I’m masked up in Melbourne, and marching around my local neighbourhood for my midday break. The sun is out, and so are most of the neighbours. We’re all wearing face masks, ranging from stylish designer to handmade original to the basic disposable model. 

There’s also some fancy footwork on display as we work out how to avoid each other on the pavement. Veer right, veer left, or cross the road?  Social distancing takes effort in the suburbs.

If you’d told me in March that we’d be walking around like this, I wouldn’t have believed you.  These new social norms have arrived at warp speed, and now we all ‘Walk This Way’.

Change is usually so hard. The process of change takes time. It requires effort and commitment. Introducing change is a challenge because we’re creatures of habit, and habits are hard to break. Most of us need a good prod to get us moving in any new direction.  Not surprisingly, there’s a mountain of research on the science of behavioural change, armies of consultants who specialise in helping leaders to drive it, and coaches for individuals keen to adapt how they behave in an effort to achieve their own personal goals.

But this year in Melbourne, we’ve all stepped up and made change happen. If Team Melbourne was a corporate, we’d ace the Transformation Champions award, and add ‘successful change agent’ to our cv’s.

Not to minimise the complexity of change, but one component, the motivational ‘What’s In It For Me?’, has played a big part.  With new awareness about how a virus spreads, we got the message that social distancing and wearing a mask could help keep us safe.  The personal benefit is clear, albeit reinforced with the consequence of a hefty fine. The majority of us comply because nobody wants COVID, and peer pressure helps convert the resisters. ‘Walk This Way’ just makes good sense to us.

So if you’re a resident of Melbourne, you’re now officially a Master of Change. Want to apply the same process to other parts of your life?  Before you start off on the path to change, ask yourself why you want to, aka ‘What’s In It For Me?’

Why bother with the effort of making a change if you’re ambivalent about the outcome? What’s the risk of continuing to stay the same, versus the reward if the change is successful? What is in it for you? And yes – I’m asking you as your coach.

Applied to your career, it could be the risk/reward of taking on a new role, changing how you communicate, stepping up to a new challenge, or joining a new organisation.

Applied to your team, it’s likely to be the risk/reward of any change you’re about to impose on them.  ‘What’s in it for THEM?’  You might see the benefits really clearly, but do they?   If you really want them to be a support team, what do they need to know if they’re going to agree to ‘Walk This Way’ with you, and Aerosmith?