Process work

Previous / Next

Process of Change
Part 4 - Process work

If we apply the idea of a process to our own lives, what kind of images or metaphors are conjured up in your mind’s eye? Do you picture a factory line? Do you think of a journey of getting from A to B to C? Or maybe you see a whole series of arrows going off in all sorts of directions, each with a different heading?

Alternatively, is your self-detective work more about the process of writing down stages that you need to go through in order to get to the bottom of yourself and your problems?

See overleaf for some examples of these. If you find them useful as a guide and as a structure, you may wish to start to record information in each of their sections.

The process of a self-detective investigation

My Self Detective notebook

1. Define the problem/issue.

2. Research around the problem/issue.

3. Create a framework for your investigation.

4. Interview yourself and others.

5. Look for clues.

6. Make recommendations to yourself.

7. Undertake the necessary changes.

8. Reflect on the process.

9. Close the case.

Lippitt’s phase of change

(Created by American psychologist Ronald Lippitt in 1958)

My phases of change

1. Work out what the problem is.

2. Assess your capacity to make the change happen.

3. Assess your resources for the change.

4. Make an action plan and start up some strategies.

5. Make sure your role and the expectation of this role is clearly understood by all who need to know.

6. Work out ways to maintain the change.

7. If the change has now been activated, work out a way to withdraw from your role and invest your time and energy elsewhere.

Kotter’s 8-step process

(Created by author and professor John Kotter)

My 8-step change process

1. Establish a sense of urgency.

2. Develop enough tools and support to aid your change.

3. Design your own vision.

4. Tell others about your vision.

5. Remove the obstacles in your way (within reason!).

6. Plan short-term and achievable goals.

7. Consolidate your achievements.

8. Make sure the changes are recognised and validated by other people (as well as yourself).

Prochaska and Di Clemente’s stages of change model

James Prochaska and Carlo Di Clemente spent a lot of time looking at change from a background of weight management, smoking cessation and addictive behaviour. They identified different stages to change, each requiring a different time frame and a different set of skills, tools and interventions to help navigate through them.

Name of stage	Pre-contemplation
Description	I’m not ready or not willing or have no intention to change. I don’t see that there is a problem.
Avg. time scale	6 months+.
Possible skills/tools needed	Awareness (of the benefits of change).

Name of stage	Contemplation
Description	I’m beginning to see that there is a problem and I’m all set to start looking into it.
Avg. time scale	Within 6 months.
Possible skills/tools needed	Seeing the wider picture. Confidence. Motivation.

Continue reading

This interactive workbook and many more are avaliable free at My Self Detective: