Workplace Event Disguised As Workplace Change
What happens when the change you believe you are experiencing is just a workplace event? How do you know the difference?
The big sales month, the surprising reaction to the video posted on LinkedIn, or a visit and tour from a high-ranking politician. Are any of these a signal of change or just an event?
Blip or Change?
Occasionally, the angler catches a big fish, the realtor closes a huge deal, and you just happen to catch every green light when you are running a few minutes late. Do you build a plan around these occurrences? Has something changed?
When the biggest customer, the biggest sponsor, or the biggest vendor change, often so does the organization. Is this the result of an event or calculated change?
You may suggest that it could be both, and of course, it could. Usually however, it isn’t.
Workplace Event
Events may be repeatable, but likely are not the norm. Winning the lottery may be an event, but you shouldn’t count on it happening every day. You can pretend it might, but a business model built around pretend is clearly an illusion.
You can pretend you’ll have the biggest sales month ever next month too, and with a good plan you might. Chances are good however without a specific structure and catalyst for this continued success you’ll find a lot of disappointment and misery.
It is valuable to consider how events shape the organization. A blip of success here and there really isn’t something that is calculated. While it may be a promising sign of being prepared to seize opportunity, it may only be an event may and not a sign of the new norm.
The glass of water fills drip by drip, the tree grows a little each year, and the organization that lasts isn’t built from the results of a single event.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
