DATA, CONSULTING, AND WEIGHT LOSS

Today’s blog is all about data. Being a group exercise instructor in the fitness industry always has me looking into the latest thing, and while I’m not a firm believer in quick fixes, Tim Ferriss’s The 4 Hour Body has a really strong data component that really got me excited.

WHAT’S FAT GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Earlier this month we were preparing to deliver a Change Management Course, and one of the key themes was that you cannot effectively change an organization with big sweeping changes all at once. The key to success is many people implementing many small changes that contribute to the overall goal. Click to Tweet

Have you ever wondered why there is so much resistance to change?

Often organizations implement changes and they are met with resistance – [enter surly employee: “This idea is STUPID and is never going to work”]. By understanding how people deal with change and applying that understanding to your transformation will make your project far more successful.

VARIATION IS EVIL!

So, the 4HB has this great story about a man who tracked his weight loss using a target weight loss, maximum acceptable weight loss, and minimum acceptable weight loss. And although he didn’t make HUGE changes to his diet and exercise, he consistently lost weight. And he chalked it up to a year’s worth of tiny incremental changes. Tiny changes are way easier than big changes, right?

I chalk it up to the fact that people respond well to numbers and controls and, that VARIATION IS EVIL….but that’s Ruth’s line so I’m going to let her do a whole blog post on that.

SO WHAT? My point is, if you want to see some changes. Start by tracking your data. You might see a change without even really trying. Change by osmosis. See Ruth’s previous post on process improvement by osmosis here. Apparently you can do almost anything without really trying.

Until next week…..
Nicole
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