Damian Hughes - How to Change Absolutely Anything ; Practical Techniques to Make Real and Lasting Changes

Praise for Damian Hughes

I remember how it felt as a young child to be told that I was losing my hearing. I was scared, worried and concerned. I soon realised there was no point in mourning the loss of my hearing but instead I began to find excitement in discovering new ways to change. Damian Hughes tells you how to make the same journey.

Dame Evelyn Glennie, classical musician

The world depends on people who are prepared to challenge conventions and accepted wisdom. Damian Hughes can give you the necessary courage to do so.

Sir Roger Bannister

I would encourage you to listen to Damian Hughes, implement his ideas and then enjoy being amazed at the power you possess to become a true change catalyst.

Tim Smit CBE, founder of The Eden Project

I defy anyone not to be inspired and moved by Damians belief in people and their potential.

Kim Morgan, Managing Director, Barefoot Coaching

Damian Hughes is a catalyst to help you take the steps required to creating real, lasting and sustainable change in your life or in the world about you.

Tom Bloxham MBE, entrepreneur

Using thought-provoking and inspiring stories Damian has challenged and inspired us and more importantly given us a common language which we all can use.

Emma Mirrington, Head of Talent, Mars Chocolate UK

Ive learned that you only get out of life what you are prepared to put in. If you are prepared to listen to Damian with an eager and open mind, you will be successful.

Steve Williams, caddy to Tiger Woods

I would encourage you to use Damian to challenge and make you think about situations in your life where you can take a lead, whatever your current status or position. You will surprise yourself with your true abilities.

Bill Sweetenham, National Performance Director, Great Britain swimming team

Damian Hughes captures many important lessons about how to deal with change. I have no hesitation in recommending him as a fantastic guide to accompany you on your own journey.

Tony Smith, Head Coach, Warrington Wolves, England and Great Britain national rugby league team

DAMIAN HUGHES

Skyhorse Publishing

Damian Hughes 2012

Licensed for sale in USA and its dependencies only; American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands and Canada.

This edition of HOW TO CHANGE ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING is published by arrangement with Pearson Education Limited.

Copyright 2013 by Damian Hughes

Cartoons by Bill Piggins

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62087-790-6

Printed in the United States of America

Damian Hughes is Professor of Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is also a change management consultant, sports psychologist and founder of LiquidThinker Ltd. Working with a wide range of industries, high profile sports teams, and individuals, his innovative, engaging and effective approaches to the understanding and application of change have had clear and demonstrable impact. His work, showing how the methods of big achievers can be applied by anybody to realise ambition and reach full potential, has received significant recognition and acclaim.

We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

The Paradoxical Commandments on pp 1367 are reprinted by permission of the author. Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001. The Paradoxical Commandments were written by Kent M. Keith as part of his book, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council, published in 1968 by Harvard Student Agencies, Cambridge, Massachusetts. More information is available at www.paradoxicalcommandments.com

In some instances we have been unable to trace the owners of copyright material and we would appreciate any information that would enable us to do so.

Maybe you want your team to do things differently at work. Perhaps you have an idea that youre struggling to get others to back. You could want to persuade your boss to agree to a proposal. Maybe you want to get your family to improve their health or communicate better. It could be that you want to change something about your childs school or the local community. Maybe its closer to home and you want to change something very personal to you such as get promoted or lose weight. In short, this is about any change you want to see happen.

Usually these topics are treated separately there is change management advice for businesses, self-help advice for individuals and change the world advice for activists. This is a shame because all change has something fundamental in common: for anything to change, someone has to start acting differently. Ultimately, all change efforts boil down to the same mission: can you start behaving in a new way and influence others to do the same?

I know what youre thinking its so difficult, and people resist change. But thats not always true. In our lives, we actively choose to make lots of big changes: we have babies, start new relationships, get married, move home, get a new gadget or adopt new technology, and seek out new job roles. Meanwhile, other behaviours are maddeningly resistant. Smokers keep smoking, kids grow fatter and men still forget to put the toilet seat down.

So why do we actively choose some fairly major changes, but actively resist others? And what about those special people who change everything they touch like magic? Those who can turn something around without breaking sweat? How do they do it?

Theres a story about the great artist Pablo Picasso. One day a woman spotted him in the market and pulled out a piece of paper. Mr Picasso, she said excitedly, Im a big fan. Please, could you do a little drawing for me? Picasso happily complied and quickly made a sketch for her on the paper. As he handed it back, he smiled and told her to take care of it. That will be worth a million dollars one day. The woman looked flustered and said, But it only took you 30 seconds to do it. Picasso laughed, But it has taken me 30 years to be able to do it in 30 seconds.

Like Picasso, the people who seem to be able effortlessly to change their careers, lives, workplaces, change minds, change the status quo, are people who have spent years learning how to do it. And the aim of this book is to deliver to you a fasttrack guide to how they do it, so you can too.