Degree of Difficulty

There could be a degree of difficulty.

Trying new things, working in new ways or joining new teams can present challenges. Not everything is easy, simple, clear or certain to ‘go our way’. Any time you’re working with or on something new, there could be a degree of difficulty with it.

Yes, just like athletes in diving, skating, skiing - and many other sports - there’s a grade or tariff in a technical skill.

As the world of work keeps changing, your role may change, the system may change, the leader may change, customers change. And with every change, there could be some challenge and difficulty.

Rather than resisting, blocking, denying or ignoring the new, try it. Practice it, try it out, and again. No great skill, insight or learning came from persistent resistance.

New ways of doing things are new to some of us because we haven’t done things like this, in this way, using this system/process/app/tool/method before. As we try to think and do things in new ways, be kind to those experiencing these degrees of difficulty.

We've all been there. Don’t push people down the ramp. Let them take it step by step.

Start slow

This sign may not be out the front of your new workplace or on the door of that meeting you’re about to walk into, but take its message on.

When you’re working in a new area, starting a new project, trying some new processes or initiating new things, start slow. There’s plenty we don’t know and can’t yet see or understand. Start, yes. But no need to go all frenetic and chaotic.

You can still be committed, interested and intrigued ... and slow.

Many people are frustrated with change, that it’s:

🌕 too fast

🌕 not fast enough

🌕 too much

🌕 never ending

🌕 yawn, just the same as last year.

Take care. Moving fast may indeed break things. And people.

You don’t need to hide, restrict or withhold. It’s not that. It’s care, caution and safety. For you first ... and then others.

Boo! It’s why the worst leaders are brash, pushy, rude and dangerous. And completely unaware.

Yay! It’s why the best leaders ask questions, observe and enquire, are curious and engaging, building up awareness, scoping it out … and then moving. 

Making sense of the bushfires in Australia

Trying to make sense of the bushfires in my beautiful Australia - I can only map emotions.

A spiraling and ongoing crisis that lurches from shock to deep sadness and then anger ... on again, to shock and disbelief, sadness, anger.

Breaking this pattern via donations, reading and learning, being with and checking in on friends and family, grateful for every little thing.

Praise and courage to the first responders and firies, to the victims, families and affected regions and communities - to friends who have prepared and defended properties or got the heck out and saved their family. And to the charities and supporters helping to bring hopefulness.

Expecting the perfect holiday, Christmas, feast, celebration or event

Oh the pressure!

All of those images and articles, news reports, retail displays, advertising campaigns and other external standards hurtling at us, telling us what we should be doing, buying, gifting, giving, receiving, eating, preparing and ... expecting.

They’re all just trying to sell us something and make us strive for a better or 'more perfect' Christmas or holiday season.

Don’t believe it! You don’t need to buy in to any of the BS at this - or any time of the year - that you don't want to. Just do your thing.

The way you like to do it. You are good enough just as you are and whatever you’re planning for Christmas or the holidays or next year ... is good enough!

Do your thing. Perfection doesn’t exist and any belief we have that it does exist is what keeps pumping out those pictures and unrealistic standards! Go for good enough and it will all be plenty plenty good enough. Stay safe and take care X

Making sense of the strategy

It is one thing to get the leadership team, board and executive together to plan and identify and prepare a strategy.

Then comes the work of trying to embed the strategy - or in other words... make people follow it.

Getting people to buy in to new directions, new ideas and changes in strategy requires sense making. We can’t just pump out some ‘comms and marketing’ in an effort to ‘sell’ the message, create the urgency and ‘cascade it’ down throughout the organisation. These too often vanilla flavored communications have motherhood statements, cliches and corny ‘Ra Ra’ slogans. (I know; I used to write them in my previous roles in leadership communications!)

But they're tired and dated in our world of clever internet memes that burst forth every day!

As you plan for next year and decide when and how your senior leaders are getting together to do the all-important strategic work, be sure to include in that planning how you’ll make sense of it for people.

Sensemaking Your Strategy is a thing. Don’t leave it to cliched comms and marketing.

Put a sensemaking filter over the strategy so it makes sense to the people you expect to bring it to life.