“Stay in your lane,” is often the comment you hear when you’re looking to do something different professionally. The phrase implies that it’s a bad idea to go outside your expertise or that you should just focus on the things you do best. While it’s a useful sentiment, it can also become a limiting belief.
At a time when businesses are being tested in new and challenging ways, you may need to make some big changes. And a good decision, for you, may need to go beyond the limits of a popular catchphrase. Consider these tips to help you decide whether you should stay in your lane or make a change.
Same Destination?
Imagine you’re on a big freeway. There’s a good chance that at some point, the traffic ahead of you may slow and it makes sense to go into another lane.
There’s always a chance that as soon as you switch, the lane you were in will start to move again and your new position will see a slowdown. That’s part of the challenge of traffic and freeways.
But in this case, no matter which lane you choose, you’re still going in the same direction. You’re not making a U-turn.
Think about your decision in terms of whether you’re still going in the right direction but are slightly changing how you get there. For a restaurant, this could involve reworking some of the items on the menu. But you’re not changing the cuisine served, from Italian to Chinese.
There are no guarantees your change will result in long-term success but it may be a good option, if you feel your current lane isn’t giving you what you want.
Same Lane, Different Car
Professionally, you may to stay in the same direction but need to change how you ride there. For instance, if you’re in marketing, you might want to shake up the way you communicate with prospects. You might switch from sending postcards to sending videos. You’re still communicating with people, you’ve just changed the method of communication.
Often, the change is not the problem but rather the implementation. Make sure you have defined processes in place to make sure the new strategy can be accomplished. Otherwise, it may be a smarter move to stick with what you know and can execute.
Planning how you’ll do something new isn’t always fun but it’s a necessary step.
Is There a Learning Curve?
If you’re bringing something new to your business, are you factoring in a learning curve? Even the best employees may need time to adjust and may not master a skill for a little while.
Have you built in some time for training? How will that training be delivered? And will you commit to more training if the early results suggest it’s needed?
These are important questions to consider. In the planning process, you may want to bring in other departments to brainstorm potential issues.
For instance, if you’re going to change your sales software, you might not want to do it on the eve of your busy sales season. Instead, you’d want to schedule it so employees would have time to get comfortable with it before the sales rush starts.
People will adapt to change if they feel they have time and support. Otherwise, they’ll wonder if they should just stay in their lane.
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