Barbara Osterman
The Landscape Today
Your business, like all business, is in the midst of a sea change. Then there are all the changes happening on the personal level in our lives. No wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed, under-nurtured and out of sorts.
With so much change to handle, it may seem impossible to do anything other than react to whatever comes our way. You can change that belief and behavior right now. Another path is possible, in fact, it is necessary to successfully navigate change. Shift from a reactive, less-than-powerful approach to a proactive, effective stance. How? By listening. Listen to the chaos.
On New Ground
We've reached the end of what we know how to do. We are now in the territory of the unexplored, the uncharted. Where no humans have gone before. It is obvious to some, not yet to others. What has brought us to this point will not work going forward. Continuing to do what we have always done will not produce the results, growth, or performance that it has in the past. We're noticing:
- Reduced returns from the same actions
- Brittleness in organizations that have known vitality
- Chaos where order once reigned
Chaos is actually an indicator of the situation, a symptom that can alert us to search for the root cause. If we're willing to listen. Chaos is the breaking down of old patterns that no longer work in a changing world. Patterns that served us at some point, but no longer produce the desired results. When we over-rely on what we've known, in a world that has moved on, chaos results.
Chaos is the signal. It has to be listened to, not beaten back. Restoring order, in the chaos, is not the objective (though it may be the reflex). Listening to the chaos as a way to begin understanding the new foundation is the process. Ask yourself:
- What is the chaos telling me?
- What has changed, fundamentally, that is causing the upheaval?
- What new belief system, and then response, is being called for?
When chaos appears, there is a fundamental shift that is calling for your attention. Befriend chaos.
What To Do
In shifting our beliefs about how the world works, chaos also shifts. As we take on new, updated (and aligned with the current situation) beliefs, chaos shifts to understanding then to powerful action. So, what can we do to move through chaos to new understanding?
- Notice the chaos. Do not judge it (chaos is not bad; our belief that order is preferable only makes it appear to be).
- Go where the noise is. Listen to the chaos. It is trying to get your attention and alert you to a new development (at least new to you).
- Learn from it. Identify what the fundamental, underlying shift is that is causing the chaos.
- Update your assumptions and expectations and beliefs. What causes chaos? The disparity between what is happening and what we expect should happen. So, when we can't change what is happening, the only thing to change is our beliefs and expectations. Identify where they are no longer current with this newly-discovered situation and update them as necessary to remain current. Doing so reduces suffering. You are not your beliefs, although it may appear that way. Changing beliefs does not change who you are.
- Surrender. This is a process of letting go. And, first and foremost, it is about letting go of our need to control. This need has been called the magnificent addiction, so strong is it in human beings. We've been trained to control, perfect, hold on. It is time to un-learn all that and learn to surrender. Not to succumb, but to surrender. To succumb is to give up, to be without hope. Surrendering is yielding to the situation, admitting that you are at the end of what you know how to do, and finally listening to your inner voice of wisdom. This inner voice is the one that will provide you with a new message, a different response. As we surrender, we relax. As we relax, constriction eases and there is more flow and new possibility. Accept that your world is changing, and let go of any beliefs that tie you to the old world and keep you from soaring in the new.
So Now What?
While this approach may seem to be more reflective than active, it is exactly what to do in change. Our society demands action. Do. Produce. Get it done. What we now need is to open our eyes to the process before 'doing'. The process of preparing to do, and in the doing be most effective. And that is an internal process, one of self-awareness. Only when the internal reflection is done are we truly prepared to take the most effective action, the action most appropriate to the actual, current situation we face.
Let's look at an example. Joan, a busy leader, is living a life where there is too much to do and not enough time. She's harried, harassed and worn out. Every day finds her trying to do more, be more efficient, and cram more in. It used to work for her, and she's wondering why doing more is not producing more results or more satisfaction.
Joan is actually at the end of what she knows how to do. Doing more of the same improves nothing. Trying harder is not the answer - a totally new path is called for.
So Joan:
- Notices the chaos. She really lets it in, really sees it for what it is. Her life is out of control and she feels awful. She looks at what has happened over time to bring her to this point, how it makes her feel and what the impact is on her work and her life. With no minimizing, overly-optimistic rationale or excuse-making, she begins to see her life situation clearly.
- Goes where the noise is. Joan notices that the biggest agitation in her life is how much there is to do at work. People are more distracted than ever, they aren't getting their work completed and they don't seem to care. That leaves more for Joan to do. How can she lead others, plan, participate in the change initiatives and get all the work done - all at the same time? She is getting further and further behind. Is she incompetent? Should she get out? These thoughts consume her waking hours, but she cannot voice them to anyone for fear they will become real.
- Learns from it. As she observes herself over time, Joan notices how much she takes on. She assumes responsibility for a project that should be completed by one of her staff members, reasoning that they, too, are overworked. When asked to do yet another thing, she wants to say 'No', but finds herself saying 'Yes' instead. Without being asked, she takes on a project that she believes is important. She begins to wonder, 'Why am I doing all this, when I clearly see that it cannot be accomplished within the time I have, even if I extend it to 24 hours a day. Why do I say yes to everything, sometimes even before the question is asked?'
- Updates her assumptions and expectations. Upon self-reflection, Joan sees that it is her own expectations that prompt her to take on everything that comes her way. Over the years, she has come to expect that this is how to deal with things. Do them yourself. Never say no, you might offend someone. As she says, "If I want it done right, I do it myself. I can't count on others to do it the way that I would. If I'm responsible to get it done, I want to be sure to deliver - on time and up to expectations." Upon further reflection, she begins to see that what is needed is a new belief. The workload is not going away, in fact, it continues to grow. Doing it all herself will not get it all done anymore. So she decides to shift her belief to "We're all here to do good work. As a leader, I share the responsibility and the rewards with others. We work together, with clear accountabilities and expectations, toward our common goals."
- Surrenders. Joan then surrenders to the situation. She is open to new ways of thinking about her work and her role as leader. While this is scary, Joan truly knows she cannot go back to approaching work in the way she was - it left her frustrated and exhausted. She shifts her vision to a higher level and becomes a sponge for information about leadership, roles, and strategies to work with others interdependently. She makes connections with successful and innovative high performers to compare practices. After a few weeks, her feelings about the process actually shift from scary to exhilarating. And she finds more beliefs that still tie her to the past which she finds she can shift with greater and greater ease.
Notice that this process happens internally. Once Joan notes the disconnect between the changing external circumstances and her internal beliefs (remember, this is a definition of chaos), the biggest gain comes from going inside herself to identify what shifts in beliefs are required in this new situation. Only then is it effective to look externally to the situation itself and how to change it (if possible at all).