Old Guard, New Guard
This post appeared in my weekly newsletter on May 11, 2022.
The old guard knows how to navigate the mess.
The new guard sees the mess, and wants to avoid it.
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The old guard applies knowing (but tired) eyes.
The new guard applies fresh (but unwary) eyes.
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The old guard is skeptical other patterns can work (except what they want to try)
The new guard is eager to apply what worked elsewhere (or avoid what didn’t).
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The old guard has stuck around despite challenges. They are in a loop.
The new guard recently left their prior challenges. They’ve left a loop.
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The old guard wants a fresh start. Can the new guard help?
The new guard has a a fresh start. Will the old guard help?
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The old guard is hoping they’ll gain new advocates (to help stalled progress)
The new guard is hoping they’ll gain new supporters (to make progress)
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The old guard leverages informal networks.
The new guard is in network creation mode (and is stymied by informal networks).
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The old guard has implicit understanding (which is hard to communicate)
The new guard needs explicit explanations (and often doesn’t get those explanations)
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The old guard over-indexes on nuance (“don’t oversimplify things!”).
The new guard overlooks nuance (“don’t overcomplicate things!”).
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The old guard feels they know what to ignore.
The new guard has trouble knowing what to ignore.
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The old guard: “this is why it’s so hard!”
The new guard: “why are you making it so hard on yourself?”
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The old guard: “we need more autonomy, and fewer dependencies!”
The new guard: “why doesn’t anyone step up and own anything here?”
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The old guard is on auto-pilot, and?that’s?unsustainable.
The new guard is hyper-intentional, and?that’s?unsustainable.
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The old guard has optimism (and pessimism) steeped in reality.
The new guard has optimism (and pragmatism) steeped in possibility.
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The old guard is playing a long game seeking novelty.
The new guard is seeking quick wins seeking regularity.
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The old guard seeks acknowledgement and trust.
The new guard seeks acceptance and trust.
?
The old guard tries to preserve influence.
The new guard tries to expand influence.
?
The old guard: “Yeah but...”
The new guard: “So what?”
This post appeared in my weekly newsletter on May 11, 2022.
Leading Product for Good | Founder at Transform Digital | Independent Consultant | Coach | Speaker | Startup advisor
2 年Brilliant post ??
B2B Content Marketing & Optimization | Lead Gen | Customer Acquisition | SEO | Speaker | CEO @ TheSearchGuru.com | >13K Followers & >12K Connections
2 年Great reminder to look. We all think we are incredibly complex and the other is simple. When I remember the other is also incredibly complex it opens up my thinking, and my empathy. Thanks for the reminder, John Cutler, and all the amazing work!
Propagating OKRs. Building a Better B?X. Enhancing Executive Presence. Promoting 'Growth Mindset'.
2 年Growth mindset vs. Fixed mindset! Exploit vs. Explore Both have a place and time. Be mindful only if you deviate too much towards one side!
Helping teams navigate complexity to deliver outcomes: flow, continuous improvement and team health
2 年The key is bridging the gap between the old and the new guard (if you can) because that's where the magic can happen. The inside knowledge and experience can be invaluable just as the fresh pair of eyes can be too ??