We hear a lot about change these days. The discussion usually centers around how to get organizations to change, how to get departments to communicate more effectively with each other, or how to get people who’ve never been very – what’s the word I’m looking for? – skilled… to somehow manifest the will to get better at the exact moment it’s needed. (I’m pretty sure that’s the storyline of a few Disney movies.)

If we are honest with ourselves, it has been our experience that true personal change is not only hard, it’s downright rare. We have all heard that people never really change, so it’s built into our belief system that personal behavioral change is a bit of myth. Similarly, change within an organization poses distinct challenges. For instance, you can’t change a department or the whole company with just a better process or inspirational idea. For real change to happen, real people have to change.