INSIGHTS: It ought to hurt… at least a little

"No one likes change" = BS in my experience.??

Or at least imprecise.? There are plenty of people who are compulsively changing.

We’re novelty-seeking missiles.??

Phone scrolling, if you pay attention, IS an addictive seeking of novelty.? As you sit in quiet desperation and distraction, your brain is searching and searching: - "please give me something funny, salacious, or sensational, anything to make me feel something!!!!"

It is more accurate to say that we love novelty and surprises within a boundary of whatever is NORMAL.?

It is more accurate to say that we love novelty and surprises within a boundary of whatever is NORMAL.? A range of predictability in which we can find the fun.

For instance, a game of football is highly contained and predictable within certain parameters, but no two games are the same.? There is infinite variety WITHIN the comfort zone of the rules.

Changing the rules changes the game; the normal, and we generally don’t like changes to NORMAL.??

Comfort zones are not comfortable; they are whatever is normal for you.?

Even if that normal is destructive or unhelpful for your longer-term happiness.

The hard part is that the thing our brain and body will resist is change FROM your NORMAL.? Your normal FEELS right, even if you know it isn’t.

If you are not behaving differently to the way you feel, you are probably not changing a habit.

If you are not behaving differently to the way you feel, you are probably not changing a habit.

Discomfort and frustration ARE signs of growth and change.? Muscle soreness after a workout, working out when you don’t feel like it - this is change, embrace it as such.

"The obstacle is the way" [thanks Stoics].

A cool loophole: IF you can make learning and growth a HABIT, then change in the form of growth will feel normal and fun.

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

Taking 2 minutes to reset a meeting or conversation is a simple and powerful way to improve the quality of your interactions.

We know from plenty of research findings and personal experience that we can very easily slip from strategic problem and strategy into detail, defensive posturing, and short-term, reactive, band-aid solutions.

Momentum lost in details, whilst the main challenge that started the conversation is forgotten.

You can take a leadership position in these moments - that can be as simple as recognising that we’re all a little off track, and suggest a short circuit breaker.??

It is common practice in heavy industry for operators to "take 5" - which means pause, review the work, the safety of the work, and the next actions.???

It is a simple process that everyone understands and can be very effective to help them reset their perspective on a task and reduce safety incidents.

Why not apply this to your strategy meetings - a simple 2-minute pause, rethink, regroup and bring the conversation back up to a more strategic level?

Simple as “Take-2”?and see what happens.

Cheers,

Nigel

PS:? Want your leaders to move from arguing and defensive to listening, resolving issues and making effective decisions, faster?

I’m running a how-to workshop later this month. If you're interested to find out more, click here for deets.??

https://www.nigeldonovan.com/events/register-influence-amplifier