When operating in our businesses, many of us find ourselves falling into a rhythm after a time. We come in, turn on our computers, check our email, make coffee, see what fires we need to put out, and proceed accordingly. Humans tend to be creatures of habit, and that’s why day in and day out we tend to follow the same routines.
Routines come with certain unintentional consequences. Even if we grumble to ourselves about how things could be better, we aren’t sure where to start to improve them because those kind of improvements don’t fit into our existing routine. The path of least resistance would have us stay the course, to keep doing what we’ve been doing, even if deep
down we have a sneaking suspicion that there may be a better way.
This “good enough is good enough” attitude can lead to many suboptimal results, including missing individual goals as well as certain departments, or even whole companies stagnating entirely. No one wants this outcome, but when we continue to embrace what we’ve always done because, well, we do it that way, sometimes we unknowingly push ourselves into these situations.
Change is uncomfortable and can cause friction between differing personalities and management styles. But as many of us already know, progress doesn’t often come easy, and the first step in getting yourself (or your company) out of a rut is often to open yourself up to the possibility that things may not be being done as well as they can be. It’s a humbling thought for many, and also the place where progress starts to happen.
This is where the fun begins!
If you’re willing to set aside the presumption that “The Way It Is” is the best way that things can be, you may begin to realize just how much better your situation can get with a few intentional, productive changes. Implementing these changes can be a struggle; that is why it’s important to get the entire leadership team to understand what changes need to be made, how they will be made, and, crucially, to support one another and the changes themselves while adjustments are happening.
Change is never easy, but can be tremendously rewarding. And for many companies – if progress is what they’re searching for – change is mandatory. And it all starts with being open to the possibility.
ProcessWorks™