The theory of intentional change was developed by Bayatzis with an aim of defining a suitable or preferred change in one's character, thoughts, and feelings. Intentional change can last for a long time thus making it sustainable, or it may become permanent and a part of an individual’s normal life. Lasting change is marked by five main discoveries also known as discontinuities. The first discontinuity is the discovery of self through understanding the person that you are currently, and the creation of images of the person you would like to be in future. Discovering the real self and comparing it to the ideal person is the second discontinuity. It involves the creation of a self-image based on how others see you and the manifestation of your true identity when faced with various challenges. Getting to know both the positive and negative factors that affect a person’s motivation to change is the third discovery of being mindful in all learning agendas. Discovery of Metamorphosis; where we understand that change does not occur in one day. Moving to new environments that will stimulate the process as well as systematically changing our thought pattern is vital. Finally, the establishing relationships that encourage learning are an essential part of the five stepped theory. These relationships are important in sustaining change (Boyatzis, 2006).
The model relates to my situation and attitude towards school and studies in general. When I was young, I went through tough times in elementary school. I was bullied due to my small body, and I was too scared to tell anyone. I developed low self-esteem and hated school, and this resulted in poor performance. My parents became concerned, and I was taken to therapy. Throughout the time that I took therapy, I learned the importance of changing my attitude and perspective of school if I was to succeed. I got a better understanding of who I am and what I would like to be in future. A change of attitude towards studies was also encouraged and this was a systematic process that was reflected in my performance. Finally, the support of my parents and the friends who understood me came in handy in sustaining the change that had become evident.
Besides the anticipated success of the model, questions of whether or not the theory techniques can be applied to groups have not been answered. Another issue that proves challenging is what happens when there is a need for change, but the desire to change has not been embraced? The critique of this theory is that it requires the involvement of different parties for personal change. Mechanisms or enhancement should be done on the model to ensure that an individual may be able to go through the entire change process without necessarily having to involve others. Additionally, this model is based on emotional intelligence for leadership development. Recommendations on its expansion to include intelligence quotient would be important in making capable leaders.
In conclusion, I propose the model developed by Bayatzis (1998), and if I were to develop my theory, I would add the concept of intelligence quotient. Despite using emotions, or moods to establish change, an individual should be able to comprehensively reason and give qualitative and quantitative answers that support their desire to undergo change. This is important since it may be applicable in running of organizations or groups of people.
References
Boyatzis, R. (2006). An overview of intentional change from a complexity perspective. Journal
of Management Development,
Boyatzis, R.E. (1998),Transforming Qualitative Information: Thematic Analysis and Code
Development, Sage, Thousand Oaks, Sage, CA.
