Newspaper Page Text
6A
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008
Do I really want to improve my organization?
Surely everyone wants
to improve his or her
organization, right?
Apparently not.
i Let me share some con
text, j Last week, I gave an
overview of the six stages
of change as described in
Q hanging for Good by James
Prochaska, John Norcross,
and Carlo DiClemente.
Those six stages are precon
templation, contemplation,
preparation, action, main
tenance, and termination.
(If you missed that overview
and want to see it, contact
rpe and I’ll provide a copy.)
Today I share a more
detailed explanation of
precontemplators. G. K.
Chesterton, the influential
English author of the early
20th century, wrote, “It isn’t
that they can’t see the solu
tion. It’s that they can’t see
the problem.” For a variety
of possible reasons, individu
als at this stage typically,
have no intention of chang
ing.
Denial. Although friends,
family members, and col-
LETTER
From page 4A
I do disagree with those that
9ay that this warming trend
results from increased car
bon emissions, and thus is
man-made.
In regard to the effort to
convince the public that we
must reduce carbon emis
sions in order to save the
planet, I strongly disagree,
and would agree instead with
meteorologist John Coleman,
founder of The Weather
Channel, who characterizes
the man-made global warm
ing scare as: “non-event, a
manufactured crisis and a
total scam."
There is ample evidence
that the warming we have
experienced during our life
times is cyclical in nature, hav
ing occurred before, and that
the trend is already reversing
to suggest a cooling period.
Here are a few of these
indicators, and those that
wish to research this question
further, can easily find many
other examples. Numerous
researchers, both in the U.S.
and U.K., have recorded
worldwide average tempera
ture drops of more than 0.5
occurred between January
2007 and January.
The National Weather ser
vice has reported below aver
age temperatures for most of
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Building Future Leaders
Dennis
Hooper
Your
Leadership
Coach
leagues can see opportuni
ties for improvement eas
ily, precontemplators often
refuse to acknowledge the
value. They sometimes cre
ate justifications to explain
why everything is fine just
as it is.
Apathy. These precon
templators may not overtly
resist, but they certainly
won’t be the initiators of
change. They’re fine if some
one else wants to generate
some effort, but don’t expect
them to take the lead in
making something happen.
Resignation. Some indi
viduals haye just given up,
certain that improvement is
not possible. They may have
made unsuccessful attempts
the continental U.S., including
all of Georgia, during the peri
od January-October. In addi
tion to these scientific studies,
ample anecdotal evidence
exists that the warming trend
of the past few years has
been reversed. For example,
many countries in the south
ern hemisphere have report
ed average temperatures
well below normal during the
recent winter season.
We have already seen
politicians such as Al Gore
employ junk science in an
effort to justify radical social
change to combat this non
problem. My fear is that the
hysteria over the false issue
of man-made global warm
ing will be used by the social
activists to increase our taxes
and reduce our standard of
living by forcing unnecessary
changes that will affect every
one living in this country.
We have already heard the
new President-Elect state that
the government will bankrupt
any company trying to con
struct a coal fired electrical
generating plant, adding that
rates for electricity need to
“skyrocket” in order to pro
mote conservation. I urge
everyone not to be led astray
by the politicians who only
seek more power over your
lives. Do your own research
and find out the truth about
this vital issue.
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in the past and are demoral
ized, convinced that fate will
not allow them to progress.
Unaware. These pre
contemplators have never
thought of doing anything
differently from what
they’ve been doing. No one
they respect has suggested a
change that seems relevant,
and they’re comfortable with
the way things are now.
Many precontemplators
don’t want to change, though
they may welcome improve
ments in their circumstanc
es or in the people around
them! Not knowing how to
alter their environment, and
not even considering chang
ing themselves, they allow
situations to continue as
they have in the past.
When in the precontem
plation stage, it usually feels
safe to stay where you are.
The territory is comfortable,
and no time, money, or ener
gy is required.
Further, you can’t fail if
you don’t try, right? And you
can always claim that you
- Bob Messer, Perry
lime lor work,
work to be done
Warner Robins Mayor
Donald Walker returned to
work yesterday (Wednesday)
morning at city hall from
a forced medical leave of
absence in a sometimes bit
ter and combative mood.
Still smarting from the
actions of a united city coun
cil that in effect told him that
he needed to stop missing
city and official meetings for
medical reasons and take up
to six months off to get well.
The mayor’s personal attor
ney has advised him that our
city council could have violat
ed the state’s open meetings
laws in causing his medical
leave and that he might take
legal action.
The city’s own attorney
does not agree with Mayor
Walker that any illegal activity
took place. This petty legal
squabble needs to end soon.
The reasons for the mayor’s
early return to work included
his belief about lower morale
at city hall and perceived
calls from city residents-but
not from me.
Though he admitted his
displeasure at the way his
forced absence was handled
by our city council, he prom-
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In the criteria for the
National Quality Award,
" leadership" is valued
one-third higher than any
of the other five process
categories.
intend to change sometime
in the future.
When I speak to leaders
of organizations, I am sur
prised at how many are not
putting energy into building
future leaders. You’d think
by now everyone would
know that enhancing lead
ership skills is the single
most powerful independent
variable in improving orga
nizational results.
John Maxwell, in his best
seller The 21 Irrefutable
Laws of Leadership writes,
“Everything rises and falls
on leadership ... Leadership
ability is always the lid on
personal and organizational
ised to continue to lead our
city in a professional man- *
ner.
I believe that our Mayor
Pro Tern Clifford Holmes per
formed admirably in Donald
Walker’s absence and that
some of his innovations
should be retained to improve
efficiency and teamwork.
I think our mayor needs to
get over his displeasure and
bruised ego with the way his
medical leave was handled
and just get on with his job.
- Frank IK Gadbois,
Warner Robins
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IZL“»I
effectiveness. That’s why, in
times of trouble, organiza
tions naturally look for new
leadership.”
Many organizational lead
ers are not aware of the crite
ria for the National Quality
Award that has existed since
1987. There are seven cat
egories, one for organiza
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strategic planning, custom
er and market awareness,
workforce systems, and pro
cess management.
Why? Because the health
of those other process cat
egories is dependent on the
leadership system, includ
ing how leadership skills are
developed and enhanced!
So, how about you and
your organization? Are you
willing to consider whether
and how you might invest in
your organization’s leaders
beyond the functional and
technical skills necessary for
survival?
Next week, I’ll look at
what’s required to move
out of the precontemplation
stage into “contemplation.”
Dennis Hooper helps
leaders develop the capa
bilities of future leaders.
Contact Dennis Hooper at
dhooper2@juno.com or 478-
988-0237. You may see his
work at www.buildingfu
tureleaders.com.
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237 dhooper2^'juno.com!
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