Just to State the Obvious
Our world has long been characterized by overstimulation, unmanageable amounts of input and demands for faster and faster action. Many of us have been chronically overwhelmed and have struggled just to keep up.
The confluence of challenges in 2020 has magnified the impact of these conditions, adding a layer of uncertainty and anxiety that can be crippling.
“Really?” you think, “What are you telling me that I don’t already know?”
But There’s Another Side of the Story
You probably also know this. The very conditions causing distress also give us a chance to make positive change in arenas we thought were set in stone. In other words, it’s a great time to be a change leader.
I know, it's one thing to cheerfully welcome unstable conditions as opportunities for breakthroughs, it's another thing to have reliable tools to move forward. That’s exactly what I’d like to offer here.
While there’s lots to learn and refine when it comes to leading change, here are two absolutely indispensable tools. Let’s use white water rafting as an example.
Indispensable Tool #1: Vision
Vision is an image of the future you wish to create. It's where you're going. It's what pulls you forward and orients you even in the midst of turbulent conditions. In white water rafting, vision might be that everyone in the boat survives and is able to enjoy the calm at the end of the adventure.
Leading in white water calls for staying focused on where you're headed even while you're scanning your immediate surroundings to rapidly adjust to changing conditions. Research shows that having a clear end in mind enables us to automatically identify relevant conditions in the environment. For example, in order to realize the vision of successfully concluding your rafting adventure, you need to notice the boulder in your path!
Indispensable Tool #2: Next Action
Once you identify relevant conditions, you can then employ the second indispensible tool: What's the next action?"
This simple but powerful tool offered by David Allen helps you stay focused on your desired future while systematically moving forward one step at a time, in response to changing circumstances. In the white water rafting example, “What’s the next action?” might be to steer around that boulder while still focusing on where you’re headed ultimately.
Many complex initiatives could become less overwhelming if you first clarify your vision and then repeatedly ask (and act on), "What's the next action?"
Let me know how these tools work for you.
I distill complex ideas into simple yet powerful tools that enable you to achieve outstanding results.