Are You Living in the Illusion of Stability or Creating a Steady Reality?

Stability is generally accepted as a desired state although past and current events emphatically suggest that nothing is really stable in life or in business.

Still, we cling to the idea of stability, in part, because it’s the opposite of the chaos associated with doing something new or the fear of losing some or all of what we’ve built.

Over time, we’ve created the illusion of stability by becoming adept at creating structure.

Think of all the practices, policies, processes, contracts, and attempts at connection that exist within an organization. The intention is that, together, they create a sense of worthiness and/or protection from the winds of change or when the unthinkable happens (and history shows that the unthinkable happens more than we think).

This observation is not a judgment of structure.

It's an opportunity to practice something that’s part of the work I do – to pause, to breathe, and to get curious.

Pause to consider that stability infers a resistance to change. Yet organizations that resist change do not flourish which also takes its toll on people involved with them as they begin the often slow and painful descent of decline. It’s not a pretty picture.

Now breathe. The more we can saturate our blood with oxygen, the more we can prime our brains for what comes next. 

Get curious. What if, instead of operationalizing with stability in mind, we worked toward becoming steady? Nautically speaking, being steady infers staying on a present heading while being responsive and flexible. It allows you to stay the course while exploring previously new possibilities and potential. It's a prettier picture, and one you can start to develop today.

It begins with having better conversations.

Gather your team and other important stakeholders. Ask them to help you paint a very vivid, compelling picture of what becoming responsive and flexible could look like in your organization. Start the conversation with questions like these:

• When has your organization been successfully responsive and flexible in the past and what made it work?
• What opportunities are really worthy of your best efforts?
• When you achieve this, what will be different in your organization?
• What do you need more clarity about?
• What would it take to make change?
• If success was completely guaranteed, what bold steps might you choose?
• How can you support each other in taking the next steps? 
• What unique contribution can you each make?
• How will you measure your success? What do you really want to measure (what matters?)

With a clear vision, we’re all better able to weather uncertainty. We’re better equipped to create a steady reality that allows us to be open to new input while building the future we do want – based on intention – for ourselves, our teams, our planet, our companies, and the people we bring value to within the industries we serve.

That's a very desirable state for any organization that wants to remain relevant and viable, even propelled forward by the winds of change.

If tried and true ways of the past have your business feeling stuck in the present, it’s time to add the missing ingredient to building relationships, innovating, and implementing new plans. Discover the potential of positive, strategic conversations. Learn more.