"We must be the change we wish to see in our lives," said Mahatma Ghandi.

You must be the change you wish to see in your life. There's no use wishing that other people would change; it is no use demanding that people change (reluctant volunteers are not good team colleagues); it's no good moaning at people to change. They will change when you do.

How can you change so they do?

Take a risk. What would happen if you did something really outlandish, something no-one would expect you to do? You know, like have the name plate on your allocated car parking place painted out and, from tomorrow, you fight for a parking spot with everybody else? What difference might that make?

Think of the task you really hate to do - the one you put off until last, or place you really dislike visiting? Then do it, or go there.

Most change is about fear. And most fear looks worse before you take action than afterwards: well, that wasn't so bad after all!

What one little thing could you do differently tomorrow morning (and thereafter) that might make a difference to your organisation, your team or your immediate colleagues?

Here's a couple of examples:

" I really hated going into the computer support room because I felt those guys were always taking the piss behind my back. I got to really hate just the thought of going, so I would do anything to avoid going. Ridiculous, it now seems. I decided that I had to do something before it got out of all proportion.

One day, I went over there just as they started their tea break and took my favourite biscuits with me. I had a cuppa with them and asked what everybody else's favourites were. At first they looked at me as though I had lost a screw, but when they got talking about their favourites it was hilarious. One guy - who I was sure hated me because of my management position - seemed quite delighted at having the same favourite biscuits as me. It was really weird. We both liked dunking ginger nuts in our tea until they were so soggy they almost dropped in the tea.

Normally, when I'd met the fellas in there, there was always this tension, because they knew that I thought they were malingerers - which I did, and I knew what they thought of me. I know it sounds daft but, since we have been having regular tea breaks together, I think we all see each other as, well, just people."

"We had a  dress-down Friday rule, that seemed very popular. Everybody seemed, you know, sort of more laid back. Maybe 'cos it was a Friday, I don't know. But somebody asked if we could have a dress-down all week. And nobody could think of a good reason why not - except some of the older members of the senior management team. They said we couldn't just introduce it like that. We should set up a consultative committee and discuss it with the unions, blah-blah. There were concerns that it could lead to discipline problems we hadn't yet thought of. Basically, they didn't trust our employees - and it showed.

I said: sod all that, and just started turning up in chino's. soon others followed my lead and, within a couple of weeks, we had achieved a change without any rules or cajoling. The whole atmosphere of the place lightened. It was tangible. And no-one was forced into anything. I think if you want to change, just do it yourself."

Go on. What tiny thing will you do different tomorrow? E-mail us and let us know and we'll set up a list of ideas and experiences.

Julian