Whatever process you’re working on as a change agent / leader, whether it’s Agile, the Product Roadmap, Portfolio Management, the Strategic Planning Process, Program Governance, or some other process, one of the best practices they all have in common is having periodic check-ups built into them.

With Agile, there are the daily scrums and sprint reviews with demos to check-up on the software being delivered, and retrospectives to check-up on the Sprint Process itself.  With the Product Roadmap, Portfolio Management, Strategic Planning Process, and Program Governance, each of these processes have periodic reviews built into them to:

• Reassess the health of the roadmap, portfolio, strategy, or program

• Catch issues early

• Have time to thoughtfully decide how to move forward

• Make adjustments in a timely fashion

• Proactively prevent the issues from growing into larger challenges

When it comes to us, the health of our body is no different.  There are periodic check-ups built into our medical care. The question is, how are you doing at following this best practice for your own physical health?

What kinds of physical health check-ups am I talking about? I’m talking about getting:

• A dental check-up and your teeth cleaned once or twice a year at the Dentist

• An annual:

• Physical at your Primary Care Provider

• Skin exam at your Dermatologist

• Eye exam at your Eye Doctor

• If you’re a woman:

• An annual wellness gynecologic exam at your Gynecologist

• A mammogram at the frequency recommended by your doctor starting at age 40, or younger if there is increased risk for Breast Cancer

• A colonoscopy and related tests starting at age 45 through 75 at the frequency recommended by your Gastroenterologist, or younger if there is increased risk for Colorectal Cancer

• From age 76-85 discuss with your Gastroenterologist to decide whether to get this screening

• If you're a man:

• A prostrate exam starting at age 50, or between ages 40-45 if there is a family history of Prostrate Cancer, at the frequency recommended by your Urologist

And these are just some of them.  There are certainly more if:

• You’ve had, or are in the middle of a particular health issue with your heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.

• You’re at higher risk for a particular health issue, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.

These physical health check-ups and screenings exist to:

• Reassess the health of your body

• Catch any potential medical concerns or issues early when they tend to be easier to treat

• Have time to thoughtfully decide how you want to move forward on any potential medical concern or issue

• Make adjustments to your diet, lifestyle, medications, etc. in a timely fashion

• Proactively prevent medical concerns / issues from growing into larger challenges so you can live a healthier and longer life

For the physical health check-ups you’ve been doing, pat yourself on the back for:

• Prioritizing and taking charge of these aspects of your physical health

• Being vulnerable with the doctor(s)

• Facing any medical fears you may have had before the check-up(s)

• Asking for and securing any help / support in getting to and / or attending these appointments (e.g. childcare, a ride, a loved one for emotional support, etc.)

For the physical health check-ups you’ve been putting off:

• Where does your physical health fall on your priority list?

• What is stopping you from going?

• What if regular preventive care is actually one of the best ways to stay healthy?

After all, how can you be your best as a change agent / leader if your physical health is compromised?

Call to Action

• Struggling to prioritize your physical health and do certain certain physical health check-ups? Reach out to Rosanne for help so you can overcome what has been blocking you, prioritize the appointments, and be a healthier, more effective change agent leader for yourself, your organization, and family.

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About the Author: Rosanne Essiambre helps change agents and departments in one-on-one and group settings to be seen, be heard, and be effective in bringing about change in the organization and/or in their personal lives.  She provides consulting and facilitation to organizations to improve communications and collaboration, smooth out the change / transformation journey, get to the root cause of an issue so it can be solved for good, improve processes, and implement successful lessons learned. And she conducts workshops, trains, and speaks on Energy Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, Being a Change Agent and more. If you or your organization could use support with your change effort or some inspiration, contact Rosanne for a complimentary discovery session. Rosanne is a Change Agent Coach, Facilitator, Six Sigma Black Belt, Change Management / Continuous Improvement Consultant, Speaker, and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner with more than 20 years experience working on a variety of transformations across a diverse set of industries both domestically and internationally, while continuously improving herself.