Break The MOLD?

Earlier this week the television was on and I heard the following phrase:? “He didn’t fit in the MOLD we were looking for.”? I don’t recall the premise of the conversation, nor do I recall the outcome.? What stuck with me was the fact that the MOLD was the deciding factor, or the fact that the individual did not fit it, was.? It really made me think of how unproductive or boring some things in life would be if we all fit in the same MOLD, or at lease were expected to.? I am not referring to buying into a culture or a belief.? I am referring to the concept of being accepted or rejected due to if someone fits or does not fit in a proverbial MOLD.? Being expected to conform to a MOLD is not the best place to be.? Being unique and diverse allows growth and new thoughts and ideas.? Let’s take a look at what we can do when we are asked to fit in a MOLD:

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Maintain????????????????????????????

Maintain who you are, however you might have to modify your actions and performance.? You can fit in a MOLD and not conform to it.? If you take a fluid item and pour it into a MOLD, it will follow the shape of the MOLD.? If you are not as pliable or fluid, you can technically fit in it, yet not expand to the outer edges of the MOLD.? Did anything come to mind when you read that statement?? Was it a positive or negative thought?? You can still be you and still be a part of the process, however you might have to modify actions that you may have done in the past, or conform to a set of expectations.? Sometimes the expectations may be perceived as a MOLD, yet are mean to protect us while we learn to work in the boundaries established to ensure consistency and conformity.? Did you notice form is in the word conformity?? Conforming does not mean you have to change who you are in all cases, however it may require you to make changes to how you act or respond to the situational instances we face from time to time.? Understand the purpose and intent of the MOLD and see how you fit in it.?

Optimize???????????????????????????

Optimize the process.? How do you fit?? Seriously, how do you fit in the proverbial MOLD you are being asked to fit in?? Are you able to continue with your passions and? your personality?? Look for ways to interject your passions into the process, yet keep your personality intact.? How can you make the best of the situation, and use your talents and abilities as effectively as you can?? What MOLD are you being asked to fit in?? Can you?? We will rarely agree with everything, yet that does not mean that we can not help improve the situation, opportunity, or provide additional resources to others.? What are of your personal or professional life do you need to review?? Are you working at your optimal level of quality and output?? Do you need to refresh your approach or refresh your perspective?? ?How can you optimize how you fit in the MOLD or the processes you are a part of?? How can you be more effective, or how can you rearrange how you fit so it is better for you and the Team??

Link??????????????????????????????????????

Link intent.? Link the desired outcome to the process it takes to achieve it.? A link can be an action or a verb.? Which makes the most sense for where you are currently at?? You may be the link for others to see the opportunity, and you may also need to show yourself or others that the connection between you (and them) matter and make up the whole of the MOLD.? You can be a part of a MOLD and not conform to it where it takes away your passions and personality.? What link are you missing?? How can you draw a straight line, or loop in the connection to where you are at and where you need to get to?? As you look for options, don’t let it take away from the quality of work you are doing.? Make sure you keep focused on the task at hand, while looking for more opportunities to loop in new thoughts and ideas.? Be careful to not set yourself apart so much that you become the weak link.?

Design????????????????????????????????

Design matters.? A MOLD is only as good as it’s design and it’s tooling.? A poor MOLD design can produce products that don’t meet the expectations nor the minimum quality of what is being produced.? The lifespan of the mold is determined by the construction material of the MOLD and the design of the MOLD.? How do you fit in the design of the MOLD you are being asked to fit in?? Is the design creating stress for you and the MOLD?? Hopefully the design and thickness of the walls will sustain the needs of the MOLD.? Design matters and so does the thickness of the walls, however the thicker the walls of the MOLD, the longer it takes for the “product” to cool and be available.? How does the design of your MOLD impact your abilities?? Is it limiting your effectiveness ?or is it the right design for where your feet are at right now??

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You can fit in a MOLD and not conform to the MOLD, however the longer you are inside the MOLD the more likely you are to evolve to fit it.? Evolving to fit in the MOLD is not a bad thing, unless it takes you away from your passions and priorities.? The end result of the MOLD is to have a consistent “product” with a consistent expectation of the time it takes to compete the MOLD.? Don’t lose sight of who you are, and maintain who you are in your role.? Look for areas and ways to optimize the process you are being asked to be a part of or fit into.? Learn to Link the intent of the process to the desired outcome to help improve not only your opportunity, but the opportunity of the Team.? Understand that the design matters.? Regardless of the MOLD you are being asked to fit into, make sure you thrive by working with those around you for the betterment of everyone and don’t be a disruptor and try to break the MOLD.

M – Maintain who you are.

O – Optimize the process.

L – Link intent.

D – Design matters.

Stay safe and stay well!