The Place of Information For Change
Information is just that, information. But often times we confuse information with ability. This is really easy to see in our day of “how to” YouTube videos. How many times have I watched a 10-minute video to replace a part in my vehicle that is estimated to take 1-hour and cost $50, only to end up spending two days, $150, and still end up taking it to a mechanic? Why? We convince ourselves that information equals ability. This is especially true with personal development. I will spend three hours walking a team of people through communication exercises that open up honesty, reveal blind-spots, and enhance understanding by fundamentally showing people areas that they need to develop. What happens next is that no one does further personal coaching because they already have awareness, and to them awareness is all they need.
That is a misconception. Take, for example, an overly assertive person. Being aware that assertiveness might cause some people to shut down and be less effective doesn’t automatically stop an assertive person from being assertive. That is because they still need to be assertive at times. Also, being assertive is the comfortable choice for an assertive person, and we often choose what is comfortable to us. If they want to develop, they have to have a process that causes them to continuously analyze when assertiveness is healthy and when it is not, and practice new behaviors that will be a more constructive replacement for the less helpful behaviors. And they have to practice those new behaviors until they become comfortable with them. This requires getting over mental blocks, limiting assumptions, and the need for control. This is why personal development is some of the hardest work a person can do.
Ask anyone who has shown real change, and you will find that having the right information was only the beginning. And the information probably over-simplified the problem. Their change required hard work, constant attention and outside accountability. Change is possible, but you have to be wiling to go much deeper than information. It requires hard work and deeper understanding of what that work looks like.
That is a misconception. Take, for example, an overly assertive person. Being aware that assertiveness might cause some people to shut down and be less effective doesn’t automatically stop an assertive person from being assertive. That is because they still need to be assertive at times. Also, being assertive is the comfortable choice for an assertive person, and we often choose what is comfortable to us. If they want to develop, they have to have a process that causes them to continuously analyze when assertiveness is healthy and when it is not, and practice new behaviors that will be a more constructive replacement for the less helpful behaviors. And they have to practice those new behaviors until they become comfortable with them. This requires getting over mental blocks, limiting assumptions, and the need for control. This is why personal development is some of the hardest work a person can do.
Ask anyone who has shown real change, and you will find that having the right information was only the beginning. And the information probably over-simplified the problem. Their change required hard work, constant attention and outside accountability. Change is possible, but you have to be wiling to go much deeper than information. It requires hard work and deeper understanding of what that work looks like.