Inspiring change - what's that all about?

For the last year I've added the tag line 'inspiring change - inside and out' whether here on my Purchasing Coach site, on my LinkedIn profile, or when using nature to inspire change over on Landscaping Your Life.

"Why inspiring change?" is a frequent question.

It originated from my answer to questions asked in many PSA meetings "what's your niche Alison" "what's your USP? "why you, and not Sarah over there?"

The answer has always been that I help people get unstuck and back on track: whether that's through the coaching I do, Supplier Management training I deliver, stakeholder influencing and communication, or the category management strategies I develop.

That is there's a gap between where someone, a team or project is, and where they want to be - along the lines of this graphic.

Yes I can, and do, get a project from A to B by my own actions but that's not my niche.

My niche is supporting and leading others on the journey from A to B.

To do that requires others to be motivated to let go of how they do what they do currently, and to do it differently. As motivation comes from being inspired that's where 'inspiring change' comes in.

The 'inside and out' is important because it's not just about 'doing' things differently on the outside, but also how you think on the inside - the emotional intelligence if you will behind the actions. Sustained changed can only take place if the beliefs and motivations are there to support that change.

My niche therefore is inspiring change inside and out - that in turn allows others to get to B, and learn from the experience so they can replicate that again.

Where I inspire change has predominately been in

• Procurement and 
• Personal development (in business and life more widely)

Blogs I've written that explore more about my thinking, and how I do what I do are listed below - just follow the hyper text link to find out more.

• Coaching - asking the right questions
• Coaching - why I use metaphors so much - gardening for supplier management, nature for life
• Enablers for effective team working
• Enablers for effective supplier management
• Enablers for effective category management
• Values and beliefs - because without tapping into these change won't take place 
• What's in a word - because language conveys so much meaning
• The case for soft skills, and my response to "I don't do soft skills"
• "Why do I have to change?"  - you don't if you're happy with the outcome you're getting at the moment 
• Enlightened procurement - time for a new archetype
• Service provision for 2016

If you're wanting someone or a team to move from A to B, and want them to be inspired to make changes, then do get in touch.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards

Alison Smith
Inspiring change inside and out
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159