Change readiness describes how ready or prepared we are to change our behaviour, the actions that we carry out that are observed by ourselves and others.

As behaviour is derived from what goes on in our mind, in order to change our behaviour, we first have to address our thoughts and feelings about the required change...or in other words, our change mindset.

So, what sort of things could require us to get ready for change? A change of role, a change of line manager, a change to our health and wellbeing, there are many examples of things that require us to have a positive mindset towards change.

But mindset is not enough, we also have to have the ability to make the change and more importantly than that, to sustain the change.

Both change mindset and change ability can vary significantly from person to person. We all know those people who seem to embrace change, even thrive on it. Then we know those who have been battling to make small changes since time began.

But what makes one person more able to change over the next? Or more able to cope with change? They're both great questions.

Well, change pushes us out of our comfort zone, requiring us to do something different.
We tend to be creatures of habit, so change can feel difficult. So in order to make behavioural changes, we have to rewire our brain to create new neural pathways.
With both will and skill, it's very achievable.

We've identified four types of change readiness.

1.Those who embrace change.
They are the most successful people as they choose how to positively respond to change and work out how they can make the most out of it. The tend to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

2. Those who sit on the fence.
They tend to prefer to quietly observe the embracers of change and those who fear change from the sidelines, waiting patiently to make their own choice about the change..

3. Those who fear change.
They are often driven by their own insecurities. Fearing the unknown and preferring to keep the status quo.

4. Those who resist change
They are the ones who pro-actively resist change, and they go out of their way to create a stir.
The most successful people embrace and sustain change. They choose to positively respond to change and work out how they can make the most out of it. They tend to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

On the other hand there are some people who fear change. They're often driven by their own insecurities. Their negative mindset about what change could mean for them results in them fearing the unknown and preferring to stick with the status quo. That could ultimately end up in people resisting change, even though they might not realise that's what they're doing.

Then there are those who sit on the fence. They tend to prefer to quietly observe the embracers of change and those who fear and resist change from the side-lines. Instead, they like to take their time to form their opinions about the change.

So if the most successful people embrace and sustain change, it is worth understanding about this topic and what you can do about it.

While it's not always easy, the great news is that it's something that can be worked on using coaching. Remember coaching is all about asking questions to raise self-awareness, thinking differently by looking at things from fresh perspective and putting new behaviours into practice to create long term change.

So, we've carefully chosen some specific micro-coaching exercises and challenges to help you work on your mindset and ability to change.

And remember, throughout the module, you can make commitments to yourself to begin to do some things differently straight away.

So, let's make a start now...