Almost every organization would like to remove delays to unlocking their team’s capacity to generate & implement great ideas. If you can identify & develop new opportunities quicker your business model will probably have a better chance to survive, right? The answer is a solid “maybe”. No hard answers here just some thoughts on possible links, hang with me!
I’ll Procrastinate Tomorrow!
Graphic from www.jamesclear.com
We’ve all received & given feedback on this topic. For the proactive person someone who lags a bit can be maddening. For a procrastinator, the person who’s overtly proactive can seem silly. When we advise someone to be something they’re not it leads to coping & frustration. However, learning to be effective with the personality, talents & passions we possess can relieve this tension. Read some Peter Drucker for more on that!
Instead of creating a typical “to-do” list to prioritize & stay on task let’s check out self-discipline vs. self-control. Lists are great but these we all have in common. We’re naturally good at one while the other needs intention to become more effective.
Marshall Goldsmith says, “Self-discipline refers to achieving desirable behavior while self-control refers to avoiding undesirable behavior.” So why do we procrastinate if we generally feel like it’s not a positive trait? Conversely, why do we feel in a hurry to get things done? Just so our desk is clean? The push to achieve? For me, when putting off a task or project it’s usually because the timing is wrong. It’s not the best time of day for the attention needed to see something through or possibly more thinking is required which means more time. Whatever the situation, knowing ourselves can help us schedule things properly for quality completion. Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook hung up a sign that says “Done is better than perfect.” For high achievers doing things perfectly can keep things from moving ahead for collaboration. This also works for procrastinators for the same reason. Do your job & push it on so the team can work through the project…together is better!
So, it’s not about procrastination at all. It’s about understanding one another to build trust throughout the entire organization no matter what our tendencies.
Innovate or die?
The great business thought leader Gary Hamel states, “Innovation takes time, time to dream, time to reflect, time to learn, time to invent and experiment; uninterrupted time when you can daydream!” The law of diffusion of innovation gives us a clue as to how each of us adds value to the process. Some of us are early adopters, some are laggards & more of us are in the middle areas. How do we unlock the capacity to integrate the great ideas from our team?
Graphic from www.purposelyleading.blogspot.com
All ideas have innate power & energy. The culture we create about how they “compete” is the key. If we instill an “internet” model where ideas are initially seen as equal then everyone will feel free to express new opportunities. Where we fall on the scale & how we interact can help us decide what ideas are best to accelerate & which ones to wait on. Every idea has its time. Letting go of the pressure to be “Don Quixote” on all ideas gives us the freedom to discover the best new direction. It’s less important to be first than it is to be great at what you’ve chosen.
Closing Thoughts
These two concepts naturally live together & our ability to know each other well enough to take advantage of our “back-pressure” tendencies makes the key difference. The interplay between when we choose to take more time (procrastinate) vs. where we fall as an innovator (adopting tendency) can de-conflict team tensions. This leads to inserting the right amount of patience into the innovation continuum so momentum forward has team consensus. So, the right blend of innovation & procrastination will keep your company from becoming obsolete overnight. The world is counting on the awesome ideas that come as a result of collaboration & we’re excited about what you come up with. And as my old science teacher always said before a pop quiz….”Take your time but hurry!”
All the Best,
Recent Comments