2020: The Year of the Breakdown

????WARNING JAKE RANT AHEAD.???? (...AND IT'S A LONG ONE)

As we approach the halfway point of 2020, let's just say we're off to a bit of a rough start.

The back to back combo of a world-wide pandemic and the horrible acts leading to the death of George Floyd leave us divided, stressed and anxiety-ridden trying to wrap our minds around the world we live in.

I've spent my entire career managing change or as trendy influencers like to call it "a change agent". The problem with extremely large problems is there is no one "solution". This is an answer many don't like and non are happy about...but it is the answer. This is continually proven across history, culture and environment. It's easy to look back, play Monday morning quarterback and state how obvious the solution is...after it's been solved. The real work is done in the moment of the breakdown. It's never obvious and rarely noticed, after the fact.

Over my career, I've learned 5 core facts about managing change:

1?? The focus and majority sentiment is always on the symptoms, not the problem

2?? The only way to identify the REAL problem is to listen.

3?? Everyone views the problem through their reality, not yours.

4?? Change is the result of many small adjustments, breakdowns and recoveries.

5?? Solutions/Changes are not finite events. They will only create new, different breakdowns. This is the change you seek.

These rules apply to your personal life, your professional life and society as a whole.

As I observe what is happening around us, I can't help but go back to a very large influence on my thought process and approach to managing change. That's where the video comes into play. David Foster Wallace's commencement speech to the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College includes a portion he unintentionally titled, "What is Water?". I'm sharing the link to the short version. You can find the full version on YouTube if you so desire.

Many of you may think it's a bit of a stretch as a relevant conversation given recent events but I would argue the exact opposite. We modern, post social-media humans love to express our feelings through images, quotes, hastags etc. That might feel good right now but I don't know what it will change. If we truly want to bring about change to problems as large and complex as world-wide pandemics and racism, we have to peel back the symptomatic layers of the onion to get to the core of the REAL problem. This requires us to remember what it means to think outside of our singular reality..."our default setting". It is only then that we can begin to have meaningful conversations that will generate the small adjustments (and breakdowns) that will ultimately create change.

Inspirational credit to Travis and Adam. Those that don't know, one is my personal and professional coach and the other recently inspired me by his effort to put thought to paper to help and inspire others in an amazing, funny way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC7xzavzEKY