One of the big challenges to creating change at work today is that people are tired of change. They’re tired of learning a new project management software. They’re tired of training their replacement. Or of re-doing plans and forecasts because the company got unexpected results in Region XYZ. Maybe I’m making too big a leap, but I connect this to people being too busy…on their smartphones! It’s like today “iPhone is the opiate of the masses.” No kidding.
How do we get a break from the onslaught of information and change, so that we can create the meaningful change we want? Good question.
It’s different for everyone, but a few things that I see work are:
- Take time to prioritize 3 goals per quarter
- Plan your days, weeks, month, always with those 3 goals in mind
- Pause, meditate, exercise regularly each day or week. For teams, this can mean taking time to pause over coffee or lunch.
- Decide on phone and computer free times
- Get the help you need from colleagues. For many, this means learning how to delegate and choosing not to “be a hero.”
There are no easy answers. The truth is that our busy-ness will never stop and at some point, it’s a choice. If you have plans for evolving your team long-term, make it a priority and make the other stuff fit around it.