What do revolving doors and making changes have in common? No, it’s not a ‘knock knock’ joke although you may call me crazy!
I was reminded the other day as I approached the huge glass revolving door at the Victoria & Albert Museum how revolving doors offer a unique, if somewhat quirky, insight into how we all approach change.
Seriously (or not so seriously) if you watch people you will see that there are numerous styles of navigating revolving doors. Some will stop dead in their tracks and avoid the ‘round about’ altogether, others absent-mindedly throw themselves into the door and end up shuffling along in the same slot as some other stunned, unsuspecting soul, and then there are those who cautiously size up the door, measuring distance and speed, wait for just the right moment, then go for it!
My first instinct is to look for an old-fashioned door! What can I say, I like the direct approach. If that’s not an option I make my choice of revolving slots, take a deep breath and push till I’m clean out the other side. Focus, determination, and speed I say! I admit I do not like to share a revolving door slot with anyone.
Now Dr. B…well she likes to make sure there is distance between herself and the door upon exiting that way it can’t catch up with her and whack her on the back! She makes good choices, they rarely come back to bite her.
Knowing your style of change gives you a definite advantage. I mean imagine the different choices you make with a ‘don’t rock the boat’ style vs a ‘burn the boats’ approach! The thing is, it’s really not that hard to figure out your groove. Change isn’t as complicated as some would like you to think.
No matter how fancy the theory there are really only 3 parts to change, the idea, the plan, and the execution. Ok, maybe 4 if you add an evaluation phase but most of us are getting on with it by that point. So, keep that in mind as you read through a few change styles. Then simply figure out what parts of change are your strengths and what are your weaknesses and ‘voila’ you become a diva of change.
Are you an idea guru? Do you think and think and think about changes you want to make? Are you full of ideas but they don’t get off the ground? When it gets right down to the crunch of doing something, making that change, do you manage to find a detour? Talk about feeling stuck in a revolving door. With this ‘ideas only’ style you may end up with a lot of ‘if only’s’ in your life and never fully know what you could have achieved.
Do you percolate? Do you think about and ponder change long and hard before you act? Planning is your strength, but there are times you may find it sabotages you. This style’s success depends on knowing when to act and not spending all of their precious time and energy waiting for the ‘right’ slot in the revolving door. Disappointingly, by the time some ‘percolators’ are ready to jump in the opportunity has passed.
Are you a tackler? Plan? What plan? You get right to it, jump in, stumble around, and somehow emerge out the other side. That’s cool, you really get to experience the dynamic momentum of change. Oh, oh there is a downside, the ‘tackler’ lacks direction and often ends up on the wrong side of the door. You miss out on the triumph and strength of your achievement because change happens to you and not because of you.
Maybe you are a lookie-loo! Always on the lookout for something new, you live to spice up your life with new experiences. We often view ‘lookie-loos’ as consummate risk takers, we admire their sense of adventure. However, you have an Achilles heel, you can’t stop making changes. You get lost in the thrill of going around and around and don’t know when to stop, consolidate your gains, and savour your new view, sucess and accomplishments.
It needs to be said, burnout and your ability to navigate change are inextricably linked.
If you are living a burnout lifestyle, if you are suffering from burnout, change is the only option you have. You can’t avoid change but you can spend all of your energy trying to. That is why it is so important for you to understand your unique, creative, and highly sensitive style of change.
Embrace change and the world is your oyster, pearl and all.
Change is an opportunity to give up the comfort of the familiar for something, or everything, different. So my Darling, what are you waiting for? Go find a revolving door and strut your stuff!
PS. The BOQs would love to hear from you! Leave your wisdom and comments in the box below.
