Take a Fresh Glimpse and Adapt by Michael Carroll from Awake at Work from Shambhala Publications It is fitting that we rely on routines at work.
We have schedules,
Work procedures,
And standards that we follow.
By making work somewhat predictable in this way,
We can be effective in getting the job done,
Meeting our commitments,
And being responsible to our colleagues.
Many of our daily work routines contain tremendous wisdom developed over many generations.
How we engineer tension into metals,
Recognize legal ownership,
Or manage a seaport all rely on routines that thousands of people before us worked hard to perfect.
In that sense,
Many of the routines that we count on each day are worthy of our respect and careful consideration.
There's much to appreciate in how a bridge is built or a heart is transplanted.
Yet,
Because work is messy and uncertain,
Our routines are always encountering surprises.
A new manager,
A modification in an operating system,
A warehouse fire,
A misprint in an instruction manual,
All require that we rethink what is customary and possibly even discard our routines altogether.
Our constantly changing workplace demands that we regularly take a fresh glimpse and reinvent how we work.
Ironically,
We sometimes rely on our routines when we least need them.
When work's surprises require us to adapt and innovate,
We can find ourselves instead reaching for familiar habits,
Making us ineffective or even counterproductive.
Sending our new boss the same weekly sales report we have been using for the past five years may not be what she needs or wants.
Continuing to ship product first order in,
First order out during an inventory crisis only makes the disaster worse.
Painting the predictably rosy picture of corporate earnings to assure shareholders when we ourselves are far from being assured is irresponsible and reckless.
In such cases,
Instead of adapting and being resourceful,
We freeze up and behave habitually,
Holding on to the status quo,
Trying to maintain some order in the midst of chaos.
The more we hold on to our routines,
The more our work evolves out of our control,
Becoming increasingly stressful and confusing.
The status quo becomes a prison and our routines millstones around our neck.
Needless to say,
Becoming imprisoned by work's routines is unnecessary.
Adapting to surprises and chaos need not be a monumental task,
But a simple shift from holding on to letting go,
From maintaining a point of view to not having one at all,
From trying to solve a problem to listening for solutions,
From remaining convinced to taking a fresh glimpse and adapting.
At the heart of such a shift is our willingness,
At any given moment,
To let go of our habits and fixed views and suddenly become available to our work setting,
Permitting circumstances to unfold.
It is at that very moment that we take a fresh glimpse and adapt.
Such a glimpse has no agenda other than to better understand and appreciate the immediate moment.
When we become available to our circumstances in this way,
We're naturally curious,
Wondering how this or that works,
Appreciating how a particular opinion is expressed,
Or marveling at the scope of a problem or the elegance of a solution.
When we permit ourselves to be present and available,
We experience a heightened awareness,
A sharp,
Unburdened intelligence that is open and pliable,
Yet firm.
This curiosity or awareness is not passive,
But active.
Since we're not burdened by maintaining a point of view,
We naturally ask questions,
Probe,
And clarify.
In taking a fresh glimpse and adapting,
We invite the wisdom of others.
We seek out good judgment,
Helpful insights,
Experienced advice,
Novel approaches.
Listen,
Listen,
And listen again.
We stop trying to make something happen and instead let something happen,
Learning as we go.
By being open and willing in this way,
We can then innovate with confidence.
Adapting to work surprises is not a one-man show.
If we adapt only for ourselves by ourselves,
It is more often than not an exercise in holding on to the status quo and not adaptation at all.
We include others as we adapt.
We experiment with new approaches that meet others' needs and not just our own.
Rather than sending our new boss a standard weekly sales report,
We discuss with her first what would be best,
Adapting our approach to hers.
Rather than shipping product first order in,
First order out during our inventory crisis,
We speak with all the regional sales directors and build a priority customer list for shipping orders,
Adapting our approach to the teams.
Rather than painting the predictable rosy picture of corporate earnings,
We seek views and opinions from our managers,
Build a consensus among top executives,
And bring a balanced and shared view to the shareholders,
Adapting our approach to build commitment among many.
Take a fresh glimpse and adapt reminds us to respect our routines without becoming trapped by them when work surprises require us to be flexible.
By letting go of our familiar habits and routines and not knowing,
We discover that we can trust our natural intelligence to engage work as it unfolds,
Seeking out novel approaches to unknown circumstances.
Being mindful and available during work surprises heightens our curiosity,
And we naturally seek out the wisdom of others.
We include others as we change,
Flexible enough to embrace many viewpoints,
Not just our own.
