with you? (If no, can you remember having one or

remember being one yourself..?)

Why do you have to constantly remind your teenager to clean and tidy their room? (Note, I mentioned

both ‘clean’ and ‘tidy’ as the interpretation of these by most teenagers is not to be assumed)

Why don’t teenagers notice the build-up of mess in their room, get stuck in and clean it while it’s only a

small job, instead of leaving it to turn into a nightmare for their parents?

Answer: They don’t care.

You can remind them of the benefits of a clean and tidy room to help with their mental well-being; you

can remind them of how much easier life would be without all the nagging from you as their parent; you

can impress upon them the need to be structured and orderly for when they get ‘a real job’ but the

result is still the same.

They don’t care.

They don’t care because the effort required right now, simply isn’t justified for a result that doesn’t

matter to them, in the first place. Many professionals in today’s business world are in the same boat.

They don’t care.

Professionals Don’t Care...

Even if they did care, it’s all

too hard and here’s why...

DON’T CARE!

They can’t see the point in investing in new skills or new ways of thinking when quite frankly, they like how things are and would really rather focus on ‘keeping things this way’ than adapting to the changes in consumer habits and technology disruption.

Even if they did care, it’s all too hard and here’s why…

Professionals are using outdated systems models to manage and develop their people.

They notice the ‘disconnect’ between investing time and money and a complete lack of behaviour change from themselves and their team.

They’ve tried the ‘7 steps to guaranteed success’ but notice the guarantee was anything but, and the 7 steps were just a blur…

So let me tell you about the fat goose…

From a ‘systems’ point of view, a

Goose is a complex adaptive system.

This means there are layers of

complex components all

interconnected and adapting to the

environment in a symbiotic manner.

(As opposed to a complicated system

– like a car for example; a million

components all working to achieve a

consistent, single outcome, with back-

up and redundant systems but

ultimately, with a single linear

feedback loop. This means, it’s all designed to ‘get back’ to the original state)

So, back to the goose… a series of

complex layers (Atom, Molecule,

Cells, Tissue, Organs, Organ system,

Organism -in this case the Goose) all

weaving and adapting to the needs of

the body and the state around it.

If a goose is fat it’s because it’s meant

to be; the body is getting itself ready

for a migration flight but if you were

to judge the goose at that time, you’d

say it was fat and needed to go on a

diet!

In fact, it’s adapting and responding to a combination of current and future needs.

Which brings us back to professionals that don’t care; these people are in a ‘state’ which is reflective of

their CURRENT environment. Only when they truly desire to be in a DIFFERENT environment (like the

goose migrating) will they ‘build themselves up ready for flight’.

The Fat Goose...

If they’ve never experienced what it’s like to be viewed as a ‘Strategic Adviser’; if their business model

has never been structured to deliver tailored solutions for strategic issues or they’ve never

experienced what it’s like to receive intelligent, structured coaching, then they have no way of

repeating the behaviour for themselves or passing it to their team.

Like a goose trying to fly a migration path, solo, on their first attempt.

So what’s my point?

Professionals need to focus on understanding the PRINCIPLES that never change, regardless of

technology shift. They need to recognise that all learning (and adapting) is a CIRCULAR RESPONSE

between the individual and their (object) learning topic. This means how they RELATE to the material

(and interact with it) is as critical as the information in the first instance.

You might think of this as ‘TRIAL and ERROR’. Nature thinks of it as natural adaptation…

There are no ‘steps of change’ so don’t bother looking for them; there is only dynamic interaction

with the forces (generally 3 of them) in your business world.

Learn the fundamental principles that matter. Know why they matter and how to execute them with

proficiency. Learn to master (and practice) the fundamentals and you’ll never have to CHANGE again.

Instead, you’ll ADAPT; just as nature intended…

Happy migration!

Fundamental Principles...

Mike Barnes

THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELO PMENT COACH TO ACCOUNTANTS, LAWYERS & FINANCIAL ADVISERS.

Mike regularly consults throughout NZ to increase the leverage within professional

services firms and speaks on a variety of topics, including ‘Closing the Skill Gap’ and

‘What Blocks Professional’s From Selling’.

Mike considers himself a ‘coaching addict’ – “It’s WHO I am, not WHAT I do” explains

Mike, “It’s how I’m wired; it’s in every part of my life”.

Mike is a passionate exponent of The Enneagram Personality Profiling System, (He

attended in New York at the hands of the ‘masters’ Don Riso & Russ Hudson) which

allows Mike to explore the ‘blockages’ that stop people from reaching their own true

potential.

“I coach professionals to do the things they won’t do on their own” says Mike, “my

greatest sense of self-worth comes from watching others grow and knowing I played

a critical part in it”.

Married to the love of his life (Natalie) and so very proud of his 3 kids, Mike still finds

time to coach and mentor NZ’s fastest motocross riders. “It’s an extremely demand-

ing and dangerous sport and the professional riders I work with have everything on

the line every time they race. Want to learn how to focus the mind and overcome

fear? – you’ve come to the right place…”

“I coach

professionals to do

the things they won’t

do on their own”

COACH

“The learning from this has been amazing!” says Mike. “The very real threat of serious

injury combined with the pressure of being a professional athlete is the perfect place to

find what really works, and throws out all the garbage that most of the ‘self-help’ books

promote”.

MIKE & KAYNE