Evaluating change

The extent to which we resist or embrace change often depends on the evidence we'll consider. Compare the pros of the existing situation to the cons of the change and your support for the status quo is assured. Weigh the expected benefits of change against the flaws of the existing system and your enthusiasm for change is inevitable.

"Conservative, n. A statesman enamored of existing evils, as opposed to a Liberal, who wants to replace them with others."

- Ambrose Bierce

If we chose A over B, is it because we mostly compared the pros of A against the cons of B?

When people put forward their best efforts to evaluate options, they may be unaware of the biases they introduce by their optimism or pessimism towards change, or by their preference for or distrust of the hypothetical versus the real. Encouraging everyone to fairly consider all the evidence can help.

As a believer in continual improvement, I tend to favour a change before it has even been defined. What are your biases for evaluating change?

It's funny how creative we can be

The freedom to have fun and be foolish makes creativity possible. In difficult circumstances, I've been inspired most by leaders who didn't take themselves too seriously. They encouraged us to laugh at ourselves and to find the humour in the challenges we faced.

Humour doesn't work in every situation, as one of my favourite Dilbert examples illustrates.

Manager: "Knock! knock!"
Employee: "Who's there?"
Manager: "Not you anymore."

Or maybe it does, depending on your sense of humour.

Humour is a powerful ingredient in problem solving because it is strongly associated with seeing things differently. We relax, reconnect and gain fresh perspective. Most brains seem to enjoy clever (or dumb) surprises, which catalyze further creativity, or at least a few groans.

A horse walks into a bar. Bartender says, "Why the long face?"

If we're serious about creativity, we should humour each other. Often the best way to tackle a tough problem is to start by generating a bunch of dumb ideas.

Choose to fail

Back in October of 2008, I participated in a leadership workshop that transformed my thinking about failure.

"If you are willing to take risks, then you will fail."

– Dr. Henry Wildeboer

That statement was like a slap in the face to someone who wants to take risks and expects to succeed every time. Intermittent failure is a natural and acceptable consequence of daring and creativity. Slap! What kind of risks are you really taking if there is no chance of failure?

We don't do things hoping to fail. But, how often do we approach new challenges like novices determined to learn figure skating jumps without ever falling. Our crouching caution looks quite comical. It cannot save us from falls, but it can exclude us from excellence.

Am I prepared to experience failure as a leader? Do I accept leaders who fail? Or is failure "not an option," either for them or for me?

Getting started

I've been thinking about starting this blog for years now, even though I know better.

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action."

– Frank Tibolt

Today I got started, and that's all it took. I have as much trouble as anyone else at taking good advice.