When organizations face intense pressure, we find they naturally default in one of two directions: 1. an unleashing of furious activity or 2. doing absolutely nothing. Both are fear-based (essentially 1.flight/fight or 2.freeze) and because they are extreme, both are debilitating.
This is written for the organization that is so seized by fear it cannot make a move. We’re not talking about wisely pausing and stepping back. We’re speaking to the people who no longer have the confidence to make simple decisions. Activities become elevated to a level of scrutiny and importance that are inconsistent with the associated risk. Often, people justify their indecision and inaction by calling it “caution” or “collaboration.” We just call it “stuck.”
Making things happen. Action begets action.
“Nothing happens til something moves.” — Albert Einstein
It is easier to move a car that’s in motion than one at a standstill. The same laws of physics apply to your organization. Stop insisting that things be perfectly clear and lined up. Get into motion.
Are you being too smart?
The more you’ve been rewarded for your smart thinking, the more likely it is that you’ll want to gather more information, gain more clarity, and line things up perfectly before you take your first step. It’s a learned behavior. Past success means you have more to lose and often breeds caution during pressured times.
Achieving clarity is an illusion
It’s difficult to get clear at the beginning of the path. People almost never achieve the exact goal that they set out to achieve. Circumstances change. Preferences change. New things are learned. Perfectly laid plans are set aside early on.
Don’t wait to get perfectly clear about what the end will look like. It won’t look like that anyway.
What we know about moving into action.
- No amount of planning guarantees success or removes the fear or anxiety every person experiences at the beginning. Planning is rational. Fears are irrational. An excess of planning does not eliminate fears. Being in motion and focusing on what you’re doing right now does.
- What you actually achieve, in the end, almost never looks like what you envisioned at the beginning. There are always surprises. You cannot fully imagine your great outcome at the beginning.
- Determine what general direction you’d like to head in and just start. Imagine you are about to drive cross-country through cities and countryside. All the pre-planning in the world will only reveal a fraction of what you’ll actually see and experience. Go learn.
- You gain new perspective when in motion. Mixing it up prompts new ideas and different decisions. You will need to pull up and re-focus along the way, but stop wasting your time and energy in over-planning.
If you’re ready to get your organization moving, take the time to answer the following questions. If you cannot do it right now, commit to a time when you will.
- Pick something important that you want to move toward. What is the general direction you want your business to move in? Say it, write it, or sketch it. Maybe you only know what you DON’T want. Then write that down and extrapolate what this suggests you DO want. A few general ideas are all you need to get started.
- What are some small, simple steps that will help start to move the business in this general direction? Make it simple. Do you need to call someone? Ask someone a question? Make a decision? Please don’t call a meeting! See if you can pick 3 simple steps you can accomplish in less than 5 minutes each.
- Commit to yourself and to someone else when you will actually do these things. Write it down. Being specific will increase the likelihood that you’ll actually do them. Deadlines work wonders in getting you moving.
Action begets action. Your future is waiting.