Category: perspective

I was in the car for about five hours this week and I sipped on my favorite Diet Coke for the whole trip. While it kept me hydrated and entertained, it also kept me up into the wee hours of the night. And what’s the “cure” for feeling groggy after a fitful night of sleep — why caffeine, of course, so more Diet Coke it was. And so the cycle goes.

Think about the behaviors you have in your life that are self-defeating like this scenario is. One thing leads to another and causes an infinity loop that is difficult to break. You don’t have money so you borrow at high interest rates so you have less money. You fire some people because of attitude leaving you with vacant positions and even lower morale. You claim you don’t have time to onboard staff and outline their expectations so you spend more time dealing with discipline problems caused by your lack of clarity.

It’s easy to take the easy way out in the short term. Expand your time horizon before you act and consider if what seems good now will still quench your thirst later.

One of my housemate’s responsibilities is to take out the trash. Every week when he does it, he puts the wastebasket in my office back in a different position and rotates the newspaper recycling bin sideways. I constantly found myself putting it back in the “right” position.

And then I stopped.

It was a reminder to me that if I can’t get comfortable with — or at least let go of — such a minor, inconsequential change, no wonder people that I consult with have such a hard time accepting the major changes they are often asked to implement.

Does it really matter if the newspapers are horizontal or vertical? If the toilet paper rolls over or under? If the towels are folded in halves or thirds? If the seat is up or down? No. No, it does not matter.

Pay attention to the small things in your life that you do a certain way, then force yourself to mix it up and make tiny adjustments to the way things are. Learning to embrace variations in all their forms will strengthen your change muscle in preparation for the truly heavy lifts.

In Dr. Seuss’ memorable book, Sam adamantly professes his dislike of green eggs and ham — before he tries them — but once he does, he changes his tune.

Recently, I’ve encountered a few “Sams” who had the humility to admit that they have altered their opinion of suggestions that they had previously dismissed. One person was told that the key to her culture and employee morale issues was to first focus on workforce wellbeing. She couldn’t believe that was the path to take but trusted the consultant enough to try it, and now is a vocal convert who has invested in several additional interventions in this area.

A similar comment was made by another colleague regarding executive coaching. When he was on a board and the executive asked for coaching to be included in his contract, it seemed like a frivolous ask. Now my colleague has contracted for coaching for several members of his staff and wholeheartedly proclaims the benefits for his organization.

I’ve heard others shun surgeries — until they go through with it and can’t imagine why they lived so long with the pain. I fought getting my first Blackberry (how’s that for dating myself!) but within a week of having one I couldn’t imagine being without it. I was against remote presenting until I became comfortable with it (dot 3023). There certainly are many in the political arena who are against proposals before even reading the first page.

Even after all his protestations, Sam ultimately does try green eggs and ham. At least experience what you’re against before you claim not to like it.