Fundamentally, we can all agree that the man had surpassed a state of worry and stress; it's probably safe to assume that he was mentally fatigued, emotionally distraught, and physically worn by the battle to secure some sense of normality for his drama-ridden son. Then there was the fight to get just one night of restful sleep. It's really not so uncommon for us to find ourselves at an intellectual impasse when we've had to deal with the same situation for an extended period of time. I'm sure just like many of us, this man probably initially thought that it was the boy who had the problem. We tend to do that you know, think that we are just fine, it's everyone else that's crazy: that co-worker or employee that can't seem to understand your instructions, the spouse that always has an argument, the family member that is always causing the family grief and embarrassment, or like this dad, the child that can't get right. And like many of us, we pray that God will change them, help them, heal them. But like this dad, we have to come to the realization like the old church would say "It's me, it's me, it's me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer." In his last ditch effort, he does two critically important things: 1. cries out to Jesus; 2. opens himself up to the process of change.
Intentional Change is achieved through a five-part process. An individual or group that seeks to change must:
1. envision a desirable and achievable future;
2. come to terms with their real selves and acknowledge the discrepency between real selves and the ideal they are trying to become;
3. develop a plan for how to reach the goals;
4. experiment with new behaviors;
5. create a support network that encourages new behavior.
These five steps lead to sustainable changes in habits, preceptions and mood, they in turn enhance one's abilities to understand their own and other's emotions. Putting ITC into practice can significantly develop emotional and social intelligence or what is termed 'Resonant Leadership' or being non-judgmentally mindful of where people are at the present time while guiding them to become more.
Intentional Change Theory is attributed to Dr. Richard Boytazis. ICT article taken from the Korn/Ferry Intitute Briefings on Talent and Leadership.
