The other day I was talking with a client about how important the concept of courage is to change. Our discussion made me remember the very first time I met my fabulous friend and mentor Jeff Liker and he told me a story about ‘Every day small ups’. And the reason our discussion reminded me of that story, is that, even though it seems very basic, and a little bit cliché to say, change is hard – and scary – for everyone. No matter how small the change may seem! And doing anything hard or scary requires something we may not think we have – courage. But we do. Because every day, even though people might not think of it this way, simply doing what’s needed to get work done takes a lot of courage! Courage to help solve customer problems, courage to figure out new software and technology and courage to find ways to solve the inevitable small problems that happen each day. So, if you’re coaching someone, please remember that. And remind your learner that even though they might not think of themselves as courageous – they are! And that very same ‘every-day courage’ can be applied to all changes at work, at home and in the world. ‘Every-day courage’ and ‘every day small ups!’
