If you’re looking to boost your productivity, then it’s easy to say that a change needs to happen. There’s something wrong in your organization that needs to be fixed or a process isn’t as effective as it used to be. In either scenario, change is needed in order to achieve a goal. Everyone can agree on that.
Acting on it can be a different story. For some, leaving behind the familiar is a leap of faith that fills them with fear.
Remember when President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of putting men on the Moon? He didn’t just stop at a speech. NASA was directed to make it happen.
“What if we choose poorly?” some will ask themselves when considering their options. This could be called The Magic Genie Syndrome, where you believe that a bad choice will yield permanent problems.
As most of us don’t live in a fairy tale, you should be safe from such a dire situation. Isn’t it funny how little fears can have such a tremendous influence over our decision making process?
This second stage is what separates those who are moving toward success and those who are treading water in a sea of mediocrity. With that in mind, here are some suggestions to help get you moving toward change:
Set a Deadline
Discussion is good but too much discussion can be a way to avoid making a decision. Agree to a defined time to consider options. After that, you must act.
Deadlines are also good to help those who are ignoring problems, hoping they’ll go away. Don’t let yourself get comfortable with a problem.
Avoid Perfection & Egos
It may be difficult to find the perfect solution. Can you find one, that at least improves your situation? If you can, then it is a better option than doing nothing.
Also be clear that you are after the best solution, not one that comes from a particular person or position. If you want new ideas, you need to solicit them from those who are not normally heard.
In some ways, the people who have calling the shots in your business, may have been partially responsible for the problem that you’re trying to solve. Thus, they may not see certain opportunities.
Adjust as Needed
In magical stories, a genie gives you three wishes and then you are on your own. In the real world, you don’t get wishes but they’re also not set in stone.
Work to improve your current productivity challenge and later evaluate if things have improved. There’s always a chance that the change only worked for a short while or that it produced a new and unexpected problem. That’s okay because the price of inaction is more than the price of adjustment.
Want some more tips that will make you and your team more productive? You’ll find 26 actionable strategies in my new book, Stuck on Yellow. Click below to find out more:
