TEDxPerth - Jason Clarke - Embracing Change

Summary

In this TED Talk, the speaker addresses the common resistance to change and the excuses people make to avoid it. They explore the psychological barriers, such as fear and uncertainty, that prevent individuals from embracing new ideas. The speaker offers strategies to overcome these barriers, emphasizing the importance of genuine change that is culturally rooted and voluntarily accepted. By challenging the audience to consider their legacy and the impact they want to make, the talk inspires a reevaluation of one's approach to innovation and personal growth.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker emphasizes the common resistance to new ideas and change, illustrating how initial enthusiasm often meets with familiar objections.
• 💡 The script challenges the validity of typical resistance phrases, suggesting they are not real reasons but rather excuses that can be easily refuted.
• 🚧 The speaker identifies seven classic reasons why people resist change, offering insight into the emotional and psychological barriers that need to be addressed.
• 🤔 The importance of understanding the difference between being scared of the transition versus the idea itself is highlighted, as it helps in addressing the root of resistance.
• 🔑 The concept of 'authorship' over 'ownership' is introduced as a powerful method to empower individuals to take control of change rather than just accepting it.
• 🏡 The 'renovator's delight' technique is presented as a way to engage people in redesigning their environment, thereby making change their own idea and more palatable.
• 👥 The speaker argues against the misconception that people inherently hate change, suggesting instead that they are hungry for meaningful and genuine change.
• 📈 The script points out that people often spend a significant amount of their time in organizations avoiding blame and seeking safety, rather than achieving real outcomes.
• 🤝 The difference between 'real change' and 'fake change' is crucial, with the former being cultural and offered, and the latter being structural and forced.
• 🧭 The speaker concludes by posing a choice between maintaining the status quo or making a difference, asserting that people fundamentally desire to contribute meaningfully.
• 🌐 The final message is one of empowerment, urging individuals to consider their legacy and the impact they want to have, rather than simply adhering to existing norms.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the TED Talk presented in the transcript?

The main theme of the TED Talk is overcoming resistance to change and understanding the barriers that prevent people from embracing new ideas and innovations.

What does the speaker suggest are the common but not real reasons people give for not accepting change?

The speaker suggests that common excuses like 'we've always done it this way', 'it's too complicated', 'it's not in the budget', and 'it's political' are not real reasons but rather excuses that can be easily refuted.

What are the seven classic reasons why people resist change according to the speaker?

The speaker does not explicitly list all seven reasons in the provided transcript, but mentions that people resist change due to being overwhelmed by emotions and fear, feeling unprepared for the transition, not understanding the scale of the change, not seeing how they fit into the change, and being disillusioned with false promises of change.

How does the speaker describe the process of dealing with a group of people who were fired just before a workshop?

The speaker describes allowing the group to express their negative feelings, then guiding them to recognize the positives and opportunities that arose from the situation, ultimately leading to them finding better jobs and forming a support group.

What is the 'Renovator's Delight' technique mentioned by the speaker?

The 'Renovator's Delight' technique involves asking four questions: What would you keep? What would you chuck? What would you change? What do you want to add? This empowers people to take authorship of the change and design it for themselves.

Why does the speaker argue that people do not inherently hate change?

The speaker argues that people do not hate change because various industries like fashion, tourism, fitness, and beauty thrive on the desire for change. The issue is not with change itself but with the authenticity and substance of the change being offered.

What does the speaker suggest is the fundamental human need that drives people to seek change?

The speaker suggests that the fundamental human need is to contribute and make a difference, which drives people to seek change rather than just maintaining the status quo.

How does the speaker differentiate between real and fake change?

The speaker differentiates real change from fake change by examining whether the change is genuine and if it involves a cultural shift rather than just structural changes. Real change is also offered rather than forced.

What is the importance of distinguishing between real and fake change according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, distinguishing between real and fake change is important because it helps to avoid disappointment and disillusionment, and it allows people to identify and embrace opportunities for meaningful change.

What does the speaker propose as the choice people have to make regarding change?

The speaker proposes that people have to choose between closing their minds and losing opportunities for change or opening their minds and risking disappointment for the chance to make a difference.

How does the speaker summarize the core message of the TED Talk?

The speaker summarizes the core message by emphasizing that everyone has the choice to either maintain the status quo or to make a difference, and that the fundamental human desire is to contribute meaningfully during their time.

Outlines

00:00

🚧 Overcoming Resistance to Change

The speaker begins by setting the stage for the discussion on change, highlighting the initial excitement and the subsequent resistance one often encounters when proposing new ideas. They describe the typical responses that dismiss change, such as 'it's always been done this way' or 'we don't have the budget for it.' The speaker emphasizes that these are not valid reasons and are easily refuted. They delve into the real reasons behind resistance, which are emotional and fear-based, and offer insights into how to address these concerns, such as acknowledging people's feelings and providing clarity on the change process.

05:02

🤔 The Psychological Aspects of Change

This paragraph delves into the psychological reactions to change, focusing on the emotional states of those affected. The speaker discusses the importance of recognizing and addressing the fear and uncertainty that accompany change. They provide examples of how to navigate these emotions, such as by validating feelings and transitioning from negativity to a more constructive dialogue. The speaker also introduces the concept of the 'interesting space,' where innovation and creativity can thrive, and contrasts it with the binary view of change as either good or bad.

10:03

🛠️ Empowering Change Through Authorship

The speaker shifts the focus to how change can be managed more effectively by empowering individuals to take ownership of the change process. They argue that giving people the 'authorship' of change, allowing them to contribute to its design and implementation, is more effective than simply assigning them to 'own' a pre-defined change. The 'renovator's delight' technique is introduced as a method for engaging people in deciding what to keep, change, or discard in the process of transformation.

15:04

🌟 The Desire for Genuine and Cultural Change

In the final paragraph, the speaker addresses the misconception that people inherently hate change. They argue that people are not opposed to change but rather seek genuine, culturally transformative change, as opposed to superficial or structural changes. The speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between real and fake change and the need for change to be culturally rooted and voluntarily embraced. They conclude by reflecting on the human desire to make a meaningful difference and the choice each individual has to either maintain the status quo or contribute positively to change.

Keywords

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. In the context of the video, innovation is the driving force behind the desire to break through traditional barriers and implement new ideas or technologies. The speaker emphasizes the importance of innovation in overcoming resistance to change, as it represents a 'better way' of doing things.

💡Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is the reluctance or opposition to accept new ideas, methods, or changes in general. The video discusses this concept extensively, highlighting that people often use various excuses to avoid change, such as 'it's always been like this' or 'it's too complicated.' The speaker seeks to debunk these excuses and encourages finding ways to overcome this resistance.

💡Tradition

Tradition refers to beliefs, customs, or practices handed down from generation to generation. In the video, tradition is presented as one of the barriers to change, with people often citing 'it's traditional' as a reason to maintain the status quo. The speaker challenges this notion, suggesting that tradition should not be a reason to avoid necessary change.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of giving individuals or groups more control over their own lives or decisions. The speaker mentions empowerment as a key component of real change, suggesting that when people are given the power to make decisions about change, they are more likely to embrace it. This is illustrated through the 'renovator's delight' technique, where people are asked what they would keep, change, or add if they were renovating their organization.

💡Authorship

Authorship in this context refers to the act of creating or being responsible for something, particularly the process of change. The speaker contrasts authorship with ownership, arguing that people are more likely to accept change when they have a hand in designing it themselves. This is a critical concept in the video, as it suggests that giving people the role of authors of change can lead to greater acceptance and success.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to perceived threats or danger. The video identifies fear as a significant factor in resistance to change, with people often being scared of the transition rather than the idea itself. The speaker provides examples from the script, such as people feeling scared, angry, betrayed, or stupid after being fired, to illustrate how fear can influence reactions to change.

💡Cultural Change

Cultural change involves altering the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors within a group or organization. The speaker argues that true change is not just structural, such as changing an organization chart, but also involves a shift in culture. This is a key point in the video, as it suggests that lasting change requires a transformation in the way people think and act.

💡Status Quo

Status quo refers to the existing state of affairs or the current situation. In the video, the status quo is depicted as a comfortable but potentially flawed state that people are reluctant to leave. The speaker challenges the audience to consider whether maintaining the status quo is truly the best course of action, advocating for the pursuit of change that can lead to improvement.

💡Achievement

Achievement is the act of accomplishing a task or goal. The speaker suggests that people are often more focused on avoiding blame and staying out of trouble than on actual achievement. This concept is central to the video's message, as it encourages the audience to seek real change that leads to meaningful accomplishments rather than merely protecting the status quo.

💡Legacy

Legacy refers to the lasting impact or influence someone has after their lifetime. In the video, the speaker asks the audience to consider their legacy, implying that people should strive to make a positive and lasting difference during their time. This concept ties into the video's theme of overcoming resistance to change in order to create a meaningful impact.

💡Phony Change

Phony change is a term used in the video to describe change that is superficial or insincere, often used as a guise for maintaining the status quo. The speaker warns against accepting change that is not genuine, as it can lead to disappointment and a loss of trust. This concept is crucial in the video's argument for seeking and recognizing real, meaningful change.

Highlights

The speaker introduces the concept of a 'new way of seeing the world' presented at TED Talks, which often faces resistance.

Common responses to new ideas are identified as excuses not to change, rather than real reasons.

The speaker refutes common resistance phrases, such as 'It's always been like this', by arguing they are not valid arguments against change.

The importance of understanding the real reasons behind resistance to change is emphasized, including emotional and fear-based responses.

The 'seven classic reasons why people resist change' are introduced as a framework for understanding resistance.

A personal story is shared about a group of people who were fired, illustrating how to navigate emotional responses to change.

The concept of focusing on the positives, interesting aspects, and negatives of change is discussed as a method for processing emotions.

The idea that people naturally have a neutral stance towards change, which can be influenced by external reactions, is presented.

The speaker explains the difference between fearing the transition versus the idea itself, and how to address this fear.

A method for categorizing change into four 'doors' is introduced to help people understand and accept change.

The importance of giving people authorship over change, rather than just ownership, is discussed as a strategy for successful implementation.

The 'renovator's delight' technique is presented as a way to empower people to design their own change within an organization.

The speaker challenges the notion that people inherently hate change, providing examples from various industries where change is embraced.

The difference between real and fake change is explored, with an emphasis on the importance of genuine transformation.

The speaker discusses the impact of how change is presented, whether it is offered or forced, on its success.

A final call to action is made, encouraging individuals to choose to make a difference rather than simply maintaining the status quo.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Adam Authier Reviewer: Denise RQ

This is where it starts.

Someone gets up at a TED Talk and says, "Behold, we don't have to do it like this.

I've got a better idea. There's another way.

There's another technology. There's a new way of seeing the world."

The new guys go, "Wow, that's fantastic. We'll go out and create change."

You can't wait to go to your workplace

or go back to the people that you live with and say,

"Rejoice my people. There is a better way.

It doesn't have to be this way."

You're expecting the whole world to go, "Fantastic, it's going to change."

This is what you hear.

You go, "Come on, we can do this, we can totally do this."

They go, "No. You know what? Because we've done it before,"

or "Now's not a good time," or "We haven't got the money,"

or "It's been done", "It's never been done."

That's not the way we do things around here. It's not part of the charter.

It's traditional. It's complicated. It's political."

Do you recognize any of these?

Of course, they're all different ways of saying this,

of saying, "It's not going to happen."

What I've been doing - I work in the innovation space,

I'm interested in this wall, and how do we get past this wall.

How do we take our passion and our ideas and actually make them happen?

I've been trying to figure out,

what this wall is made of, and how do we get past it?

If we can't get past it, go under it, go around it, or just smash through it.

The first thing you need to know: these aren't real reasons.

These aren't real reasons.

That becomes pretty clear because they're so easy to refute.

If I say for example, "It's always been like this",

what does that mean?

It means the problem is older than you think it is.

It's not an argument for not changing it now.

It's a reason why we should've changed it 20 years ago.

When they say, "It's the same everywhere,"

what they're really saying is the problem is broader and wider than you think;

it isn't an argument or not fixing it here but an argument for fixing it everywhere.

When they say for example, "It's not in the budget,"

it means we've spent the money in the wrong places.

When they say, "It's not in the charter,"

what they're saying is the people who were supposed to provide the vision

weren't thinking as big as you.

When they say, "It's political," what they're saying is,

"I've learned to keep my ideas to myself."

(Laughter)

When they say, "It's just traditional," what they're saying is,

"Actually, I don't know why we're doing this,

but it's always been that way."

(Laughter)

The thing is they are so easy to refute.

When they say things like, "It's too complicated,"

you say, "I can make it simpler for you."

When they say, "You know what, it just sounds like it's too simple,"

you say, "That's OK, I'll make it more complicated."

(Laughter)

My favorite one, a friend of mine got this one the other day,

"This isn't what we pay you to do."

His answer was, "That's OK, this one's a freebie."

(Laughter)

If these aren't the real reasons, then what are?

What are the real reasons? "No."

No one will tell you what the real reasons are,

but I've been collecting them.

I'm going to show you the seven classic reasons why people resist change

and what to do about them.

"I'm too full of emotion and fear

to think about what you're talking about."

This is a big one.

"This has all come as a huge shock."

That just means, "Thanks for the heads up.

No one told me about it, and now I'm just dealing with horror."

"I'm scared of the transition not the idea."

Very often, we think they don't like the idea;

what they're really worried about is the journey to the idea.

"I don't know how big a deal this change really is."

"I don't see how I fit into any of this."

"I feel like I have no say in what happens."

This is really what people are saying.

The one that cracks me up, the big one is this one,

"I'm fed up with phony change. I want the real thing."

Very often, when people are saying, "No it won't work,"

they're not saying they don't want change but "I want change that's real.

I want something I can believe in."

Let me take you through these one at a time.

I was dealing with a group of people

who were supposed to be planning the future of their organization,

and 20 minutes before I turned up, they all got fired.

The organizer said, "Maybe we don't want to do the workshop now,

because it was going to be about the future."

I said, "No, actually, this is more of a reason to have it now.

We just have a different context; what will the future be for these people?

Every time something happens or there's a change, there's

three basic ways you can go about it, "I want to see the positives,"

"I want to see what's interesting about it,"

or, "I just want to focus on the negatives."

These people who've just been fired? What do you think? The negatives.

Instead of trying to change their minds to help embrace their change,

I just said, "How do you feel about it?"

These were the four things,

"I feel scared", "I'm angry," "I feel betrayed", "I feel stupid."

I let them talk for about 15 minutes,

and everything that came out of them was a variation on that same four.

I'd write them down, and I say, "Have you got anything new?"

After 15 minutes they're exhausted.

There was nothing else to say about the negativity.

Then they started saying, "I knew this was happening.

I've never liked it here.

I've only been putting up with this job out of sufferance.

I need a good push, and is the best that could've happened to me."

They got there by themselves, with me only ratifying their feelings.

I was just listening to how they felt.

Then, before I knew it, they were here, saying, "This was great.

I'll go back to study. I'll travel.

Why don't we build a little support group and keep in touch with each other?"

All of them have got better jobs, and they all keep in touch.

They went through this whole thing

of what's the negatives, the interestings, and the positives.

If you've ever seen a small child running and falling over,

he doesn't know for a short while whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.

They're not sure. Have you noticed?

They just sit there in this neutral space like, "OK, this is different."

(Laughter)

What will happen is, if dad says, "That was funny,"

then the kid gets up and does it again.

If mum runs up and goes, "Oh, my darling, are you OK?"

the kid goes, "I don't think so."

(Laughter)

As children, we have this positive/ interesting/negative space.

This interesting space is where the artist is,

it's where the innovator is, it's where the inventor is.

They'll say, "This is unusual. What can we do with this?"

As we get older we compress that space,

and we see everything in terms of this dichotomy between good and bad.

This is good, this is bad.

Our default is to rate every change as being bad.

This is a way of people to understand, to audit their emotions about this state.

What about this?

"I'm scared of the transition. I'm not scared about the idea."

I used to think it was about saying,

"This is what we're doing at the moment, it's not good.

This is where we should be going, it's way better."

I've realized the way we do things now has a couple of good things going for them.

The status quo is all of these things; it is known, it is proven, it's familiar.

Sure it's insane, but we know how to do it.

We don't have to adjust anything. It's crazy but it's what we do.

You've heard that argument?

Whereas, what's the problem with B? It's all of this stuff.

It's unproven, it's uncertain, it's freaky.

Someone told me once, "Everyone's afraid of something."

It's very true. We've all got something we're afraid of.

It could be failure, ridicule, or clowns. I don't care what it is.

In the unknown, the thing you're scared of could be there.

I'm scared of math. I'm innumerate.

Any change where I have to do some numbers, I get very concerned about.

If the unknown contains math, I'm nervous.

How do we solve that problem? It's pretty easy.

Between where we are, and where we're going to get to

is all of this stuff.

This is foreseeable, predictable stuff. We know about this.

I'm someone who I don't like flying very much.

I like coming to Perth, but I don't like getting to Perth.

What happens if I have a really turbulent flight?

If the captain says, "It's going to be bumpy, get over it," I'm fine.

If he says nothing,

I'm imagining at the front of the plane the cockpit's on fire,

and he's madly trying to control us from going...

Because I'm not being told.

This is the trick, it's giving people the heads up,

"It'll be bumpy. It'll be weird.

Fasten your seat belts, this'll be the ride."

"I don't know how big a deal this change really is."

I love this one: you think about this idea of four doors.

The first door are the things we used to be able to do and can still do.

People list, "What are things we could before the change that we could still do?

I know one organization that said to its staff,

"You're going to be working from home and whatever hours you like."

Everybody freaked out.

We said, "OK, what are the things that won't change?

Will we still have email? Will we still make phone calls?

Will we still be in this same business?", "Yes."

A long list of things that weren't going to change.

Everyone calms down.

Door number two are the things we couldn't do before and still can't do.

Make a list, "We can't put poison in our product,

and I suppose we can't cheat, lie, steal, or that kind of thing."

That's also a long list.

Door number three are the things we could do before and can't do now.

In this case, it was get stuck in peak hour traffic

and have long meetings that go nowhere.

Gosh, could you sacrifice those?

You can for door number four. That's a door that's only recently opened.

These are the things we couldn't do before but we can do now.

It means I can make my job suit my lifestyle.

I can get away from this work-life balance thing

and start thinking work-life harmony.

You see some sense in this?

What we're really ask you to do is say,

"Guess what? This is what we currently do. This is all the stuff that won't change.

This is the stuff we're asking you to let go of.

This is the stuff you get to do in exchange."

Suddenly, everybody calms down.

They can see the change's got edges to it. "I don't see how I fit in any of this."

People feel like they're not being consulted.

The key to this is the difference between authorship and ownership.

What we do is we say to people, "Here is the change. Own the change.

Gosh, why aren't people having ownership of the change?"

You've seen this happen. I'll say, "Here's why we've got to change.

Here's what has to change. Here's how it's got to change.

You report to me, and by the way, I want you to own it."

It doesn't work. What works is authorship.

If you say, "Here's why we have to change. Here are some things that have to change.

You tell me how. You tell me how you're going to make it work."

You give them authorship.

You empower them to design the change for themselves.

Suddenly, they're not responding to change but taking control of change.

Here's one of my favorite techniques for this, called the renovator's delight.

If you think about it, have you ever renovated a house?

What did you keep? What did you chuck? What did you change? What did you add?

They're the only four questions.

We talk to organizations and say, "Take this tool.

What would you do? What would you keep?"

They say, "We'd keep our values, passion, our enthusiasm, our best people.

"What would you chuck?"

"We'd chuck our negativity. We'd chuck our systems.

We'd get rid of the bureaucracy and the red tape."

"What would you change?"

"We'd change our culture, our attitude, our thinking."

"What do you want to add?"

"We want to add empowerment, innovation, creativity, and fun."

Guess what?

They've just designed all the things

we thought we'd have to convince them to do.

Now it's their idea.

Can you see the power in this? They've been given authorship.

They're given the power to make the change.

"Yeah, but people hate change." Don't they?

If this is true, we've got to tell the fashion industry right away.

They are based entirely on the idea people want to change their look.

We'd better talk to the tourism industry as well,

because apparently, people don't want to go to other places.

All those people in gyms, those people who are trying to lose weight,

people having cosmetic surgery, or getting their hair done.

We've got to tell them how much they hate change.

People who have elections, and people who have affairs;

we've got to tell them too, "No; apparently, you hate change."

It's not true. Guess what?

Bored people want change. Frustrated people want change.

Passionate people want change. Irritable people, cynical people.

Actually, the number of people who want change

is much greater than we imagine.

It's not true that we hate it. In fact, this is closer to the truth.

When I take a brief on working with a group,

I'll be told, "Our people don't want change."

I listen very carefully to what people say.

What's interesting is as the conversation evolves,

it's not that they don't want change, the truth is down in here somewhere.

The truth is they want real change.

They're sick of believing something that isn't real.

They want something genuine.

Let's look at that. The thing is we've all dealt with this before.

We know what it is.

We know how the lack of change can get packaged up as something new,

and we're savvy to it.

Someone comes in and says,

"Behold my people, we'll do it differently.

We're going to change everything else."

You go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is just new look VAM.

It's just a repackaging."

How do we know the difference?

Is it likely that we now suspect all change as being fake?

We think, "You know what, you tricked me once in 1972,

I'm not believing you again. I've heard all this before."

That's the problem. Real change sounds very much like fake change.

It's hard to pick the difference.

Here's the thing, I do work in probably every sector

- commercial, non-commercial, government -

any group you can think of, not for profit.

I ask people how do they spend their time. Where does their career go?

How do they estimate their use of time?

This is the first map I get, which is,

there's a very large amount of their time is spent just staying out of trouble.

The three rules in any organization is

attract praise, avoid blame, don't stand near the fan.

We learned this.

When you think about, "How is the rest of the time broken up?"

There's an awful lot of turf squabbling going on.

Who's in charge? Who's the boss? Who's got the biggest desk?

Then let's allow some time for just office intrigues.

What ends up happening is this tiny little sliver for actual achievement.

I've been running this as an unofficial straw poll now for 15 years,

and everyone says it's basically what it looks like.

When I say, "Here is a change,"

you can go, "Yeah, you know what? This is more of the same."

Guess what?

I think people are hungry for that little green wedge there.

I think people are hungry for actual achievement.

I don't believe that we want to dedicate our lives to nothing.

I don't believe that we are here so that we could achieve zero.

I think we're here so it amounts to something somehow.

Let's look at that.

You're clock's going crazy, but that's OK.

"Is the change real or fake?" That's an important question.

Is this a genuine opportunity or is it phony?

I think that's an important question.

By the way, fake change - no good. Real change - good.

Just in case you weren't sure.

"Is the change cultural or structural?" This is a huge question.

Structural change is,

"We've changed the reporting, we've changed the org chart,

we've changed the name of the organization,

and everything keeps going the same way."

Until you've changed the way we think, unless you've changed the actual culture,

you have zero change.

Does that make sense?

Then finally, "Is the change offered or foisted?"

Am I invited to the change?

Am I invited to the change or am I forced to make change?

Guess what? Real change, which is cultural and offered, works.

Fake change, structural and foisted, doesn't work and shouldn't work.

Let me show you how to break that up.

If I'm talking to you now you've got two choices, really.

You're mind's going to be open or closed. That's your choice. I can't affect that.

You could say, "You know what? I'm not buying a thing this guy says."

That's your right.

If you go, "Yep, I'm totally into it." That's also your choice.

This is the choice that any group that you talk to will make.

I have choices as well.

I could be talking about something genuine or something phony.

That's my choice.

What are the outcomes of the choices that you can make

and the choices that I can make?

Let's look at them.

Let's imagine you've got your mind open, and what I have for you is nothing.

This is just phony, phony change.

What does that mean for you? Big disappointment.

You've got your hopes up one more time, you've been let down one more time.

That's what that means.

What would happen, though, if this was an empty shallow badging,

and you went, "No, I'm not buying it."

Then you win.

You reserve the right to say,

"I told you so. I didn't buy that for a second. You didn't fool me."

What about this?

What if your mind is shut, and we have a real opportunity here,

if we're talking about something genuine?

Guess what? You lose the opportunity. You lose the possibility.

What if your mind is open, and what I'm telling you is real?

Then here's where we are.

We have an opportunity to make a real difference.

When I work with very cynical, closed groups I present them with this choice.

I'll say, "Here's your choice. You have the choice to close your mind

to lose a rare opportunity to make change for the right to say I told you so.

Or you could give this a fair chance and open your mind

and risk disappointment for the chance of making a difference."

When you lay it out like that, the choice is practically pretty straight forward.

This is my belief about people. What are we here for? What do we want?

If you're a young person the conversation is about destiny.

If you're an old person the conversation is about legacy.

It's still the same. What was I here for? What did I do? What did it amount to?

I ask people how do they want to be remembered.

What is it for them?

"Here lies me, I protected the status quo."

Do you think that that turns anybody on?

Do you think that anybody wants that to be their life's achievement?

What about this one?

"I met all my KPls."

(Laughter)

"I satisfied all departmental and OH&S standards."

Do you think that this excites anyone?

Do you think anyone would give their life to this?

Or this one. Is this a life?

I don't think anybody wants this. I don't think anybody wants this.

My belief that a fundamental human need

is to contribute, is to make a difference.

You are here for a certain time, and you've made something of it.

Tolkien said, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time we have."

I've put it in much simpler terms.

For me, you can keep things the same, or you can make a difference.

You cannot do both. That is the choice you've got to make.

I've made mine. You choose yours.

Thank you very much.

(Applause)