Figuring Out How Your Triad Works

Recall that the Triad of Change has the component of Structure, Behaviour, and Perception. We need to use all three components when making a sustainable change however, each of us will use our own order of the three to be successful. We have tried a number of ways to figure out our strength and weakness in the triad. Honestly, it can be a really confusing process since we all use all three components. It is also really hard to see what we do effortlessly because we tend to ignore it. We focus more on what we struggle with. In obsessing about it we even convince ourselves that we are good at it. But our gifts tend to be invisible to us.

The great thing is that as long as you are asking yourself questions about the triad, you are becoming more aware of what makes you tick. And isn’t that what life is all about? So pick the side of the triad that seems obvious to you as your strength. Work with it and see how you do. It is a learning process and you will become more aware of how you actually create change in your life. It doesn’t matter if you are wrong. You are allowed to change your answer any time!

So let’s try this exercise. Imagine you have the opportunity to go on a vacation. Or think of one that you took. You get to go somewhere you do not know, do things that are new to you, and deal with things that you have never experienced or seen before. How do you go about this? Write it down.

Last summer I went to Brazil to train in Capoeira, a martial art that I practice. I had 18 days. I knew a bit about the culture from my instructor and the group I trained with, but not much else. I just knew that for a couple of years, I had wanted to go Brazil, the birthplace of Capoeira, to learn more about this martial art that I love.

First, I knew that if I was going to make this happen, I had to just do it. I had to buy a ticket and commit to going. So I found out when the events that I wanted to attend were and I found out what a friend of mine who was leaving earlier than me planned to do. With this information, I booked a ticket based on the time I could get away from the office and the events I wanted to attend.

I did not speak the language, understand the culture or know any of the geography. I did know it was a very dangerous country. I had no plan. Just a guide book and an address of the hostel where my friend was staying. I was going.

My friend who I travelled there with had already read through the guide book and wanted to know where we were going to go, when, how and with whom. I just wanted to figure it out when I got there and saw who I was dealing with and what the place was like.

Once I arrived, I began to know how I wanted things to feel and my vision of the way the trip would be started to materialize. The possible and what I wanted to create in the vacation became clearer. The overall look and feel began to crystallize in my mind.

From there, I started to make plans. I decided where I wanted to go and with whom. I arranged for travel and accommodations to support the experience that I wanted.

For me, when I am going to take a vacation, I just go (behaviour). Then I get an idea of the look and feel of things and determine how I’d like the trip to be (perception). Finally I set things up so that I have a plan to make things happen in the right order to create the trip (structure). It starts for me with a decision to take an action. After that I can see the vision and I know what plan of action is necessary.

Work this exercise through for yourself. In doing so, I just learned something new about myself. I used to think that structure was my lead! I also know that there is nothing I hate more than trying to make plans for travel with someone who needs to know the itinerary of the whole trip! I used to think that perception was my weakest side of my triad but I know from working through this exercise that it comes before I shape my plan and makes the planning easy for me.

How does this work for you? I changed my answer in the time it took me to write this article. Make figuring out your Triad of Change a work in progress. It’s really exciting. I now have something new to observe about the way I create changes today!