Make Waves

Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life

Patti Johnson, Patti B. Johnson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781937134914
• eBook ISBN: 9781351861441
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Make Waves encourages readers to step up and be the one to initiate change in their work and lives. Author Patti Johnson walks readers through the tools and techniques that they can use to create change in their own situations. Johnson elaborates on these tools even further to give readers a sense of how to encourage and instill these "wave-making" behaviors in others within their organization. Using several diverse case studies as illustrative examples, Make Waves highlights the important steps that individuals at any level can take toward positive change. By reinforcing readers' desires to contribute and make a difference, Johnson connects on an individual level and bridges the gap between that desire and the actions necessary to realize bigger changes. Change can be big or small. It is the act of stepping up that Johnson embraces, as well as the ripple effect on those around. Interviews with famous Wave Makers, as well as everyday people, illustrate why it is important to be the one to start change. Wave Makers profiled include: Clint Hurdle: Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates; believes in positive attitude and culture and changes the MLB clubhouse; this year leading the Pirates to their first winning season since 1992. Charley Johnson: Started Pay It Forward foundation. Joe Nussbaum: Started Big Event at Texas A&M when in college in the '80s and has continued to grow; largest one-day college community service day in the country and has been adopted by over seventy universities. Emma Scheffler: High school soccer player who started Insulin Angels, a nonprofit for children diagnosed with diabetes, after her own diagnosis; feared her dream of college soccer was over, so engaged other students and local hospitals after thinking about how to make her diagnosis a positive. Allen Stephenson: Started Southern Tide at twenty-two-years old when in med school and followed a passion to create a clothing line; built momentum by creating interest and participation on southern college campuses; they are now growing rapidly and it started with a great polo shirt.

PART 1
What You Think

CHAPTER 1
What’s Your Wave?

Don’t make waves. Blend in. Wait your turn. Unless you want to start a change that matters— one that makes a real difference. Your career and contribution to the world depend on it.

Think of a “wave” as any change that begins with your decision to act and ripples outward, or as the transfer of energy that creates momentum and ultimately a positive impact. It may be a small decision or action at first, building as it goes.

Some waves are far reaching. Some are small ripples at first. Some waves happen inside organizations, while others sweep over a larger community or marketplace. The common denominator is that one person saw a need or opportunity and decided to be the one to start a change.

And, waves don’t have to begin with those who have the most important title or the greatest experience. The new professional, the first-time entrepreneur, the student, or the leader in a Fortune 500 company can all start a meaningful change.

FINDING YOUR WAVE

What change is waiting for you? When you come home, how do you finish the sentence, “If only we could …”? Finding your wave is essential to creating meaning in your work, building an impactful career, and turning your dreams into reality.

All around you, you see opportunities for impactful change. They’re at work and in your community— you see a neighborhood in need, a better way for your team to work, a new business idea, or a group of people who can help one another reach their goals.

The opportunity lies in the connection between what the world needs and what you can do. You have to see opportunity before you can make your wave happen. And it will take action from you.

“Companies don’t disrupt, people do.”

— Whitney Johnson, Dare, Dream, Do¹

Sure, there are some huge waves that we’ve all experienced. Steve Jobs was a Wave Maker™ who had an astounding impact on our culture and technology. His change was bigger than almost anyone could have imagined. But the size and impact of Steve Jobs’s wave is no reason to miss yours.

Waves are as unique as you are. You have something special to contribute. This book is written for you, whether your wave is big or small. We all have waves within us.

A VERY PERSONAL WAVE MAKER

Before we dive in, let me share my perspective on making waves, which changed after a very personal experience. Call it an “aha moment” or a turning point, after which I saw this book, and change, through a different lens. You see, for many years, my family had an up-close look at someone who made waves. And even though she is gone, her ripple effects continue. She was a true Wave Maker.

Last year, I received an urgent call from my husband, Jim. His mother, the matriarch of the family, had just had a massive heart attack. I knew from the tone of Jim’s voice that time was running out. Helen Johnson was a force of nature; full of ideas and plans, she was the center of the family. On that hot summer evening we looked at each other sadly, wondering what we’d do without her.

More family arrived and we sat around Helen’s huge oak dining table, as we had so many Sunday lunches and holidays in the past. We began to do what all families do at such times: we shared stories about her life and heard many new ones from friends and neighbors who came by to remember her too.

As a young girl, Helen had worked two and three jobs to put herself through college, and her siblings pooled their savings to ensure they all reached this goal too. She found her life’s work as a sixth-grade teacher, and she helped hundreds of children who needed not only guidance in the classroom but an adult who cared about them and shared supplies, encouragement, and support.

She and her husband, Ed, were heartbroken when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease upon his retirement. But Helen soon became an Alzheimer’s support group leader and she bolstered countless others when their loved ones received this devastating diagnosis. In her darkest hour, she made the decision to help others.

Despite her disappointments, Helen never lost her zest and love of life. She started a seniors group in her church, continued to take college classes and share what she learned with others, and tried social media because she wanted to be where her kids and grandkids were. She was always excitedly planning the next destination for her travel group, was the first to organize a get-together in honor of a friend, and was there for family members when they needed her most.

As we shared stories about Helen’s decisions and actions, which didn’t seem that significant when she made them, we realized that her ripple effects were astounding. Her decisions to help in so many situations started changes and reactions that went well beyond what she even knew.

Her ripples started with some very simple questions. In every situation, she asked herself, “What can I do?” and “How can I help?” Then, the hard part—she did it. Her habit of accountability and her bias for action are powerful lessons in how just one person can start important changes. Her actions led to significant changes not just in the groups she was part of, but in the lives of others, encouraging and lifting them up when they needed it most.

After the services, I dedicated myself to researching and studying individuals who have made waves. I asked trusted colleagues, “Who do you know that is a Wave Maker?” Many animatedly told me about people who had inspired them by starting big or small changes. I eagerly anticipated the interviews because of my colleagues’ enthusiasm in nominating their Wave Makers. They did not disappoint. I was riveted by stories of how these individuals began and sustained their changes, both big and small. After many conversations, I identified twenty-four Wave Makers to feature in this book. I studied their outlook, as well as the decisions they made and the actions they took when starting their changes. I hope their experiences will be as instructional and inspiring to you as they were to me.

WAVES BEGIN WITH “IF ONLY WE COULD…”

Let me share a few examples of how one person’s actions started a wave, either big or small. They all began with “If only we could…”

• The college student who organized a way to share wasted campus food with the homeless
• The female manager who built commitment and received funding to start a networking group that connects younger female professionals to senior mentors
• The young engineer with an idea for a process change that no one had considered, yet it improved both productivity and customer service
• The company vice president who translated her growth strategy into simple and clear outcomes, engaging more than three thousand employees to make the vision a reality
• The math teacher who convinced the school district to introduce an advanced math curriculum to better prepare students for college

These are diverse examples, and the planning and execution of each wave was different because of its varying scale and complexity. Yet, there are many common themes in the way the individuals who started these changes think, act, and engage with others.

Throughout this book, we’ll meet an eclectic group of Wave Makers who led a variety of changes that made life better for those around them. Clint Hurdle’s wave was changing the culture in a Major League clubhouse; Emma Scheffler, while a high school freshman, started a charity to help children and their families fearful about a diabetes diagnosis; and Brett Hurt’s wave was creating a new company based on open sharing of customer opinions and views.

We’ll learn from each of them as well as many others.

LEARNING ABOUT WAVES

Make Waves is based on the belief that we can all learn from one another’s waves. I believe that a university professor’s innovative way of creating a learning community is relevant for the new graduate; that a student’s founding of a community event that has grown for more than twenty-five years has relevance outside a college setting; and that an entrepreneur’s successful start-up holds valuable insights for leaders in the Fortune 500. Even though each change is different, there are common patterns, habits, and strategies that fuel those who start grassroots changes. Together, we’ll explore their meaning and discover how you can use these strategies to start your own wave

In many ways, starting a wave is more possible today than ever before. While there have been Wave Makers throughout history, there is a major shift underway that is changing how waves start and build momentum. Trends in culture, media, and technology are transforming the way we collaborate and share, which affects how we work together on any change. Access to information is being equalized so that anyone can have the same knowledge and influence, which is leveling hierarchies.

Recent graduates have very different preferences and expectations than those of other generations for how they consume information and engage with one another. They have grown up in a digital social world, able to share instantly with their circle and beyond. Technology options that didn’t exist just a few years ago are creating new expectations about how people communicate and work together. It’s time to reconsider your old assumptions— we’ll examine them here.

After we take a fresh look at possibilities, we’ll explore how you actually start your change and build momentum. There isn’t a step-by-step formula for starting a wave, but there are strategies to help you and lessons to learn from those who’ve done it. I always encourage my clients to take touted “best practices” and learn from them, but translate them only if they fit. The same is true for your wave.

Think, too, about the Wave Makers you already know. Who have you watched start a wave? What actions did they take to make it successful? How did they react when their wave hit a wall? Adding your own observations and experiences to the stories in Make Waves will bring you new insights, and you’ll see that successful waves are happening all around you.

Make Waves is designed to give you the confidence and tools you need to get started and to challenge some of your long– held assumptions. In my work advising leaders about organizational change, I see much conventional wisdom that needs to be revisited; we’ll question our beliefs on the traditional way of doing things.

We’ll also look at how Wave Makers realized their goals in spite of setbacks and bumps along the way. We’ll learn how to assess your setbacks, regroup, and find your Plan B.

WAVES WITHIN WAVES

If you are part of an organization, there is a good chance there...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• PART 1: What You Think
• PART 2: What You Know
• PART 3: What You Do
• PART 4: Inspiration
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About the Author