Change is a complex process and not always easy to keep track of. Typically, we feel the need to pause sometimes and ask ourselves (consciously or unconsciously): "What am I doing here?" Followed by: "How can I do this?" And then: "Why am I doing this?" The typical questions are: What? How? Why?

The "What? How? Why?" phenomenon was extensively analyzed by the author, speaker, and consultant Simon Sinek. He coined the term "Start with why" and suggests we take a small but significant paradigm shift and start with asking why.

He proposes the sequence: Why? How? What?

With regards to your change, this means:

• Clarify the reasons for the change (motivational level)
• Clarify the way in which you want the change to happen (values level)
• Only then define the concrete steps and activities to bring about the change (actions level).

Sinek's sequence is very powerful because being clear about our motivation and values will inspire our actions — as individuals, teams, and entire organizations.
For example:
If a department is to attend a seminar on time management, we can start by asking "Why is it important to attend this seminar?" The answer could be "To work more effectively." Then we can ask "Why is it important to work more effectively?" – "To cut down on overtime and have more time off". "Why is it important to have more time off?" — "Because it makes us happier."