During my time spent in Rotary, including talking to more senior members and attending any Rotary function or Conference, there is always the common theme: for Rotary to remain a viable option, prosper and grow, it has to change.
I'm sure some of you are tired of this continual mantra.  But, stop and think, if Rotary has to change, you, the members must be active in the change process.  I'm sure you wouldn't want to be responsible for preventing the progression of Rotary through change.
 
Our Board is currently in consultation with it's members to facilitate necessary changes to the way our Club operates.  Shortly, you will have the opportunity to express your input regarding important aspects such as Membership Fees, Meeting Formats and Formalities, and most importantly Budgeting and Expenditure.  If there is a need to discuss further areas of interest, the Board will welcome that, also.
Last week, I wrote about "The Constant that is Change".  This week I'd like to share with you:

How Does Change Actually Occur ?

Change Doesn't Happen Overnight: It Happens In Stages

Although circumstances often change in the blink of an eye, people tend to change at a slower pace. Even the most motivated people who welcome change often encounter stumbling blocks that make transformation more complicated than they'd originally anticipated. Whether you’re hoping to lose weight, or you're trying to convince your employees to embrace a new procedure, don’t expect immediate results. Instead, recognise that real change happens slow and steady.
 
For example, most New Year's resolutions don't last because people don’t go through the stages of change. Instead, they try to create change based on a date on the calendar, which may not coincide with a true readiness to transform.
 
The stages of change can be used to assess a person's readiness to create behaviour change:
 
1. Pre-contemplation – If you're pre-contemplative, you won't recognise any need to change. Other people may express concerns, but you'll deny that a problem exists.  Unless someone raises your awareness of the problem, you likely won't choose to do anything differently. For example, a doctor hoping to get a precontemplative person to consider developing an exercise routine could provide education about the health risks associated with inactivity. Explaining the potential consequences of staying the same could help move a person into the next stage.
 
2. Contemplation – When you're in stage two, you will recognise the potential consequences of not changing, but you won't yet be fully commited to making a change. For example, an employee may recognize that he’s at risk of losing his job if he doesn’t increase his sales, but he may still be resistant to trying a new sales technique because he’s not quite sure the risk is worth the benefit. Moving to the next stage requires recognition that the benefits of change outweigh the risks of staying the same.
 
3. Preparation – During the preparation stage, a plan for creating change is established. An entrepreneur who is finding himself unable to pay the bills, may create a plan to address the problem during the preparation stage. He may decide to sell some equipment, change his marketing plan or find a new strategy to increase revenue. Resist the urge to move through this stage too quickly. Devote plenty of time and energy into creating a good plan that will set you up for success.
 
4. Action- The steps created during the preparation stage get put into place during the action stage. It's where your behavioural change finally begins. For example, a person who is committed to lose weight will begin exercising and changing their eating habits during this stage.
 
5. Maintenance –  Two days into the action stage, you may be tempted to declare victory and think you're well on your path to success. But, if you don't consider how to maintain change over time, you may struggle with obstacles along the way. During this stage, it’s important to monitor your progress and plan ahead for possible problems and pitfalls that could cause you to resort to your old behaviour patterns. For example, a person looking to maintain a healthy diet may need to plan ahead for the holiday season where it may be tempting to skip workouts and indulge in high calorie foods.

Implementing the Stages of Change

If you are trying to get someone else to change, whether it's a family member or an employee, don't assume other people are ready for concrete behavioural change right away. Identify what stage of change the other person is in and help them move through each stage. 
To summarise, our Club won't change it's habits overnight, however, we as Members must be open to change and willing to try something new. To achieve this, it's essential to talk about the pros and cons of change versus the risks and benefits of staying the same, bearing in mind the stages of change process.
 
Our next meeting will be an opportunity to begin the Process of Change that our Club needs, to appeal to an increased cross section of the community as our Membership grows in strength.  Let's move forward, together into the next exciting chapter of the development of our Club.
 
Have a great weekend everyone.  I look forward to being present at the Board Meeting on Monday.