Allister Frost’s ‘Six Change Postures’
Over years of delivering keynotes and workshops, I have observed that busy people naturally adopt one of six universal postures when confronting workplace change. Recognising your default posture is the first step to reclaiming your energy and momentum.
The
Eager Implementer
“Yes! I’ve been longing for this, let’s do it, I’m all in! Oh, just one thing though: please tell me where and how to start.”
You’re poised on the starting blocks with engines revving. While others hesitate, debate, or resist, you bring infectious kinetic energy to the table. You’re eager to embrace new tools, test fresh ideas, and push boundaries, but you’re scanning the runway wondering why others seem more reticent.
Recognising this posture isn’t self-criticism; it’s a healthy reality check. All drive and no direction is risky and exhausting. When you’re ready to run but lack a defined roadmap or a practical daily system, your enthusiasm can quickly scatter across too many pet projects, leaving you spinning your wheels or risking burnout.
Fewer than
of employees are Eager Implementers
Why You Feel This Way
- High kinetic drive, missing rudder: You have all the ambition in the world to evolve, but the organisation hasn’t given you a means to channel it.
- The lone-runner trap: Charging ahead on your own feels exciting at first, but without similar enthusiasm from colleagues, your best ideas fall on deaf ears and you struggle to get traction.
- Scattered experimentation: Trying to innovate in five directions at once burns through your momentum before you can turn early wins into lasting habits.
The Shift You Need:
Direction Plus Drive
Enthusiasm creates sparks, but focused systems build real fire.
Try this instead: You don’t need to tone down your passion or put your foot on the brake; you just need to channel your enthusiasm. Being future-ready doesn’t mean you have to sprint or a take on chaotic collection of side-hustles. It’s a daily, repeatable habit of focused, collaborative experimentation. When you pair your natural drive with a conversational method to test ideas alongside your peers, you stop running solo and start pulling the whole organisation with you. Plus you finally get the credit you deserve!
One Micro-Action to Try Today
Run your energy through the FROST Framework
Your enthusiasm is a fantastic asset, but charging ahead without a clear rhythm burns you out and leaves colleagues behind.
Take your next bright idea and run it through the five steps of the FROST Framework before you take another leap:
- FOLLOW: Spot a relevant friction, skill, or trend you want to address, rather than chasing five shiny objects at once.
- REACT: Dig into the facts to understand the problem deeply instead of running with the first quick fix you get from AI.
- OPEN: Ask “Why do we do it this way?” to question established routines without rushing straight to answers.
- SURPRISE: Dream up non-obvious, unexpected alternatives that break outside your organisation’s comfortable habits.
- TELL: Share your best half-baked idea with a few trusted peers, inviting them to give a “Yes, and…” response. This final step can transform your solo energy into shared momentum.
Pick one idea currently bouncing around your head and walk it through these five steps today. Turn your enthusiasm into a disciplined habit. Get the ReadyAlready book, eBook, or audiobook if you’d like to do better and move your colleagues faster.