Mastering Change
All Progress Begins With Change
ICF CCEU

All meaningful coaching assignments require change. The Mastering Change program presents a Pattern Language to make change easier. Coaches at all levels will enjoy using these patterns in their work. This program was created by change agent and Master Coach Lea Belair and uses material from her book “Walking on Water” and some original work by Thomas Leonard.

This program is delivered in five 5-hour modules with a 1-hour teleclass per week format.

Modules 1 - 3 are based on the The 15 Proficiencies of Change by Thomas Leonard. This material is
Ideal for the coach who is working with individuals or groups facing rapid change. These proficiencies will give you tools to help your clients become change masters.

Module 1:Making Sense Out of Chaos
A 5-hour module where we learn change proficiencies 1-5.

Module 2: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities
A 5-hour module where we learn change proficiencies 6-10

Module 3: Tuning Into the Energy of Change
A 5-hour module where we learn change proficiencies 11-15

Modules 4 and 5 cover the 10 Distinctions of Change by Coach Lea Belair, PCC. This material is ideal for the advanced coach who is looking for a sophisticated new framework to use with high-end clients.

Module 4: Leveraging New Perspectives
A 5-hour module where we explore change distinctions 1-5.
Based on the work of Coach Lea Belair, PCC

Module 5: Thriving In Change
A 5-hour module where we explore change distinctions 6-10.
Based on the work of Coach Lea Belair, PCC

Making Sense Out of Chaos
Module 1 - 5 Hours

 The topics covered in this module include:

1. Change Proficiency #1: Crafts Collaborative Relationships
2. Change Proficiency #2: Expands Possibilities
3. Change Proficiency #3: Clarifies Focus
4. Change Proficiency #4: Discerns What Is Needed
5. Change Proficiency #5: Distinguishes between Symptoms and Sources

 Change Proficiency #1: Crafts Collaborative Relationships

 Mastering change means learning to work with all the resources at hand. One resource that you can easily take advantage of is collaboration with others. To collaborate means to work together. It occurs best when people work side-by-side, all observing and contributing from their own unique perspectives towards achieving an outcome or goal. The environment of collaboration fosters greater openness and creativity and provides the opportunity for the whole to equal more than the sum of the parts. When you are proficient at collaborating, relationships are clean and sustainable.

 Change Proficiency #2: Expands Possibilities
If you want to master change this is a great place to start. Possibilities are everywhere but sometimes we just do not see them. You can see greater possibilities for others than they can see on their own. Start by seeing greater possibilities for yourself. Hold a larger vision and invite others to expand into a more robust relationship with possibility.

 Change Proficiency #3: Clarifies Focus

 The pace of change is quickening and life is getting more complex. There was a time (not too long ago!) when it was thought that multitasking would help us to cope. Now, scientific studies have proven that multitasking does not work. We get more done, more efficiently and with more energy, when we clarify focus.

 Change Proficiency #4: Discerns What Is Needed

As situations change it is more important than ever to be able to quickly shift modes and respond to change vs. react to change. It is important to know what is needed in the moment, how to meet people where they are at, and if they need to be supported or challenged. Do they need a customized strategy or just a patient ear? Is it important to learn something new or let go of something old? Discerning what is needed means adding value at any given moment by recognizing (or finding out) what is most needed and useful at any point in time.

 Change Proficiency #5: Distinguishes between Symptoms and Sources

A master of change is skilled at being able to see and move between the macro (big picture) and the micro (details) of situations and problems. People get stuck focusing on their problems. Why? When we look at problems we often focus on the visible symptoms (just the details) rather than the greater dynamics at play. When you can tell the difference between the sources and symptoms of a problem you can focus on the drivers of problems, instead of chasing down the dead-end tunnels that symptoms represent.

Turning Challenges Into Opportunities
Module 2 - 5 Hours 

 The topics covered in this module include:

1. Change Proficiency #6: Co-develops Strategies
2. Change Proficiency #7: Co-Creates Supportive Structures
3. Change Proficiency #8: Stimulates Progress
4. Change Proficiency #9: Recognizes Tone and Responds
5. Change Proficiency #10: Comfortable with Discomfort

 Change Proficiency #6: Co-develops Strategies

The master of change is someone who can maximize their strengths and the strengths of others to accelerate progress and reduce overwhelm, frustration, and isolation. People are wearing more and more hats in their personal and professional lives and they want to accomplish more, more efficiently and enjoyably. To do this, it is helpful to co-develop strategies that include actions which are customized to the people and situations in play. This customization moves everything forward more quickly and expeditiously and is also key in building the longer-term partnerships and networks that become more useful through the different stages and challenges of life.

Change Proficiency #7: Co-Creates Supportive Structures

When people want to make big changes or reach a large goal, it is important to design structures to support the process of creating something new. Think of it like building a new house: it is necessary to put in the beams and rafters, ceilings and walls first, in order to hold up the rest of the house. Helping someone to design supportive structures creates a strong foundation when undergoing a change. Co-creating supportive structures means getting help and also keeps us from becoming overly dependent on others for our success. By co-creating supportive structures we design a bank of resources and instill habits that reinforce what is needed to achieve goals, make changes, and have them last.

Change Proficiency #8: Stimulates Progress

Without forward progress we are stuck in the past. Mastering change means being and acting in a way that attracts the future we desire. Clarity, intention, and expanded awareness are less expensive ways to stimulate progress than the old ‘push’ paradigm. Attracting the future we want means allowing new questions to arise, acting in partnership, integrating, and synthesizing so that we can design new actions. An effective change agent is well versed in these skills and the art of prompting without pushing. Remember that not all movement is forward movement! We stimulate progress when we focus on and build momentum towards the goals, qualities, states, and achievements that are most important to us.

Change Proficiency #9: Recognizes Tone and Responds

Our interactions are punctuated by a myriad of emotions and thoughts that drive our behaviors (whether we are aware of them or not). Sometimes we are excited about a new project or endeavor, sometimes we are depressed and feeling stuck and helpless, sometimes we are embarrassed and just want to disappear, and other times we have anxiety around a future occurrence. If you miss the emotional tone that is being communicated, there is a disconnect, or even worse, competing perspectives. Recognizing where someone is coming from opens you up to a greater range of ways to respond. Do you meet someone by matching their mood, offering something different, or simply acknowledging what's going on? Either way, they will feel heard, respected right where they are, more able to connect and move forward. 

Change Proficiency #10: Comfortable with Discomfort

When someone is having a problem or experiencing stress, do you jump in to help out with questions, comfort or solutions? If so, you may not be comfortable with discomfort yet - either your own or someone else's. The ability to be comfortable in the presence of discomfort is like a muscle that can be strengthened with practice. What is called for is heightened self-awareness and a growing appreciation for the phases people go through as they work things out in the world. With experience you are able to offer the love and empathy of a person who cares without being driven by a reactive need to "be helpful."

Tuning Into the Energy of Change
Module 3 - 5 Hours 

 The topics covered in this module include:

1. Change Proficiency #11: Draws Distinctions
2. Change Proficiency #12: Recognizes Pivotal Moments
3. Change Proficiency #13: Embraces Profound Power of Relationships
4. Change Proficiency #14: Releases Attachment to Performance
5. Change Proficiency #15: Is Open to Learning

 Change Proficiency #11: Draws Distinctions

People don't always have language for what they are going through. To obtain clarity we can use distinctions to draw attention to the subtle differences in thinking that lead to new choices and new actions. Is someone investing in possibilities or opportunities? Do they seek to promote themselves or naturally attract? Are they learning or merely acquiring information? Are they moving towards what they want or away from something else? Sometimes the awareness that comes from using distinctions is all they need to see their options and choose the next step for themselves. Other times a distinction serves as a springboard or theme for a major life transition. Build your own knowledge base of distinctions and the ability to share them effectively.

Change Proficiency #12: Recognizes Pivotal Moments

As the pace of living speeds up it is increasingly important to be able to catch or recognize pivotal moments in thinking and expression because they help drive our future. During a coaching session or any meaningful conversation, a person will tell you everything you need to know about themselves and their goals or situation. The trick is to recognize the importance of what they are sharing, even in an offhand remark. They do not always make it obvious, but if you roll right over it you miss the keys to unlocking their greatness, expanding their possibilities, and entering new territories. With experience you are able to catch the real gems when they are expressed. Sometimes a pivotal moment may even be a silence, a break in habitual train of thought or the seed of an idea to come back to later. You may draw their attention to it, or not. The point is to recognize it and make a conscious choice.

Change Proficiency #13: Embraces Profound Power of Relationships

Today the power of relationships is again being recognized for its importance in personal, business, and political arenas. In embracing the power of relationships we open ourselves as a human beings to be profoundly affected by other people. Think of the individuals who stimulate the turning points in your life. Whether gifting us with their unshakable support or challenging us to go beyond our previous limits, it is the synergy of those relationships that brings out our greatness and enables us to do great things. Profound relationships like these give us the support and power we need to thrive in the 21st century.

Change Proficiency #14: Releases Attachment to Performance

It's sometimes easy to slip into the "role" of being helpful instead of being genuine. And it is also easy to wind up over-doing to get to a desired result. When you act out the role of what you think you should be or do as a coach, friend, colleague, etc., you withhold the richness of a full, free-flowing partnership. One of the paradoxes of having meaningful relationships is that the less you are attached to "helping" to the exclusion of being authentic, the more value emerges. Relish the simple power of two humans having a provocative discussion. The more you trust in the process of powerful conversation, the more you will allow space for richness to emerge.

Change Proficiency #15: Is Open to Learning

In the Information Age people were valued for providing information and answers. In today’s more complex environment, people are valued for being able to work successfully with others, understanding information in context, synthesizing information, and leveraging opportunities. In order to be great and to help others be great, it’s important that we keep investing in our own learning. Do you know what you don't know? Do you know where your current abilities reach their limit and your openness to learning begins? Both are important to high quality and ethical relationships; and both are learnable.

Leveraging New Perspectives
Module 4 - 5 Hours

 The topics covered in this module include:

1. Distinction #1 Conquering Fear vs. Walking on Water
2. Distinction #2 Revolutionary vs. Evolutionary
3. Distinction #3 Belief vs. Knowledge
4. Distinction #4 Rush vs. Overwhelm
5. Distinction #5 Approval vs. Evidence

 Distinction #1 Conquering Fear vs. Walking on Water

Conquering fear means you have a battle with fear and you win. Conquering fear is better than being defeated by fear, but it takes a lot of energy to wage the battle. What if instead you shifted your perspective from the dualistic view of me vs. the fear, and jumped into another paradigm? Let us call this paradigm: I am the source of all emotions, including fear€. The paradigm shift means you are no longer having a relationship with fear. That is what walking on water is all about: taking action from a new perspective that seems magical when seen through the lens of the old perspective. Focus on the future you want, not the fear that is keeping you from getting there.

Distinction #2 Revolutionary vs. Evolutionary

As agents of change we seek to make change easier. When people see change as a revolution they naturally recoil and see this characterization as a threat to the stability and equilibrium of the system. If instead, we promote and champion change as evolutionary - a step-by-step process that uses what ‘is’ as the basis for something new, it’s easier to embrace change as a natural progression. We can be more effective in the future if we also honor the past.

Distinction #3 Belief vs. Knowledge

Beliefs (opinions and convictions not in the religious sense) are based on emotions, thought patterns, conditioning, and assumptions. Knowledge is based on information and direct experience. Where we stand in relation to both belief and knowledge defines how we deal with one of the greatest barriers to mastering change and unfolding our true potential: doubt. If our beliefs do not match our experience, we are in conflict; if our beliefs hold us back from integrating the information we are getting from our environment, we are stuck. There is hope! We can listen to and act on the knowledge available to us in each moment and become participants in the field of knowledge, where we are not separate from the world. Shifting our orientation to knowledge-based discovery, insight, and commitment overcomes doubt. 

Distinction #4 Rush vs. Overwhelm

As change becomes the norm, with no safe ports of ‘no change’ where we ride can out the storm, we must go from a model of ‘survival’ to a new orientation: ‘thriving in change’. Effective strategies are to upgrade our energy sources, to find and use systems to maximize our energy output, and to look at energy differently by making new distinctions. Key in making the shift is recognizing how rush and overwhelm are linked - the cause and result of rush is overwhelm. When we think there is a difference we try to rush to keep up with the overwhelm. If you notice you are rushing, remember you are already in overwhelm! Rushing doesn’t make the overwhelm go away; it feeds the overwhelm. Once we break this cycle we can move beyond our traditional comfort zone and establish a new standard of success in change.

Distinction #5 Approval vs. Evidence

Success amidst change means that we are able to learn from our actions and environment, make experiments, and take new actions that are united with our purpose and intention. Seeking approval – defining ourselves in relation to the various opinions of others (whether those opinions are shared, founded or unfounded), means we are looking outside of what we know for validation and permission. This stifles real learning and the ability to take new actions. Evidence – an observation that can be agreed upon and verified in concert with others, is a way to perceive and act holistically based on learning and self-actualization.  

Thriving In Change
Module 5 - 5 Hours

 The topics covered in this module include:

1. Distinction #6 Expectations vs. Standards
2. Distinction #7 Stress Management vs. Stress Elimination
3. Distinction #8 Change as Chaos vs. Change as Opportunity
4. Distinction #9 Growth vs. Development
5. Distinction #10 Being Present vs. Presence

 Distinction #6 Expectations vs. Standards

With expectations, we naturally focus on a definite idea of how things ‘should’ be and the anticipated results that fall out from that. This orientation captures our attention and ties results to assumptions and preconceptions. Standards are founded on integrity to our values, and tweaked by what we learn by continually interacting with our environment. This orientation puts us in the center of the change equation, not at the mercy of it – and makes change easier.

Distinction #7 Stress Management vs. Stress Elimination

For most of us, change means stress – emotional strain and tension. For decades we have been told and taught how to manage stress. Yet, even with new ways of managing stress, we still find change stressful and suffer from its effects. How we perceive life and use our energy determines whether we have to manage stress, or can resolve it. It is not a thing that causes stress, it is our life view. Stress no longer has power over us if we stop resisting what is and learn to align and evolve when faced with change.

Distinction #8 Change as Chaos vs. Change as Opportunity

Chaos is a description we use to describe instability, confusion, and disorder - and the isolation that results. It’s what happens when the round peg does not fit into the square hole. We experience change as chaos when our reference point is rooted in the past and we try to make sense of the new or unwieldy accordingly. By shifting our reference point to the present, we become open to the opportunity for something new to happen and open the doors to unexpected learning.

Distinction #9 Growth vs. Development

Growth means increase and expansion: Quantity. Development means improvement: Quality. When something grows, the resources needed to sustain it must also increase. Depending on the limits on our time, money, and resources we can choose to enhance and refine instead of adding. Increasing brings complexity and risk. Enhancing builds on natural next steps and sustainable evolution results.

Distinction #10 Being Present vs. Presence

Being present means being aware and available in the moment. Presence is the underlying foundation for the organizing pattern being present. To master change, being present is a necessary component to having the focus and attention which helps us to recognize what is, get to the source, and take effective action. The state of presence is the center point, the unchanging reality of our meaning and purpose that naturally brings forth being present. You can be present without mastering presence, but it comes and goes. When you master presence being present is a byproduct.