Not all change is for the better, as the Change is inevitable. Much of what is changing in today’s world is for the worse. Signs of decline are evident everywhere. To improve, change must result in a positive benefit for everyone involved. Does this seem hard to do? Not if you know what to look for. At work and in our lives, we are required to change. The question is: In the process, will we become weaker or stronger? The answer hinges on a crucial choice we all make every day of our lives. Are we seeing change as an opportunity or as a threat? Have you ever wondered why some people and organizations excel even in difficult times? Faced with unprecedented challenges some people fail, others simply survive, but few grow and even prosper. What makes the difference between these groups? Searching for answers, I embarked on a study of over 50 organizations that undertook major transformations in the last fifteen years. The goal was to find out what the people and organizations that got better did differently than those who didn’t. In our research, we discovered against the odds and often facing sizable perils, the remarkable rise of the most successful companies reveals a set of five principles and practices on how they approached change. The research shows that leading successful change, at work and in our lives, is simply a choice. While change is inevitable, growth is entirely optional. Those who frame change as opportunity ultimately find ways to succeed. How do leaders and entire organizations go about adopting the right mindset towards change? Intentionally or intuitively, they create the conditions for people to embrace change as a positive challenge. We discovered five ways for doing this. The five ways you can influence change for the better at work and in your life are based on the following concepts:
Conversely, in order to change for the better, you need to address “the why,” “the what” and “the how.” How includes ability (I can change) and motivation (I want to change). For a change to succeed in the long term it needs to show evidence of success early on. The final component is to orchestrate quick wins that provide much needed credibility. How you go about changing is as important as what you are changing. The approach has big consequences for everyone involved for better or worse. In the process, you must notice how you are leading change by addressing the five key questions. 1 As you make decisions . . . A Are people able to trust your motives? B Or do they question your intentions? 2 As you set priorities . . . A Are you helping people reassess what they do? B Or are you imposing conflicting directions? 3 As you increase efficiency . . . A Are you removing unnecessary work? B Or are you cutting core capabilities? 4 As you become more effective. . . A Are you keeping people engaged? B Or are you sacrificing long-term commitment? 5 As you lead change . . . A Are you getting results from the start? B Or are you taking a long time before seeing success? If your answer for each of these questions is “A”, you are leading your team towards a positive outcome. You are making a difference. On the other hand, if you answer one or more of these questions with the second option, you and your team are likely struggling to make change work. Correcting your approach will save you and your team unnecessary losses and frustrations. More importantly, you will be on your way to making a positive difference. To change and to improve are two different things.
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A good case study is not very easy to write. It takes an enormous amount of research, observation and analysis. It is always based on measurable and traceable results. If you are planning to write a case study for your company, think about it for a while.
Your case study is meant to explore possible solutions to a problem and finally reveal to the world how your solutions helped your client to solve it. Already, it should be clear to you that your case study serves the purpose of showing how a certain solution helped a client to achieve a certain goal. A little more about case studies The case study could be written for prospective clients, evaluators or researchers. Case studies that are primarily written for evaluators or researchers tend to be longer and more scientific than the ones written for clients or marketing purposes. In this article, we shall focus on writing a good case study for the purpose of marketing. Marketing-related case studies are shorter in length and require a clear picture of how your products or services helped a client. For this, you need to gather all the facts and figures in place. Secondly, you need to understand your client and look at your own solutions from their point of view. Your prospective client would be facing a similar problem and thus, wearing their shoes and writing from their point of view will help you to present the case study in a better format. Finally, the solution described should encourage readers to opt for your service or product. This means you need to be as honest and compelling as possible, without seeming like you are trying to persuade people into buying your offerings. Instead, you should aim to getting people to read your case study and make an informed decision. This boils down to crunching data, representing and explaining measurable ROIs. Let us take a look at a good and simple format of a case study. The method of writing a case study You need to first describe a business problem and then elucidate alternative solutions. Finally, you need to propose a preferred solution, which usually is what you offer as a product or service. To do this, you need to identify the problems of your subject (the business or client who is the topic of the case study) and explain why those problems existed, how they impacted them and what really was responsible for those problems. Next, you could point out statistics and figures from your research and data or from external resources, your case study will be strong when you have supporting evidence to the claim that you are making. Finally, describe how your solution helped your client to move forward. The format should be something like this. You can always alter it the way you want to: 1. Introduction Here, state the key problems and issues. Come up with a thesis statement and summarize your analysis. 2. Background Describe all the problems and maintaining factors. Also, discuss what the client has been experiencing and undergoing. 3. Alternative solutions Here, you need to state a few alternatives and explain why these alternatives do not work. 4. Proposed solutions Provide your own solution to the problem and describe how this solution helped your client. Include quotes, anecdotes etc to make it interesting. 5. Provide recommendations The reason you are writing a case study is to attract more clients. Thus, provide recommendations to the readers and how your solution can be used by clients with similar problems. Looking forward A good case study helps you to attract the kind of audience you would want to attract. It helps to boost traffic, gain respect and also ensure that you are not left behind when every company is investing in content marketing. Case studies are becoming increasingly important along with white-papers and eBooks.
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