There is a lovely story of a man exploring Africa. He was in a desperate hurry on a journey through the jungle. He had three or four Africans helping him carry his equipment. They raced onward for about three days. At the end of the third day, the Africans sat down and would not move. He urged them to get up, telling them of the pressure he was under to reach his destination before a certain date. They refused to move. He could not understand this; after much persuasion, they still refused to move. Finally he listened to their reason. The natives said, “We have moved too quickly to reach here; now we need to wait to give our spirits a chance to catch up with us.”
Similarly, this executive had been with the company for more than a year. Brought in to drive growth, he had hit the ground running on arrival. With a destination in mind, he charged forward until one day he noticed that others weren’t following, so he took them through planning exercises and nothing changed. Even after much persuasion to get on board, change still did not occur. As he shared his frustration with me, I could see he was ready for help.
John O’Donohue says, “When you remain in a rut, you become caged behind one window of the mind. You are then not able to turn around toward the balcony of the soul and enjoy the different views through the other windows of wonder and possibility.”
This executive had traveled too far, too fast and now he needed to catch up – to see other possibilities through different views, and that is what this meeting was all about.
The fastest way to shift a culture is to bring a key person onto the senior team from the outside.
There are two forces at work in these stories. While every person wants to make a significant contribution and be recognized, rapidity is a force causing massive stress in the workplace because it robs many of their sense of place. When an outside person joins the senior team, they must make their place and everyone is affected.
When we have a sense of place, we fit and experience a natural rhythm. When we fit, we know how to make a significant contribution and be recognized for it. When we know how to make our unique contribution and we feel appreciated for it we feel connected. When we feel connected, we have great courage and feel empowered to take risk.
“When things are moving too quickly nothing can stabilize, gather and grow.”
This company had overrun its historical rhythm and now it needed to stabilize, gather and grow as connected people with a common purpose. This meeting was one step down that path.
Winter leads to spring, which turns to summer and things bloom and blossom, then autumn and winter cycle again. Likewise, each company has a natural cycle that will not change no matter how fast you go. What is yours? I’d love to help. Jim@peer-place.com or Jim@LinkedIn
Jim
Jim Moats Blog 