Technical or Adaptive Change - What is needed for the way of work?

If you keep your current habits – in five years’ time, will your life be better or worse?

In “Immunity to Change” by Kegan and Lahey, a study was done with heart patients. Even after they were told they may die if they don’t change their lifestyles, only one out of seven made changes. There seems to be a disconnect between what we want and what we can do.

Many of my hybrid clients are on the verge of burnout. Most feel as if they are already experiencing ‘end of the year’ exhaustion, even though it is only May. What is causing this? Post trauma covid, change depletion?

I am starting to suspect that it has something to do with work identity. The hybrid model of work is here to stay. The way of work has changed drastically. Have we really changed with the new demands of the way of work?

We come to the office two or three times a week; we embrace the home-days. So where does the exhaustion come in? is it possible that we have adjusted to the technical change – the mechanics of the hybrid model, but still need to adjust to the adaptive change, the mindset?

Even though we know all about self-care, Google and smart watches tell us – we still have lots of excuses for “hard starts” and “hard stops”. We let routines and rituals slip away, “eaten” up by volumes of work. We blame management, systems, loadshedding, the corrupt government. It is time to stop. To realise that we need to do introspection. It is not getting better. We need to face and own the choices we make every day. The “knight on the white horse” is not coming. The “when” goal is not serving us. (When I retire, when I lose weight, when I go on holiday…).

Start showing compassion to yourself. Compassion is empathy in action.

Whatever we are doing – wherever we are – this is it.

Here is a quick review of the book “immunity to change” https://youtube.com/shorts/AiPEYon4piY?si=7qvet2hv9oIyK0t9

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