We humans are funny creatures. We yearn for adventure. We love to travel to faraway lands. Particularly if you come from downunder as I do. Australia is so far away from anywhere else in the world that it seems you have to travel far afield to find something new, different and exciting. We Aussies are used to travel; we love it and embrace it. And yet, as much as that is true, another part of us doesn’t cope all that well with it.
In our workplaces, we often put a lot of effort into helping people transition through a change. Particularly the big ones. Contrast that with going on holiday – often a big change from our day to day – where our planning for the change itself is given the least attention before, or whilst, we are on holidays.
As my mind turns towards the upcoming holiday season, I’ve considered what we can learn about workplace change when we are on holidays.
I must say that I love change. I am intrinsically curious, wanting to know more about the world and everything in it. I love the idea of doing something different. I spend my time both personally and professionally exploring new ideas, new ways of doing things and new things to do.
Yet some of the changes I encounter on my travels still challenge me. I find myself “resisting the change” or “concerned, anxious, or worried about the change” or even physically and mentally “out of sorts” as a result of the change.
Lesson # 1:
If we are really excited about a change,
or
can really see the benefits of a change,
then we are less likely to put in the effort and planning up front to ensure the change will be implemented smoothly.
With a holiday, we are focused on the destination, we know what fun it will be, how interesting the new place will be, and we’re so excited by the prospects of new adventures, that we don’t often put in enough time to ensure that the little things will run smoothly.
We know, of course, that it is the little things that trip us up with the big things. This happens in our workplace change efforts all the time. But it also happens in our travel adventures. All the time. We haven’t thought through the minute details of the transit of travel – we lock in the big ticket items like flights, accommodation, airport transfers, tours – but often don’t consider the things like do we have enough time to rest between, toilet and hygiene stops, have we (really) allowed enough time for the unforeseen, can we even get a decent cup of coffee! We get tired, anxious or disappointed and it sets us down a path of focusing on the negative things happening or the drawbacks of travel. We lose sight of the big picture, the reason we are doing it and the excitement of the adventure.
The same happens in our workplaces, big, exciting change projects are planned at the higher level. Change and communication efforts are focused on the overall benefits, the overall logistics and the overall change. However, it is the little things that will invariably trip people up. Like underestimating the time really required to implement part of the change. Or not allowing adequate time for people to bed in each step of the change. Or not communicating in enough detail to those who need to be involved in making some of the changes. All of these things start to focus people on the negative side of change and they lose sight of the enthusiasm they had for the project.
Lesson # 2:
We may enjoy new and different things,
but
equally, we like the old and same things.
We are creatures of comforts in some ways. This may well be on a sliding scale – I take it from my mother’s “only the creature comforts” end of the scale to the adventure junkie traveller who could sleep and rest anywhere. For some it may be that they love going to remote and rare locations, taking each day as it comes, and not knowing what to expect. However, at the same time this same person struggles with not being able to get a decent cup of coffee to start their day in the same way they start every day at home. Another example is people who love a country’s national cuisine yet when in that country find that they struggle with the authentic version of it. On holiday, enough of these moments can create unease and discomfort, detracting from our enjoyment of our adventure.
Likewise in our workplaces, we often don’t give enough thought to this aspect. Often, we are so focussed on new projects, new strategies, new systems that we don’t ensure that some things remain steady. As humans, we need to feel safe – regardless of where we sit on the change readiness scale – and that safety comes from knowing that some things remain unchanged, familiar and secure.
Lesson # 3:
For as much as we want to go to certain places, see certain sights, take certain photos,
we also
seek connection
We have all of these holiday destinations on our bucket list. We want to get that photo in front of the Eiffel Tower. We want to follow the footsteps of those before us along a tropical beach. So often with holidays the planning is about these types of things. What must we see? Where must we go? What can’t we miss out on? Logistically this can be a nightmare and can cause a lot of stress. Yet, when most people look back on a holiday, there is less regret on missing out on something than the overall experience they have had. As humans, the connection we make – with family, friends or new people we meet – that become the standout memories of holidays.
In a workplace, again, we tend to focus our change efforts on highlighting the things about the change less than the human aspects of the change. We might end up with a new system, a new strategy, a shiny new product at work, but the things that will add most meaning to our work and lives is the opportunity to work with someone new, to get to know them better, to see how well your team performs under pressure, to identify what you’re capable of. It is these connections in the workplace that will have a bigger impact on the culture and strengthen the capability for future change.
What do you think?
What lessons have you learned from your most recent holiday that are equally applicable to work? Do you think it is worth planning for change before your next holiday?
I’m sure next time I’m on holidays, I’ll notice even more lessons that I can take back into the workplace. In the meantime, I’d love to hear yours.