Immunity generally refers to your physical well being (particularly in the current H1N1 epidemic); but Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey have written a book that deals with psychological rather than physical immunity.

Their book: “Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization” proposes that our deeply held and sometimes unconscious beliefs create a natural but powerful immunity to change.

The downside is that the greater our immunity to change, the less effective we are in our personal and professional lives. Deciphering our immunity to change, they say, lets us know what is holding us back and brings into focus our potential to move forward.

Their approach do diagnosing immunity to change is deceptively simple. You need to identify the following three factors:

1. Identify what you are doing now instead of what you need to do
2. Recognize the competing commitments that cause you to do the things you do rather than the stuff you should be doing
3. Diagnose the “big assumptions” (either conscious or unconscious) that drive you do what you are doing

Sounds simple, but using the techniques outlined in the book can lead to some pretty profound insights, and potentially some real personal and professional growth. Anyone involved in employee training and development should take a look at this book.

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