They could have put a sign asking people not to use plastic at the beach or requesting that visitors pick up after themselves when leaving the shoreline. Instead, the folks at Hanauma Bay, Hawaii picked up some of the many plastic items left behind and created an eye-catching visual to illustrate their point. “Marine Debris is Everyone’s Problem” read the sign as you entered the recreation area. You couldn’t miss the impact.
Saying that people leave behind items would not be nearly as effective as showing them. Think of how you can make your point in a powerful, visual way. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a wreath of actual 3-D items may prompt a thousand actions.
Many communities are trying to encourage more biking and have installed bike paths to facilitate rider usage. Our city has gone a step further and installed an outdoor bike repair station which provides a variety of tools plus a place to lift the bike during the repair. It’s free, accessible, and located in a high bike-traffic area.
If you want to incentivize certain behaviors, it helps to make it as easy as possible for people to act as you wish them to do. What needs of your clientele can you anticipate that would enhance their experience with you?
My next-door neighbors moved out on Tuesday and the new family moved in yesterday. In between that time, the house was just an empty building. It took what was in a truck to make the house into a home. Everything brought into the house helped differentiate it from the family that lived there just days ago.
The same is true for your organization. What is in your metaphorical “truck” that helps your organization become what it is instead of a generic shell? Should your truck have less — or more? Do you have partners to help you manage your load?
Just as a home has personality, an organization can create one too. Think about the accouterments that intentionally transform a group of people into an organization and an organization into a valued service.
I can’t tell you the number of days I set out to write a dot without knowing what I was going to write about. Once I open up the template and consider my day, a topic often occurs to me. I could ruminate for hours and come up with nothing — the productivity occurs when I actually begin.
In a similar vein, I have a colleague who is interested in writing a book (aren’t we all!) and for months, he has been pondering what to write about. My assignment to him was to list out 25 possible things that he could write about and see what the list inspires. Does one of the topics really resonate? Could two of the topics be combined? What is on the list doesn’t matter — it’s that the list causes him to begin — to put words on paper (screen) instead of having nebulous thoughts rolling around in his mind.
I believe the principle applies to most projects — the hardest part is starting them. We can use writer’s block project manager’s block, painter’s block, what-to-make-for-dinner block, or any excuse you want to come up with — but really, the quest for the perfect idea is just procrastination in disguise. Instead of thinking about something hoping inspiration strikes, begin working on any aspect of it and see if you don’t discover that your idea was there all along.
The first time I taught a class, it was as a last-minute substitution for someone who was unexpectedly out on medical leave. I received a crash course in using the course management system, but the instructional designer never taught me how to set up the grade book. “It’s complicated,” she said, “And you’ll only use it this once.”
Well, as you may have guessed, that was 40 classes ago. The I-love-being-a-teacher bug bit me hard, and I’ve been in the classroom on a regular basis ever since. And I still need help with the course management grade book. I’ve been given tips and instruction sheets and watched video tutorials but they all cover the process in a piecemeal fashion and never address how to set up some of the system’s nuances. Thus, I rely on the staff to work through my quirks each term and get me ready to go.
If you are teaching someone a process, don’t assume they will only do it once. Help them understand the whole so they can grasp the capabilities and purpose of the system. The time you spend teaching will be minimal compared to the time you spend doing — repeatedly — to help those you failed to train fully.
I had a client lamenting that she did not know all the details of a project she was working on. She understood the bigger picture and knew what she needed to do to accomplish the task, but she fretted because she had yet to learn some of the finer points of the work.
Yet. She had yet to learn them.
Whenever you are working on something complex, no one knows all the details. If you are competent in executing the overall structure and goals, the rest becomes an exercise in continuous questioning, learning, and adapting. Instead of worrying because you don’t know the answers, redirect your energy toward asking the questions. Knowing what you need to know is the greater part of the task.
A major road was closed during construction and detour signs were posted for an alternate route. Thus, substantial traffic was diverted to other roads but no accommodations were provided to facilitate flow on the new route. One of the two lanes could have been made into a temporary turn-only lane. The stoplights could have been re-timed at several intersections. Detour signs could have been placed further down the road to allow diversions before arriving at the road-closed point. Instead, it caused backups, delays, and frustrations.
We do this in organizations, too when we have a change but don’t attempt to lessen the inconvenience caused by the disruption. A system is taken offline while an upgrade is installed, but no preparations are made for smooth operations in the interim. We announce a reorganization but don’t account for the readjustment of invisible labor until new responsibilities are settled in. A household moves to a new address but the family experiences frustration when boxes aren’t labeled and things can’t be found.
Change is stressful enough without adding to it by overlooking the transition phase. The next time you plan a literal or metaphorical detour, take steps to realign the alternate route. People would be happier for the new road if it wasn’t such a hassle waiting for it to open.
I watched a documentary about the Blue Angels, the Navy’s precision flying team that performs breathtaking demonstrations across the country. Some of their more intricate maneuvers involve flying only 12 inches apart from other planes at 400 miles per hour, leaving no margin of error.
What I found as fascinating as the Blue Angels’ skills was their history. During World War II, Navy pilots played a significant role in the Allies’ offensive and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz did not want the role of Navy aviation to be forgotten. So, in 1946 he ordered the creation of an exhibition team to keep the Navy in the public eye and boost the morale of soldiers. This team evolved into the Blue Angels which still performs precision demonstrations throughout the country today.
Is there an element of your organization that could play a more prominent public relations role for you? Every organization has talent that the public doesn’t usually see. Consider a bit of self-promotion like the Blue Angels to help people see and appreciate the many roles your team plays.
Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants to keep the number 24 on top of his players’ minds as a reminder of the number of years since the franchise has won a playoff game. To keep it front and center, McDaniel starts all his staff meetings at 24 minutes after the hour: 10:24, 3:24, etc.
He told CBS News, “To achieve success where people predict failure, we’re going to have to go above and beyond.” Being intentional about staff meeting times is just one example of what he does to help remind his players of what is at stake.
Is there a key number for your team that you could highlight in nontraditional ways? Maybe you can take a lesson from McDaniel and link your goal or your nemesis to a start time. It’s a sure way to keep something prominent with regularity.
In my organizational culture class, we discussed a case that highlighted the cost of invisible labor and the passion tax that often occurs for those who are committed to a mission and go above and beyond in their work.
Invisible labor represents the tasks we perform that are not part of the actual job description. It may include onboarding or training new employees, covering the extra responsibilities when someone leaves, serving on committees, organizing office morale events, traveling, ordering supplies, or serving as a technology resource for teammates. These tasks take time and energy but supervisors may not even know we are doing them. The same occurs at home where functions of running a household or meeting children’s needs may be unseen by those not directly involved.
A passion tax is when those performing invisible labor — or willingly going above and beyond because they are passionate about the mission or their work — suffer burnout as a result. A passion tax is the price people pay for giving too much of themselves. The extra hours or tasks may be self-imposed, but there are negative consequences regardless.
Consider the work your staff is doing — and evaluate whether you are creating a culture where passion is being used as a substitute for fair pay. Look in the mirror as well and have an honest accounting of whether your tasks are being recognized. Make your invisible labor visible — to yourself and your supervisor — to head off burnout and create an equitable environment where you can thrive.
