Guest Blogger: Melissa Laughon, Catch Your Limit Consulting
Often, leaders ask us to present “something new”, something that an audience hasn’t heard before, something that is on the cutting edge. And, those are always great, meaningful assignments. We love these “new” topics because we’re creative and innovative and they can be more fun than doing a program that we’ve done many times before.
However, I believe that there are many times that “new” gets in the way of the change that leaders are trying to lead.
When we assess organizations, we often find that the search for “new” can compete with discipline and accountability within the organization.
An example of an organization in which “new” gets in the way of success is one that rolls out new programs, initiatives, policies, etc. rather than assessing what worked, what didn’t and why, learning from the assessment and trying to make it stick before adding too much new to the mix. Another example is when a leader is rolling out the “business book du jour” before anyone in the organization can tell you what the previous one was about and what they are expected to do with it.
It’s important to recognize that no matter how fast our world is turning, some things (many of the basics/fundamentals) take a certain amount of time. And, no matter what you try to do to expedite the process, you’re going to have to invest that time somewhere – up front, in the middle, at the end or over and over again until you get it right – there are no shortcuts.
It’s the time of year when you reflect on where you, your teams and your organization are today and where you’d like to be by the end of the year or even a year from now.
As you plan your summer retreats and you develop your plans for the remainder of the year, be mindful of the fact that new can get in the way. Work with your teams to identify the basic, non-negotiable skills (ex: effective meetings, teaming, service, etc.) that would have exponential ROI for you if you hunkered down and got it right each and every time vs. moving on to the next new trend.
><((“> Melissa Laughon
Melissa is an Owner and Sr. Consultant at Catch Your Limit, a management consulting firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visitwww.catchyourlimit.com.
