Friday 12 July 2013

How many times this week has conventional wisdom been wrong for you?

Integral to my work in helping my clients improve performance is reviewing systems and processes with the people that use them. Often I ask "So why are we doing it this way?"  A common answer is "Well we have always done this."

It staggers me that so often there is a lack of common sense in much that happens in organisational life, and we just keep doing things because we always have. Of course this means we usually get the same results.

My favourite definition of stupidity is
“Expecting a different result by continuing to do the same old thing.”

I also love this definition of idiocy
“Doing something different and still getting the same result”

My bet is that this week you have found at least once that conventional wisdom no longer works for you.

A lot of what is happening in the world today is the same old thing in a different disguise.  The dark side of social media for example is just advertising in a different medium.  Social media in many ways is also an oxymoron, it's actually anti-social!

Take some time out this weekend to reflect on what you're doing that actually isn't producing the results you want.

Next week take on at least one of your systems and processes and ask How can this be done differently, better, or more uniquely that will produce a better result?  Then change what's normal.

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

"If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less."
General Eric Shinseki

"In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."
Eric Hoffer

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