The Missing Ingredient

The Missing Ingredient – Tension Management

https://soundcloud.com/diamondmindenterprises/interview-with-t-falcon-napier

We established last week that all your clients (internal or external) have one thing in common – they want something to change. And, of course, in every area you seek to improve you want something to change.

It follows that the greater our understanding of the dynamics of change, the better equipped we are to manage and sustain desired change. All too often, we ignore the one ingredient that can help us initiate and sustain the change we so desire, in health, relationships and business results.

The overlooked ingredient is productive tension management. In this context “productive” means likely to produce the desired result. Simply stated, effective change management is the process of directing focused energy continuously toward the desired result. Tension is defined as the level of physical, emotional and intellectual activity a person is experiencing at a given moment in time.

The good news: You effectively manage tension every single day. For example, if you walk up the stairs you are balancing and working with gravity. Getting out of bed in the morning is productive tension management. Some days, less than others. ??

The less than good news, in the area you are feeling stuck, you are not managing the tension productively. Tension : desire to eat. Desire to lose weight. Both present.  Resolution, cheeseburger and shake. Ahhhhhhh. Feels good. What about desire to lose weight? Competing tensions in a given system can lead to oscillation or inaction. Every fad diet succeeds Until it doesn’t.

One more illustration. Think of a sail boat. It’s a beautiful day and you want to go from Chicago to Michigan City Indiana. The sun is shining and there is NO wind. It’s pleasant, peaceful but you are going nowhere! Like sleeping in when your midterm paper was not written. (my experience, repeatedly)

No wind, S.S. Nowhere

On the other hand, too tension (wind) creates stress and the boat capsizes.

Effective sailing requires us to set the sail, to tack to seize the wind while keeping the compass pointed to Michigan city.

Today’s interview is with T. Falcon Napier, founder of Institute of Productive Tension and the ChangeWorks System? gives us sound and practical tips on how to manage the business of change.

I am confident his insight will be as valuable to you as it has been for me:

https://soundcloud.com/diamondmindenterprises/interview-with-t-falcon-napier

As always, we’d love to hear from you.

Diamond Mind Thomas

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