Just like starting over

Original post:  June 5, 2015

If you're like me, you often find yourself attracted to the new and different. There is a certain allure in the possibilities. Of course, sometimes new and different become old and stale. It's important to keep your perspective.

At work, we're constantly facing new challenges. As the challenges evolve, our roles may shift. Personnel who were once suited perfectly for their tasks are now being asked to address their world in a novel way. Perhaps the pace might have picked up as well. Either way, there is a great deal of uncertainty in our present tense.

Different organizations deal with change in different ways. At the meeting I was at, there is one organization that has undergone a tremendous amount of upheaval. In a key department, they have cycled through three leaders in the span of two years and the VP head is still vacant after an exhaustive search. As you can imagine, progress for that department has been non-existent. If anything, they are stuck in a cycle of just trying to keep everything working "as is".

The moral of the story is that sometimes the right answer is not to change horses in the middle of the stream. Sometimes the better answer is to work with your teammates and see how they can grow and develop together. It's the more difficult road, but it can lead to a much more lasting, sustainable payoff.