The weather this week has been very interesting. Monday was one of the most beautiful days ever. It was warm in the morning and pleasant during the day. We actually reached 82 degrees and it felt like spring was definitely moving into the summer that I love so much. From Tuesday on, it became more and more winter like until this morning it was back into the low 30's.
The confusion on my body was tremendous. One day I wore long sleeves and felt hot and the next day I wore short sleeves and nearly froze. At the beginning of the week we took the winter quilt off of our bed because it was now too warm, only to freeze all night long when we went to bed. We couldn't keep up with the weather, it changed too quickly.
Inconsistent Messages
This inconsistent weather pattern got me thinking again. Obviously, I am a psychologist and not a meteorologist, so I began to think about inconsistent leaders who show up one day with one message and the next day with a very different one. I also thought about the many different organizations that created the program of the month and then let it die without every following up. The people learned to just sit back and do nothing, because they knew the weather would change soon. These pattern changes are every bit as frustrating as the changes in weather we experienced this week.
For whatever reason, these leaders and organizations thought they could regularly change the message without creating any impact. Many of them treated growth and development as an event instead of process. They thought the weather of today would actually define the year. It didn't and it never will. Leadership, like weather is established over time.
Weather Patterns
When summer finally arrives, I will have forgotten this week. That is because the real consistency is that I am going to have weather everyday. This week was out of whack, but normally the weather trends from cooler to warmer or warmer to cooler, depending on the season we are entering.
This events of this week were really not all that abnormal. It actually happens every time we are changing seasons, which again correlates very well with the process we face in organizations. The key is to stay focused on the process and to make sure that we stick with it.
I can't imaging abandoning life in an uncontrolled climate just because I don't like the weather. I am not going to build myself a sophisticated climate control chamber so that I can live the rest of my days without the confusion my body felt this week. I understand that the sporadic weather is part of life. It sounds silly just to write it.
But, there are a lot of organizations that throw their vision on the junk pile before they ever have a chance to establish or stabilize it. If it was well thought out, then they should stick with it and allow the impact to take effect.
What do you do when the weather changes in your organization?
Do you move forward and and embrace what may work?
How can you help those around you adjust to changes?
Your job, whether you are a leader or a follower, is to positively move the plan forward. You must not engage in complaining about what is not working. I am not saying that you have no voice, I am simply saying that you must be a positive voice. If something is not working, then be a part of the solution. Anybody can complain, but those who know how to add value make the suggestions that will help create success.
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