A speaker at a recent chamber event was commenting on how even young people can be resistant to change. “We hired a bright engineer in his twenties to work on coding a new software program,” he said. “He worked out well until we moved him to a troubleshooting position due to an unexpected demand. It did not go well. Some people get so siloed in their specialty,” he continued,” that they get stuck even if you move their stapler.”
How many of your people would have a difficult time shifting the way they make decisions if unexpectedly placed in a different position, location, or responsibility? We tend to assume that decision making prowess is transferrable to any situation. This may not be true. While age and job tenure are elements in this equation, problem solving using the same lenses day after day creates habits that can be hard to break.
We’ve all heard stories of teams getting stuck on a project until someone from the outside happens past and introduces a new perspective. It is easy to get caught up in the work-a-day rhythm and be thrown off by a sudden change in process or environment. But this can also be therapeutic. What if you were unexpectedly asked to assume a new role? Would you welcome it? Resist it? A mixture of both?
How can you introduce this kind of therapy into your workplace? Ask teams to discuss case-studies outside of their expertise. Set aside time at staff meetings for those struggling with an issue to ask for input. This takes courage, but your best contributors will welcome the opportunity. Ask rising stars to assume temporary responsibilities outside of their specialty. This can provide a real test into their self-efficacy and confidence. You don’t know unless you experiment.