Need to change? Get FRED

As an OD and career transition consultant, I work with organizations and individuals who are surfing the transitions of change. Because of this, and because I have had a life-long obsession with the nature of change, I am attuned to change stories. Luckily such stories abound if you are ready for them.

A friend of mine has been leading a change effort since last year. He and a small group of others have been creating a brand new non-profit organization. Their efforts were born out of a disaster I won’t go into here. Suffice to say, they were angered enough by what happened, that they decided to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of the debacle they experienced. They made the decision to start working on it a year ago and have been striving toward this goal with determination.

The most adept transitionists I know, like my friend, seem to have FRED. FRED stands for focus, resilience, energy, and drive.

Focus – Focus is the fixation on goals that matter, that are meaningful, and that, if achieved, will improve lives.

Resilience – Resilience is the ability to come back from adversity, to bounce back, and to rise up stronger than before.

Energy – Energy is the strength and vitality needed to keep going, even in the face of obstacles, pushing through toward your goals.

Drive – Drive is the inner engine of “fire in the belly,” the hunger and motivation to stay alive and thrive.

Back in 2007, a colleague and I did something similar when we started a new outreach ministry at our church. The idea was to provide resources to help people who were out of work. The resources would be provided by a core team of volunteers who offered their time and talent as coaches. When the Great Recession hit in 2008, we were there. The ministry has been in operation ever since, helping many people.

FRED helped us to build that ministry from nothing. And through the ministry, we have been teaching the FRED principles to hundreds.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on May 31, 2013

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