“Because That’s the way we do It!” – Frustrating? Maybe, but…
I was speaking with an Efficiency/Productivity Expert this morning and he shared how frustrating it is when you observe people doing something repeatedly that just makes NO SENSE. He said when you ask most people why they are doing what they are doing, they say some variation of, “Because that is the way we have always done it.”
Frustrated By Your Business’s Efficiency?
Are you frustrated by this? Have you found yourself repeatedly saying, “The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results.” If you have found yourself saying this, you are absolutely correct. “The way we have always done it.” is a HUGE productivity killer.
BUT…here is the “rub”. In our world we try to simplify processes and we try to repeat processes. We seek “Wash-Rinse-Repeat” business models. When we implement these systems and processes, the work is repetitive and boring. Most managers, ladder-climbers, high quality sales people, and extroverts in general have a hard time doing repetitive work. It is boring. It is dull.
Fortunately, there is a huge population who likes nothing more than working in a steady environment with little change. They are willing to come to work and “just do their job”…over and over and over again. These people are awesome. I love these people. They have truly taught me a lot and accomplished a lot for our society. They stick to things and get them done. Every day.
These same people though, due to their steady nature, are often not going to see the need to change what they are doing. They will not step back from a process, observe that process, and then determine needed changes on their own. They will generally be resistant to change when you propose the change.
Team Members Want To Improve Your Business
People who can look at processes and work being done and instantly see things to change and tweak are a gift and an asset. People who can steadily focus on something for hours, days, weeks, months, and years are also a gift and an asset. Both types of people need to learn to appreciate the other type.
The Change Agents should help the Steady people step back and critically ask themselves why they are doing what they are doing. This takes time. This takes nurture. This takes caring and empathy…but it can be done and it is worth it. On the other hand, the Change Agents should look to the Steady types for inspiration on how to just sometimes sit on your butt (or stand or walk or whatever) and focus on the task at hand. Just get that task done before worrying about other tasks.
Understanding each others’ natural behavior styles makes it easier and more fun to work together and it makes all of us more productive. It takes all kinds to make our work world turn ’round! To learn more about how to use behavior styles to increase productivity and communication effectiveness and hiring/recruiting success, drop me a line at wayne.herring@theherringroup.com or send me a LinkedIn connect request. It’s a GREAT DAY! Enjoy.