Bonita Nuttall makes a really important distinction between Capability and Capacity.
They are clearly related. If we have a higher level of Capability, we are more likely to be efficient and effective, which positively impacts Capacity. But if we are already filled to Capacity, there’s no room to exercise capability.
What are you concerned about? There are probably a few things that it is wise to keep an eye on and plan for. That’s not the same as worrying or fretting about them. As with many aspects of life, it’s simple, but not necessarily easy.
I try to limit concern to factors that will have a direct impact on me, and that I have little control over. With today's Reserve Bank announcement further raising the interest rate in Australia, this is definitely a legitimate concern for many of us. We can’t directly change the interest rate, but we can pre-consider its implications and our potential actions. It’s prudent to keep an eye on it, because it will have an effect.
Ineffective concern would be worrying, ruminating , or losing sleep over it. Ineffective concern would also be ignoring it.
The best tactic to reduce worry is to run some realistic scenarios as a mental exercise. Consider their impact on you. Scenario planning is not about predicting the future. It’s about seeing alternative courses of action.
Are there any current elements in your environment you are ignoring but should be paying some attention to?
Are there any that you are burning time and energy worrying about instead of exploring options and potential actions?
Get after those… It can be scary to take the lid off the box, but it’s liberating to have a clear picture of implications, then face them square on.
I climbed Mt Kinabalu in East Malaysia a number of years ago. There were parallels with every big undertaking I have experienced. Maybe you’ll see some links to professional and personal undertakings too.
There’s several starts I reckon. The idea of Kinabalu came from a magazine article and then a conversation with a friend who had done the climb. The first start is dreaming about it, rolling the possibility around in your mind. You imagine what it will be like. There’s no commitment yet, but there is attraction and excitement about the idea.
Start 2 is deciding to go for it. It unleashes a bunch of energy for planning and logistics. There’s action toward the climb although the mountain is still far away.
The point of psychological no return is another start. It normally happens some way into the actual climb. It’s a moment when you realise there’s no turning back. It’s very different from the decision to do it. I usually encounter doubt at this threshold - Have I got what it takes? Why am I doing this? What if I fail? These thoughts and more cause a spike of stress. (More on that another time). Once ‘no return’ is accepted, it feels like commitment increases and I’m all in. For leaders, not that this moment usually occurs at different times and for different reasons for the individuals that make up a team. Recognising the moment, and supporting people as they cross the threshold is a massive piece in creating alignment for significant projects.
At the beginning there is an abundance of energy. You can see the summit, and the reasons for climbing have not yet been tested by the hard work it takes to do it. Kinabalu has over 20000 rough steps built or carved into the rock. At some point you lose sight of the summit, and start to notice the thinning air. It’s a slog. In places you can see less than 100 metres ahead. I took to tackling 10 steps at a time. Small, achievable bites. It felt endless. It would be easy to turn back or lose hope at this point. Maybe you’ve noticed that moment in a big professional undertaking - losing sight of the end, and maybe the reason you set out in the first place, you struggle to take the next step. Bite size it, push on, remind yourself (and others) of why.
Eventually you break through the jungle and cloud and see the summit again. At this stage there’s still work ahead, but you know you'll make it. Eventually you stand at the pinnacle, enjoy the view and start thinking about what’s next. Celebrate those moments. You earned it!
We were 5 days into a serious desert survival exercise. We had run short of water because we had assumed that the springs we saw in the first few days would continue. Up until that moment, no one had really spoken candidly. As with any team in the early stages of coming together, we were inclined to defer, accommodate and agree. That all changed when someone suggested a 7km backtrack to the last large body of clean water we had seen. Given our 20km daily target, this would have almost doubled our work rate for the day, and added risk. We were standing beside a small flowing stream, but it was smelly and had algae covering the water.
The effort of the suggested backtrack flipped the group into a candid conversation about the effort, reward, risks and other factors involved in the decision. While the conversation was difficult, our decision to filter and boil the lower quality water and keep moving forward was a good one. We all focused on the problem, rather than the people. Suggestions were made and debated vigorously.
In a workplace this is one of the key benefits of psychological safety. Candid conversations get us to better decisions, less unnecessary effort, less do-overs, less frustration. It’s commercially astute.
On top of creating the environment for frank conversations, there also has to be effective action. The two most common reasons people have for not speaking up:
Fear - looking stupid, ridicule, losing your job, retaliation, retribution or isolation have people weighing whether it’s worth the risk.
Nothing Changes - If people do speak up, but nothing changes, it feels pointless and people will stop doing it.
Candour in our survival group required action on both fronts. People’s input was welcome and respected (after all, we would all have to live with the consequences of the final decision). Once discussed, a firm decision was made and the group immediately took action.
Which of these 2 reasons for not speaking up is more prevalent in your workplace? Why? What could you do personally and today to move forward?
My mate Jeremy Watkins reckons we have the wrong idea of clarity in leadership. People commonly think of clear glass or water when picturing clarity. Jeremy says a lighthouse in heavy fog is a more useful concept. The lighthouse can't help you see in the fog, but it can show the way and mark the rocks. Good leaders do that by distilling purpose and challenges down to a few clear pieces that their teams can action.
In a recent workshop with senior leaders I saw this in action. We generated a large page of current challenges. Some impact their whole sector, some unique to their organisation. It was a lot. The page was overwhelming. But they can't afford to ignore any of it. Every item is mission critical in some way. Ignorance, far from being bliss, could spell ruin.
One leader had a lighthouse moment. “This all boils down to 4 themes”, she said. She nailed it! The page didn't change but there was a palpable sense of relief and clarity about what they needed to do about it. That clarity will flow on to the whole organisation. It's much easier to make and communicate a clear plan for 4 themes than it is for the 100 plus items on the original page.
Could your organisation benefit from clarity like that? In what areas? What would the impact be of achieving it? How will you create the time and space to reach it? It’s unlikely to emerge from the fog on its own. Be the lighthouse.
Small tweaks ideally happen all the time. Those changes to systems, approaches and thinking that come from observing ourselves, peers and competition in relation to our work. But sometimes a big change is required… David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Britain during WWI said, “Don’t be afraid to take a large step where one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small leaps.” I love the imagery that evokes!
Small changes can be a fantastic practice ground for bigger steps. Great leaders use the smaller moments to create a sense of safety to suggest or make changes. They can become like mini dress rehearsals for:
Being open to and encouraging of new ideas
Robust discussion about the merits of new ideas
A cadence of testing stuff to see if it has merit
When a big step is needed, this practice may well be what makes the difference.
There was one rock to miss. It was right in the middle of the raging river drawing my kayak to it like a magnet. I bounced off it hard, somehow managing to stay in the boat. I was rattled and the next few minutes were frantically reactive. I lost my awareness of the river, instead focussing on what was right in front of me. When a similar thing happens to pilots, they call it ‘getting behind the plane’. Decisions come late and each error compounds into the next. The ‘big picture’ disappears.
When many of my clients and friends in Western Australia describe business/life at the moment, it has the same feel. In many ways we are late to the Global COVID party. Now it’s here. Many clients work in disability and aged care services and now have positive cases. There’s deep concern for the wellbeing of people they provide services to and their staff. It’s rapidly evolving. Decisions have real consequences. They are reacting to a daily shifting landscape.
When we end up reactive and working ‘close to our nose’, just like the paddler and pilot, we lose perspective. Work seems somehow harder and less meaningful as reactivity forces us away from purpose and meaning - just dealing with the next thing.
Leaders can mitigate some of this for themselves and the people they lead with 4 C’s
Clarity - rather the crystal clear version of clarity, think lighthouse in a thick fog. If a clear picture is not possible, provide clarity about direction and things to avoid. Give people clear priorities that reduce the pressure of decision making in the heat of the moment.
Communication - talk to the team and keep them informed. It’s almost impossible to over communicate in high consequence fast moving environments. Make it as clear and brief as possible.
Connection - Links to purpose/mission, each other and a sense of hope can all erode if playing too close to your nose. Be kind. Show you care. Value results. Remind each other of purpose.
Calm - The US Navy SEALs say ‘Calm is contagious’. Whatever the situation, panic or calm are choices. One advantage of a team is that when I am losing it, you will be calm. That will calm me. Later, I will share my calm with you. Breathe and slow down a little. We can easily get caught up in fever pitch.
If you could benefit from the 4C’s right now, reach out. It would be my pleasure to give you some time. Book via the link or return email.
Rio Tinto made a bold move publicly releasing the Broderick report into their workplace culture. The report highlighted bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault in many global operations. Many felt unable to report or act. Rio have a hard road ahead, and an opportunity to reshape themselves into a genuinely world class culture. The proof will be in the action taken over coming weeks and years. One leader I admire at Rio said “The price of a great culture is eternal vigilance”.
It’s easy to throw opinions around about Rio, but I reckon the report presents a number of challenges and risks to us all.
Organisational Challenge - If you opened your organisation to a similar review, would the report be positive? How visible are the issues? How are they being addressed? Is there a culture of tacit acceptance and ‘open secrets’? How do you actively promote a higher standard?
Leadership Challenge - How and where do you address issues like those reported? Broderick found a ‘leadership lottery’ where people’s experience of Rio and negative behaviour varied greatly depending on their leader. How do you stack up personally? Do you actively create a solid culture and call out abusive behaviour? If, like me, you provide support to leaders, how are you addressing these issues? We need more open conversation and support for action.
The Risk - The report rightly highlights Bullying, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault as critical issues to be addressed. They absolutely must be. But… if psychological safety is seen as only the absence of those behaviours, we do a disservice to the people in our organisations. In physical safety, serious incidents, accidents and fatalities absolutely need critical and urgent attention, and a well rounded approach also looks at much smaller indications of safer/less safe. We could look at banter taken too far, gossip, disengagement, rudeness, unkindness, among others.
Let’s work the complete spectrum and create workplaces not only free of bullying, assault and harassment, but ones that are a genuine delight to work in.
It’s the right thing to do.
“It’s easier when you are motivated internally.”
It was a simple statement from a coaching client who has recently made some great progress on an area of focus. We talked about what had shifted, and the main change was moving from an externally motivated agenda to an internal decision shared with his partner.
External motivations are usually accompanied by ‘could, should, must’. Less often by ‘will’. It’s also the sort of motivation that fades. This theme shows up over and over. As a survival instructor, you could see it in the difference between people who took action on the things they could control, rather than blaming circumstances, team members or instructors.
James Clear, author of the best seller Atomic Habits says
“The key to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first. Your current behaviors are simply a reflection of your current identity. What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are (either consciously or subconsciously).”
He says external motivation will last a short time. Identity based motivation is much more durable, because you embody what/who you are becoming. Habits are the actions that go with the identity, and also supply the evidence that you are becoming that person.
Brené Brown’s incredible work on vulnerability, perfectionism and shame has led her to a similar conclusion.
“When we develop expectations, we paint a vivid picture in our head of how things are going to be, look and feel, and—riskiest of all—how the people around us will behave and respond. "I'm going to lose 10 pounds before my reunion, so I can knock their socks off!" But what happens if you're like me, and you realize the day before the reunion, "Dang! I forgot to lose those 10 pounds!" Your excitement may turn to dread. Equally upsetting: What if you do drop the weight and not a single person loses his socks?”
Brené rightly points out that that’s a recipe for resentment and shame. Not very motivating!
If you’d like to change something, check out your motivation. Can you make it internal? How would you strengthen the identity that goes with that?
Brené Brown interviews James Clear here. It’s worth a listen.
My palms prickled and my throat ran dry as I stared into the valley. I felt like running - fast and without a plan. Verging on panic really. Running was the last thing I should be doing. I was on day one of a multi-day solo survival challenge in a hot and arid area. My biggest uncertainty was where my water resupply would be. I sat down in the shade for a while and focused on my priorities. Conserve and find water were top of my list.
There’s a ton of uncertainty as we launch into 2022 (at least in Western Australia). Many leaders I have spoken to seem a bit bunkered down. Waiting to see what comes. It’s a reactive state. Seeing what comes and then trying to make the best of it. Not being overwhelmed in the process.
Back when I was instructing survival skills, clear priorities were a major key to success. The environment is no less uncertain, but the priorities give certainty about what to focus on. Focus informs action. Certainty reduces the amount of time spent second guessing how to respond.
Priorities inform an approach - Moving in the cool of the day, minimising losses from sweat. They also make opportunistic action possible - Keeping an eye out for bird and animal movements indicating water nearby. Moving like that means we might head off the planned route to take advantage of water along the way.
In times of uncertainty, direction and targets may not work to plan. We’ll have to adapt and deviate. Priorities help us to maintain positive momentum, rather than being entirely reactive to circumstances. They also minimise wasted effort.
In my business, one of the biggest priorities is maintaining great relationships with current and potential clients. Having certainty about that assists greatly in decision making and setting direction for the team.
What are the key priorities for you and your business/leadership? How can you use them to create certainty for yourself and your team in an uncertain environment?
Regret drags us into the past. Sometimes it prevents us from taking action now. It can even impact how we feel about the future. I’d hate to see a tally of the hours I have spent in regret over the years. I reckon they are some of the most expensive hours we can spend. They burn time, energy and can even erode confidence.
These days I’m pretty good at not having regrets. It doesn’t mean that all my decisions are brilliant in the harsh light of hindsight (wouldn’t that be something to celebrate!). It just means I don’t beat myself up about decisions and actions that I would change in hindsight. I’ve recently read 2 perspectives on regret that I find effective.
Suzanne Waldron in her wonderful little book “Sleeping Giants” says that “Regret is simply this: you know now what you didn’t know before.”
That perspective makes Regret a gift - rather than indulging it, I can use it as a trigger to acknowledge what I have learnt and how I have grown.
Recently, James Clear quoted novelist Toni Morrison on her measure of success:
"For me, success is not a public thing. It's a private thing. It's when you have fewer and fewer regrets." Morrison’s perspective makes me wonder if regret is a product of not being fully aligned with yourself. I know for myself, and many of the leaders I work with, the more they align their decisions and actions with what matters most to them, the less regret they experience.
What part does regret play in your life?
If you are holding onto a past decision or action, what would it take to find the lessons and move on?
How could you increase your alignment?
Radical Uncertainty by Mervyn King and John Kay is on my reading list at present. It’s worth a read!
They give a detailed history of how probabilistic thinking evolved and works. They argue that we are a little over enamoured by the certainty probability seems to impart. We see it used all over the place. I love it in the weather forecast where there’s a probability of rain. Every now and then the forecast will say ‘a chance of showers’ with a 100% probability of rain. When you look into the details it might say 100% chance of 0-0.1mm of rain. That’s hardly any rain, but the probability makes it sound certain that I should pack the umbrella.
Kay and King suggest that probabilities make it sound as if we are more certain than we are. I love their example of crossing the road. For any given stretch of road in your area we could get the accident statistics. We could probably even break pedestrian accidents down by age and gender. There’s a high likelihood that we could identify fairly exactly the probability of you being hit by a car if you crossed this road. BUT, that probability does not help you decide when, where and how to cross the road at all.
They caution us to be less enamoured by probability, especially when it comes to understanding uncertain situations.
I reckon there’s a 95% chance that they are right.
I’ve been reading an excellent book of late. Radical Uncertainty by leading economists John Kay and Mervyn King, highlights a number of challenges in our current era for leaders and decision makers. In the book, they suggest a key distinction for understanding what you are facing, and suggest the question “Is this a puzzle or a mystery?”
A puzzle might be complicated, but can eventually be comprehensively understood. Like a large jigsaw, once the edge is defined, all the pieces get assembled to create an recognisable picture. Even if there are pieces missing (Unknown, or moving data points), it's possible to get enough of a picture to make decisions with some certainty. The authors argue that it has been a long term default to view uncertainty through the ‘puzzle’ lens. The implication is that even if we can’t see the picture yet, we feel as if we might in the future. In some situations this will slow decision making and action unnecessarily while we wait for a clearer picture that may not arrive.
A mystery is essentially unknowable. There are simply too many ambiguous or undefinable elements to know the full picture. Imagine a box of 700 jigsaw puzzles all mixed together, where each piece is the exact shape and size of all others, all the edge pieces are missing, and only half have a clearly printed image. Where would you start? How would you know if it was done? In a mystery, waiting for a clear picture could be very detrimental. So could acting too early.
You could be facing a mystery or a puzzle. In reality it’s probably several of each, potentially with no way of knowing which is which. In that case the only way to drive certainty is from within your team or organisation. Having a clear purpose and guiding principles/priorities will assist you to act, even in unknown/unknowable circumstances.
What guides you in the absence of external certainties?
“We need to think this through!” Workplaces have been changed by COVID, probably forever, but making those changes work long term will require more.
Professor Gary Martin and I discussed current and evolving issues for workplaces and their leaders as we recover from COVID.
Stay tuned for other exciting guests this July.
This week we were joined by the amazing Rachel Callander wherein she went through some questions we can ask ourselves, our community, or our team to help us navigate communications as we head back to reconnecting and rebuilding relationships.
If you wish to contact Rachel or receive a copy of her workbook or tools around communication, you may visit her website at: rachelcallander.com.
And to watch our earlier sessions, you may check on the playlist here.
We have a fantastic line up of guests for the Wednesday webcast in June:
June 3
Mark Butler - Mental health, Stress and Mindset. Mark has researched mental health in workplaces extensively in a 25-year career globally. We'll explore the line between personal and collective responsibility for robust mental health and resilience.
June 10
Grant "Axe" Rawlinson - A Kiwi based in Singapore and an adventurer that makes the stuff I have done look mild. He played international rugby and has over 50 expeditions across the globe under his belt including walking across countries, cycling across continents, climbing Mt Everest and crossing sea's completely by human-power. We'll talk decision-making, goals in uncertainty, mindset when all seems lost.
June 17
Shaun Nannup - Human being and Aboriginal Elder. Shaun connects people with powerful stories of belonging. Aboriginal people have culture dating back at least 60 000 years in Australia. Shaun and I will discuss connection, sustainability, and what's important when you are focussed on legacy beyond your lifetime.
June 24
Bonnie Davies - Founder, CEO and Creative Director for Gelo. Bonnie is all about “Unboring things”. Bonnie is constantly rewriting the playbook for creative, performance based businesses. She also creates and becomes Famous Sharron. We'll talk innovation, doing things differently, refusing to quit and ask why so much stuff is boring.
Come and Join us 2:00 PM Perth time on Wednesdays.
More from Mike
Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.
Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.
Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.
Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy
Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:
+61 423 193 196
I had a wonderfully warm and generative conversation with Suzanne Waldron. We discussed so many things including economics, contentment, striving and production, change, art, spirituality and more. There are sure to be some gems for you in there - enjoy!
To watch our earlier webcasts, you may click on the playlist here.
Next week…
More than Talk with Rachel Callander, Global speaker, Author and master communicator. Connection is key to humanity. Connecting/reconnecting with people, reversing isolation, communication with artful care.
More from Mike
Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.
Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.
Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.
Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy
Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:
+61 423 193 196
Forecast is never about predicting, it's about preparing.
This week, Michael Ford joined us to talk about 'how a robust forecasting process is essential as we design pathways through and out of COVID'.
The discussion touched on:
Forecasting
Growth
Budgeting
Recovery
To watch the webcast, click on the link below:
Here's again our guests in the next couple of weeks:
20 May - People Impacts with Suzanne Waldron, Human behaviour specialist and TEDex Curator. COVID19 impacted many and will for some time. Many people also made an impact during this time. A lively exploration of globally important issues and thinking.
27 May - More than Talk with Rachel Callander, Global speaker, Author and master communicator. Connection is key to humanity. Connecting/reconnecting with people, reversing isolation, communication with artful care.
See you in our next session!
More from Mike
Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.
Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.
Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.
Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy
Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:
+61 423 193 196
This week, Brian Smith, Founder and CEO of QuadIQ, shared what security threats, and opportunities we may need to navigate through post restriction world, and his thoughts in using the COVIDSafe App.
To watch the webcast, click on the link below:
If you have questions for Brian or if you wish to know how QuadIQ can help, you may contact him through: brian.smith@quadiq.com.
To watch our earlier sessions, you may click on the playlist here.
Here's again our line-up for May as we switch our focus to recovery and evolving:
13 May - Forecasting for Real with Michael Ford, Founder and CEO of Castaway Forecasting, an Aussie business going global. Meaningful forecasting? Wishful thinking, doomsday or warm figures plucked from the air. We’ll get real about forecasting that makes a difference.
20 May - People Impacts with Suzanne Waldron, Human behaviour specialist and TEDex Curator. COVID19 impacted many and will for some time. Many people also made an impact during this time. A lively exploration of globally important issues and thinking.
27 May - More than Talk with Rachel Callander, Global speaker, Author and master communicator. Connection is key to humanity. Connecting/reconnecting with people, reversing isolation, communication with artful care.
See you in our next session!
More from Mike
Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.
Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.
Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.
Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy
Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:
+61 423 193 196
Jason Clarke’s session on decision-making was informative and tactical. Lots of practical advice for making tough decisions. Click below to watch the recording.
The tools Jason covered can be found here, along with many other tools for thinking.
If you would like to contact Jason his email is jason@mindsatwork.com.au.
Previous sessions can be found here.
Next week, I'll be talking to Stephen Young who is a 40-year veteran of local and international crisis management. His company Turning Point Crisis Management works with leaders to build organisational resilience and responsiveness. Stephen and I have presented together and independently on crisis management courses for Fire Services, Biosecurity, Police Counter Terrorism, Oil Spill Response Teams (local, federal and global).
In a crisis, there are 5 key leadership tasks:
Sensemaking,
Decision-making & coordination,
Meaning making,
Accounting for the response, and
Learning for improvement/future prevention.
We'll discuss the first 3; how can we make sense of this Coronavirus situation, what decisions must we make and how will we make these, and finally how will we make meaning of this crisis to all of our stakeholders. Crisis leaders get harshly judged when they passively stand by and wait for the situation to unfold. How can you ensure you are proactive enough without being foolhardy?
More about Stephen here.
I look forward to seeing you on the call.
More from Mike
Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.
Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.
Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.
Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy
Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:
+61 423 193 196
A hunter using handmade tools must be completely alert to the smallest signs of prey. A gatherer constantly scans for signs that foods are ripe. Colours, scents, congregations of birds, or insects all point to food. For our ancestors, a full belly was preceded by mindfulness. Distraction was a perfect recipe for an empty plate. Many traditional cultures were also mindful of the sustainability of their food supply - Seasonal Mindfulness. Many considered their impact on their children’s children - Generational Mindfulness. I reckon we are deeply drawn to mindfulness, because we understand instinctively that we do better when we are fully present and focused.
Viewed through the eyes of our ancestors, mindful clarity seems like an essential survival skill. In our time-pressured world that same clarity seems critical to Thrive and Adapt when faced with constant change and uncertainty.
And it needn’t take too much time. People have precious little of that already. I don’t know anyone, in any role, who is sitting around with their feet up, wondering what to do with all the spare time they have. The transitions between our many roles get more abrupt with less time to reset between them.
Some transitions you might make today:
Sleeping to awake
Alone to interacting with others in your home
Passive to active
From ‘home self’ to ‘work self’ (clothing, thinking, body language, etc)
From the comfort of home into the ‘world out there’
Into and out of transit (cars, trains, bikes, taxis, buses etc.)
Planning to action
Action to review
Into a meeting
Self-directed to directed by a boss/team/task/customer
From following to leading
Into and out of decision-making
Which transitions create the greatest challenges for you?
Which do you slip into without really thinking?
Some transitions are massive, like entering a really important once-in-a-lifetime conversation. Others are small and mundane, sometimes deceiving us with their simplicity and commonality. At each transition pressure can build or dissipate. Each is an opportunity to reset our energy and intention. Or, we can be swept along over the waves and reefs of life, being pushed by circumstances, rather than being in control. If we don’t deal with the tension created at each transition, it builds.
In the short-term, that build-up makes life and work less pleasant and effective than they could be. In the long-term, all those moments potentially add up to one big reckoning, when something big and important gives way, and we are forced to face their accumulation all at once. People face them daily in the form of major health challenges, failed relationships, projects, and businesses. Some pay with their life.
How do you deal with the big and small transitions of your day?
Here's a tool for clarity, presence and focus in the middle of moments of pressure or transition.
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