Doing versus Changing

Take a look at your day to day actions and ask yourself... how much of the time I spend working each day is focused on getting things done and how much is involved in actions that are changing how things get done?  The answer may surprise you.

Many of us spend the majority of our days getting things done.  And many of us get a lot done.  There is a significant volume of work that finds its way onto our desk that we actively work at answering, resolving, processing, reporting, delegating, fulfilling and getting 'done'.  Enough so that we are stymied when we don't get the promotion.  You know... 'the' promotion.  The one that we thought all of the work we had been devoting extra hours to had set us up for.

Although we may question the 'why' of being passed by, the answer probably rests in the question I posed in the beginning of this article...  Are you doing things, or are you changing them?

Getting things done is a great way to prove your value to the organization.  If you are surrounded by those that are not as committed to contributing their efforts to achieving results, then it is a great way of trying to ensure your employability, as much as is possible in these times of rightsizing at will. However much getting caught up in the 'doing' of a role may contribute to guaranteeing your continued employment, it is in no way a guarantee of advancement.

At some level there is a definitive shift in the perceived value of an employee from simply being able to push through a volume of work to a focus on the transformative nature of that work.  Leaders are required to think beyond the box.  They are not simply maintaining the status quo, but are finding ways to improve it, to increase efficiencies, to decrease waste, to increase productivity, to create a competitive advantage, to identify new opportunities, to build growth.  In short, a leader needs to introduce change.
This requires leaders to feel comfortable with change.  They must be able to identify what changes are needed and assess the value of various options.  They must be able to communicate the change and rally support behind the vision. They establish systems and processes that allow that change to become integrated into the operations of the organization.  And, most importantly, they need to do it again, and again.

The mistake that many make, in building their careers and attempting to increase their promotional 'attractiveness' to the senior decision-makers, is to focus on volume and not on change.  However, asking a potential leader what they changed in their current role is a key question toward uncovering what type of leadership you could expect from them.  If you promote based on volume completed, don't be surprised if you create a leadership team that focuses their efforts on maintaining the status quo,

If you aspire to assume greater Leadership roles then you need to start focusing on ensuring that all of the 'doing' in your day is creating and driving some positive change for the organization.  This is where the true value in effort lies and are the stories that support your bid for advancement.  Engage in the activities now that allow you to have great examples and stories to share when you are asked in your next interview... "What were you responsible for changing?"

You Don't Have to Come First, Just Finish

We are programmed from an early age to believe that Winning and Losing are our only two options. Indeed, they seem to be the only alternatives that are recognised within any competition.  You either won or.. you lost.  However, this mentality serves to keep many from even getting out onto the field of competition.  If they already believe that they have little chance in 'winning', then what is the point in competing?  This thinking prevents them from participating, learning and growing.  In fact, they could lose far more by not entering and completing a competition than by entering and failing to come first.

There is much to be said about those who enter a competition regardless of not being a first-place contender.  They know this and enter anyway.  In doing so, they are already leap years ahead of those that determine not to enter, not to try, simply because they could not place first.  Those that strive simply to finish, to test themselves in an activity they are not exceptionally skilled or gifted in, are perhaps telling you more about themselves than those that ultimately place.

Recruiters need to start to recognise the value in considering candidates that 'finish', not just simply those that walked away with the trophies and awards.  Think about what it takes to succeed in your organization.  Although I often get the immediate response from clients that they are looking for 'winners', it quickly becomes apparent that the phrase 'winners' simply isn't applied to those that have 'won' a race or competition in the past.  In fact, most organizations would look at defining a 'winner' as someone who demonstrates tenacity, someone who finishes what they start, regardless of the cost.  It is often this stick-to-it-iveness that helps to define those who ultimately achieve the most in life and... those that don't.

Few competitions truly recognise the value in finishing versus only recognising those arriving first, but there are some.  Marathons, for example, provide all who finish the race with a medal.  They honour and recognise the achievement of someone completing 26.2 miles.  Run, walk or crawl they did what those on the sidelines and those back home sitting on the couch did not.  The achievement says a lot about them.  The Iditerod, perhaps one of the most gruelling races of all, is one of the few that recognises the last place finisher with a special trophy, The Red Lantern.  They know that the musher who finishes last showed the grit and determination to complete the race, to cross that finish line without giving up.  It wasn't easy, giving up would surely have been easier, but their commitment and tenacity took them across the line.  Recognition of those qualities is sorely lacking in business, which explains why those qualities are missing from many businesses.  You get what you recognise and reward.

Start with your recruitment processes.  The going in your business is likely not always an easy one.  You want people that will hang with you through the tough times.  Look for those that have done something difficult, something that challenged them and yet... they didn't give up.  That is an ability worth hiring.  It is a skill worth recognising and it is certainly a behaviour deserving of promotion.

Don't mistake winning with winners.  Winning simply means you came first in a race.  Winners are those that continue to drive and push, to make things happen.  They are the people that cross the finish line long after others have quit.  They don't have to come first, but they do have to finish.

Our 'First' is Usually our 'Worst'

Many people avoid trying new things, picking up new skills, attempting new activities because they know
they won't be great at them.  Note that they usually omit an important corollary to this statement and its omission is huge.  Rather than saying 'I won't be great at that', it should read (and be said) 'I won't be great at that... at first!'  The first statement implies you will never be any good at it - ever -why bother trying at all.  The second statement acknowledges that you won't be good at it to start, but the implication here is that you will improve.

Our first attempt at anything is always going to be our worst attempt. We lack the skills and the knowledge of how to make things happen; the finesse that comes with repetition.  Know  that your first won't be your best but that it's worth the attempt. There is much to be learned about ourselves and the world around us by trying something new.  Often we have skills that have been hidden from us to-date simply because we haven't had the opportunity to give 'em a try.

We tend to avoid what we believe we aren't good at.  Then we get pushed into doing it and... guess what?  We're not good at it.  This tends then to confirm for us our belief and we don't try again.  However, developing the mindset that 'Of course I'm not that great at it (yet), it was only my first time!' opens up total new possibilities.  Instead of avoiding that activity in the future, you take your current experience, determine what you learned from it, what to try differently next time and move forward.  The second time?  Better.  The third?  Better still.  Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, says that it takes over 10,000 hours of practice to truly master something.   No athlete got to his current level of performance by doing nothing.  They missed more than they hit or sunk or dunked or caught.  And then they did it again.  And again.  And again.

What areas in your life could stand a second try?  (I call this Taking a Mulligan... my favourite golf move!)
What things are missing in your life because you have avoided giving them a first try?

Pick something and give it a go.  You now are armed with your follow-up line should things not turn out as planned...  'Awww... it was only my first time.'  Following that...  'Awww... it was only my second time'.  And, my favourite all encompassing statement...  'I'm still new to this!'  You may not be interested in putting in your 10,000 hours to truly master a particular skill (take me and golf... 10,000 hours... soooo not happening!) but it needn't prevent you from getting out there and trying something new.  You just might find yourself enjoying the process!