Break Out of a Pattern

As a new year arrives, many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. Why? It’s not that we expect our problems to magically disappear, although we may expect to encounter new ones. We don’t seriously believe that our circumstances will change just because the calendar has. We make resolutions because we are hoping for new energy or commitment to achieve a desired goal; or a new idea or approach to resolve a long-standing problem.

Why do problems fester? People are aware of them and understand them - especially those people who are closest and most impacted by them. People spend a lot of time discussing problems, debating problems, even trying to solve problems. Nevertheless, they fester. Why? The inertia of habit, the power of the status quo to encourage preservation over invention, the fear of what change will bring, the myopia that comes from seeing the same thing and playing the same role for too long.

In one of my columns last year, I wrote that “seeing possibilities” is an indispensable characteristic of every true leader and the one thing I always look for in a prospective leader. Problems do not get solved; positive change does not occur unless the catalyst of leadership is present. And a leader cannot catalyze problem-solving or positive change unless they can see the possibilities in the circumstances, the assets and especially the people around them. A leader’s job is to challenge the power of the status quo and to overcome inertia, myopia and fear.

It’s always interesting to watch a group of people wrestle with a long-standing problem. Some people will focus on all the things that have been tried before and failed. Others will articulate all the reasons they cannot implement a new approach. “We don’t have the money. We don’t have the time. We don’t have the people. Headquarters won’t let us . . . " The list of hurdles is long and logical. People aren’t stupid and they don’t enjoy struggling with the same problem all the time. Problem-solving is hard because we all have a very hard time breaking out of our own experience and how we’ve always done things.

This is why we make New Year’s Resolutions: to help ourselves break out of a pattern. And this is why a leader must be able to see possibilities: to help a team or an organization break out of a pattern that no longer serves it well.

Of course, seeing possibilities is necessary but not sufficient. Those “seen” possibilities have to be discussed, detailed, vetted, prioritized and ultimately executed against. And the distance between “seeing” and “executing” is immensely difficult in most organizations - just as is the distance between making a resolution and keeping it.?

Let’s start with the first step of what’s required. Let’s call it “brain-storming”. This is the time when possibilities are first articulated, discussed and debated. As one idea is thrown out, others will emerge. People will become energized in a good brain-storming session and begin to help each other get more imaginative and creative. The difficulty is these meetings so often feel very different from the many other kinds of meetings people are used to participating in. First, they take longer. Second, they don’t lend themselves to precise schedules. Imagination, innovation, and creativity are hard to predict. Third, people have to be willing to throw out “half-baked notions” without knowing precisely where they will lead or worrying about whether they look “in charge” or “expert.” And all these things cut against the grain in most organizations.

Indeed, the habit of many organizations is to call these kinds of meetings “a waste of time.” And yet, they are vital to making progress and actually solving problems. A good brain-storming meeting has real structure and requires discipline. People aren’t just “hanging out” or “chewing the fat.” The purpose of the session must be clear to every participant. What problem are we trying to solve? What goal are we trying to achieve? The right players have to be at the table. The right preparation is required so people come in ready to work. Is there pre-reading that would be helpful? Is there history that participants should be familiar with? Is there a common fact-set that everyone should understand before work begins? Once the initial brainstorming is complete, real follow-up work must occur to select, vet, and prioritize among the many ideas. Accountability for all the follow-up work must be clear and clearly assigned.?

Seeing possibilities and brainstorming are real work. It is mentally, sometimes emotionally, challenging to think differently and come up with something new. We must be prepared to abandon or re-evaluate practices or mental constructs that we have held for a very long time. This is why it is so hard to break old habits, actually innovate, and truly change the order of things for the better.

A leader must hone their own ability to see possibilities and ensure that brainstorming possibilities with others is a regular part of their regimen. If you have been searching for a New Year’s Resolution, resolve to see and brainstorm more possibilities.?