Etiqueta: change

Choose your own adventure

Publicado en attitude, communication, decision makingEtiquetado como , , Deja un comentario

During the 80’s and 90’s existed a serial of books that allowed the reader to choose how to live the adventure, by deciding what path to take. Each of them had around 30 possible different endings.

Before the pandemic, we knew how to handle our day to day, and from time to time we could pick up something different, just to give it a try, living a secure experience.

But, COVID, turned upside down our life, transforming it into kind of a “choose your own adventure”. The difference here, is that there were no written possibilities, no written rules. No one told us the way we should deal with the lockdown, how to handle our social relationships also when back to normality and for sure, no one was able to give a guideline on how to go back to ”I know what comes next”.

Any tiny reminder of our previous us, is fine, why not watch again that movie? Change or repeat the small things that are under our control. Build our new, owned ”normal”.

Wax on, wax off

Publicado en attitude, trainingEtiquetado como , , Deja un comentario

We live in a fast pace world and we expect ourselves to transition at the same speed. New job, personal changes, .. we want to be in the game right away, no waiting, no time in between phases. And when we see that it takes longer than expected to be up and running, or that the previous experience is of no use, … impatience, frustration.

Any process in life takes its own roadmap and pace, its own transition period or learning curve. From time to time we can find a shortcut, but, still, will have to do the walk. And while we take the ride it probably will not make any sense, seem surreal, unnecessary.

But, once you get there, you reach the projected goal, pieces will start to fit and almost without realizing it, Boom! You got it!

Wax on, wax off.

Always open to change

Publicado en attitudeEtiquetado como , , 1 comentario

Any change starts and ends with ourselves. Regardless of who or what initiated the process, if was our own decision or it was due to our circumstances.

Next week it will be 4 years since I wrote about this topic and described the possible triggers or motives that lead to change, to move: I have to (motive, need) do something different, I want to (desire, hope) change or I want a better future, I feel I should (emotion) do something, to act.

It does not matter how did you get there, what it matters is what you do once you are.

It’s been a while since I wrote for the last time.

A good friend shared this old post with me again, and reminded me how important is to keep going, knowing that someone has your back, no matter how scary the next step might be.

New season, new posts.

When everything goes crazy

Publicado en attitudeEtiquetado como , , , Deja un comentario

We might want to stay quiet inside our shells. Maybe we don’t understand how everything ended up like this and spend some time trying to find an explanation. It could not be that crazy before, there was a way out of this, somehow.

Wherever it comes from, this is what happens with disruption. Our life’s are turned upside down. Be careful, take care and why not? jump into the craziness and see if there is something we can do.

Culture and breakfast

Publicado en attitude, leadership, organizational culture, teamEtiquetado como , , , Deja un comentario

“The Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast”. Peter Drucker.

Corporate culture is defined as: “the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions”.

So, in the end, everything comes to people, teams and individuals. Each with its own roadmap, goals, but with a common sharing of beliefs and behaviors. But, together they are who run the business and usual, who face challenges and who will have to execute any strategy that can be designed.

As employee you need to understand your company’s culture. If you are new, in order to fit. If you are already part of the crew, it will help you to understand the way to reach your goals, why you have the feeling there is something not right or make you realized that it is not your place, you don’t fit.

As a company you can have designed the best strategy or requested for the most disruptive solutions, that if the teams have not changed, implementation will be pretty hard to achieve and proposals will not be too original. So, the company has to be aware of what kind of culture is in place.

You want to do different as a company? You need to change the way your staff behaves, or change the staff who behaves in a specific way. If this does not happen majority imposes their own way: Change proposals are always the same with different names, part of the staff is in discomfort.

Changing corporate culture it is not easy, it takes time, willingness, effort and commitment from the management team as they who will lead the transformation.

Thanks for the nice chats with awesome people that reminds me that some things never or change or the only thing that change is the name or label.

Staring at it won’t make it go away

Publicado en attitude, decision makingEtiquetado como , , , Deja un comentario

This morning on my weekly running, I came across a girl who was staring at her bike. Apparently she was having a hard time with its chains.

On my way back, she was still in the same position, staring, same angle, same look on her face and not trying anything ay all…

We can get stuck when trying to solve a problem and stare at it for a while. After that, we need to change our visual angle, try at least something (even if it might not work), or ask for help. Probably, there will be someone who knows how it can be fixed, have different approach or at least a slight idea of where to start from.

Staring at something for ages, not even changing the way we are trying to solve it, will not make it solve by itself, will not disappear. Magic does not exist it is made to happen.

The last one standing

Publicado en attitude, organizational cultureEtiquetado como , , , Deja un comentario

–  You were not the first to finish the exam, neither the first to begin writing.

– While the rest of the students talked about the solution to the exercise and all agreed that the answer was 23, you could only think about that your calculation result had been 1,908.

– You were not the one always with a question for the teacher in class.

– You are not always the one saying something at a meeting.

– You can not agree on everything your boss says.

– While everyone is moving, changing their role, you are the one staying, same job, same place. You are the «last».

– While everyone seems to get a sonorous reward, you seem to have been given the toughest task

– While everyone agrees that A is the right and unique choice you think that B could work

And here we are…

….. You weren’t wrong then (well, not always) when you thought that the different, sinous path looked worthy, you aren’t wrong now (well, not always).

Not being the first, not matching the majority doesn’t mean you are wrong. It’s only a different way of thinking, timing and approach. And, that feeling of solitude (facing the «mass-correct-ion») fades away, sooner or later. When, something happens that tells you: you were right not rushing, believing in your rationale. But, it requires patience.

 

New times for construction kits

Publicado en attitude, leadership, organizational culture, teamEtiquetado como , , , Deja un comentario

Imagine a construction kit of 100 pieces, 1 set of instructions for 5 predefined figures and one single player, yourself. Pretty sure that mostly all of us has had one of this during his life. If you think about it, I am sure you find different behaviors when you observe kids nowadays sharing this toy.

There could be that kind of kid that played alone many times, followed the instructions that came with the toy and and perfectioned the figures to build.  But also, there is that one that didn’t even look at the instructions and just started building.

What happens when we add another player? A younger brother, a neighbour, another friend? Will they still follow the paper piece, will the owner of the game tell the others what to build next and how? Or will they just add more imagination to the game and assemble something different and amazing? Will they decide at the beginning what to build and discuss from time to time, what would happen if they did it that way? Giving the best of each?

When they will grow up, they’ll find a world constantly changing (faster than before), where usually the construction pieces do not come with instructions. And, they will have to get together with other kids who had their own toys and friends.

What do you want them to decide? Play by themselves, play with other kids (expanding their horizons)?

Will you wnat them to follow the instructions, always, as you did? Or will you want themto think out of the box and create something cool?

Will you want them to follow the owner’ orders (well, instructions) or will you prefer to see that each kid gives his best? That there is a debate of how to reach the common goal set before the game started?

The rules have changed, and in this case, what applies to kids applies to us. If you were the one who played alone, gave the orders or follow the instructions, it will be kind of difficult to change and adapt. To take risks. There are new «no rules». Adapt or …. live in the «always have been like that».

The «mojo» issue

Publicado en attitude, leadershipEtiquetado como , , , Deja un comentario
Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash

«Mojo», Slang word to define Magical charm, enthusiasm, talent based on personal appeal, influence, confidence, style, … From time to time, issues arise. We, then, loose our «mojo» and we face the lack of interest, problems to focus, we are less attractive, finishing tasks on time is very complicated.

We as individuals, we radiate «magic» when feeling special, balanced, happy. We perform extraordinarily when enjoying what we do. All of a sudden, pop! It’s gone. Someone stole your «mojo». As a matter of fact, this is something that can not be stolen. We simply lose it. Because we let criticism get to us, we change the way of doing things just to please others or just for fear. Then it’s when slowly, very slowly, we loose interest for what we do, we stop learning, we no longer have fun.

Companies will go through exactly the same phases. They can lose their essence, without realizing, just following a trend or to ensure success by just producing their top sales, no innovation on the horizon. So, the same company gets bored, just the same day after day. And, all of the sudden, competitors are ahead of them!

You need to refocus, rediscover what made you vibrate. Why did you start all this adventure? Is still the same thing that makes the ball roll in? Or you have changed? New us, with old manners (even if it’s as an individual or a company).

Regain your charm, surround yourself by that magic generators again. And everything will be ok, back on track.

 

Forsake the fear. Work on happiness.

Publicado en attitude, leadership, Sin categoríaEtiquetado como , , , , Deja un comentario

Fear is something that we all experience in our life. Don’t be paralyzed, don’t comply. Take action.

 

When you remain in silence despite disagreeing with what is being said, you keep running in circles, you do something that you do not like, read during a presentation instead of interacting with the public, you are conservative in your approach to a problem solving issue, you do just as you are told or copy from someone who is average, it’s because of fear. And fear, always takes away a piece of happiness from us.

So, Every time… you start a project out of your domain, you speak up, you tell others when something bothers you, when you jump into the unknown, you take risks, you question things, you relocate, you ask when you don’t understand, you meet new people, you walk into a room where you know anyone, you change the approach after realizing that the previous one led nowhere… Every single time you do that, you are moving one step further from your comfort zone, without being aware of it. Firstly the feeling of uncertainty, a different kind of fear. Did I risk too much? What will be the outcome? Could I have done better? Ufff…

The more you move, the less you agree with simply being comfortable, with complying. (If it feels uncomfortable, it’s good: post)

And then, one day, all of the sudden you may find or see something that brings back to your memory that old version of yourself. And you realize instead of jumping into the void (as you feared you were doing), you are greater, better. With new fears ahead.