Certain advice, in the form of beliefs, statements and convictions, keep being brought up by leaders in our seminars and feedback sessions. What follows is Part Three of our series dealing with beliefs that are critical to personal and organizational success in the areas of Change, Choice, Behavior, Self Responsibility and Accountability

• There are Four Stages in the life of every successful Change process – from the smallest to the largest.  They are Enthusiasm, followed by Frustration, followed by Renewal, followed by Success.  They always occur in this order. The second stage, Frustration, is the graveyard of most failed Change initiatives.

• The single best way to create commitment and alignment of effort in change situations in any organization is through a goal setting process that starts with macro goals and creates the opportunity for every person in the organization to set individual goals that support the big organizational goals. You gotta take those Big Hairy Audacious Goals and size them so everyone can get their arms around them if you want success.

• People don't resist change – they really resist attempts at being changed!

• The most difficult kind of change is to change behavior – but it is the most effective and the highest leverage kind of change.

• The ability of an organization's people to support and embrace change is its single biggest source of competitive advantage.

• The middle 80 to 90% of the people in any organization represent the biggest single opportunity for increased competitive advantage – and the most challenging.

• Follow the 24 Hour Rule! When faced with a life altering piece of news, or any other event that demands a response – be it about health, career, family – step back for at least 24 hours and process it – do not make decisions during this period of time. If others press you to – resist.  There are a very few situations that won't allow a 24 hour period for processing.

• Small changes lead to big changes. Identify the big change demands  – then start with small incremental changes. Most people think in terms of big change – lose 100 pounds; quit smoking; learn a language; get a new job. Those are great, but they are made up of a series of small changes – the snack we replace with a 10- minute walk, the book we read every month instead of watching TV. And the sum of those small changes is huge!

• The key to any change is to act – today.

• When starting anything new, write down your first impressions, how you feel, the way you look at people and problems ---whatever you think is important. Put it away – don't look at it for a month – then read it and be amazed at how much progress you have made and how your perspective has changed. Write a new letter and wait another month to read that one. Prepare to be amazed at yourself!

• Choice – to about 30 percent of the population the idea that personal choice is part of every action is a very liberating and exciting concept. It is of equal importance to realize that for the remaining 70 percent it is a scary and threatening concept!

• Always assure that accountability is clear. There must always be a single person accountable for every project, function and responsibility. Where accountability is not clear, the risk of failure is high and the opportunity for recognition in success is low.

• You do not have to pay someone else's dues – only your own. Beware the vague "you gotta pay your dues" advice. That advice is usually just code for "You're not going to be successful faster than I have been."

• You are responsible for your own choices, actions and decisions – in all cases – without exception – always.

• Victims blame others for problems; leaders fix the problem. Find the lessons to be learned and see the same thing doesn't happen again, and press on.

• You are responsible for your own success at work. It may be tempting to turn that responsibility over to someone else, but remember, assuming you can find someone willing to take that responsibility, their idea of success for you and your idea are probably very different!

• By the time you realize you have been complaining about your job or your boss or your career, be aware that you have been behaving like that for some time, and you may be "toxic" to others around you.  If you can't change that behavior, get out and start over somewhere else –with the experience having taught you something.

Share these pieces of advice with your own universe of people. Be amazed at how effective they can be as a tool to begin discussions on issues of personal success and organizational success.