“It is difficult overcoming a maintaining culture.” John Maxwell
John shares a story about one of his early jobs that really hit home for me as I get the amazing opportunity to coach companies all over the country.
“There’s an old saying: don’t tear a fence until you know why it’s there. Within my organization, I wasn’t someone who was itching to tear down fences, but I was a questioner. I was very quick to ask why a fence had been put up. And whether it still needed to be there. And if it could be replaced by something better. If the reason something was done was reasonable, then I’d leave it alone. If not, then I started asking, “Why not do it another way – a better way?
Asking questions and exploring ignited my creativity. Although, within my organization, it seemed like I was the only one doing that. In fact, my questions annoyed the team. They questioned my questions – they couldn’t understand why I was asking them at all. I eventually left.”
Wow, does this sound like a place you may have worked at? Does this sound like where you are now? How do we handle a company, department, or organization that is fine with Status Quo? The first questions is to unpack where we are going and what we are trying to achieve. If we can begin the dialogue and discovery process we might create the Clarity we need to challenge what we do and begin to achieve what we feel called to do. If we have our mission and goals then we need to create a way to track our results and impact. We need to measure, track and review metrics that will confirm the success or lack of success of our journey. Those numbers can help us challenge the “FENCE” and maybe help us tear it down and put something else in its place that can help us move forward.
If you find your self running a Maintaining Company/ Culture or managing a department that seems to be stuck, maybe start asking why. Why do we do it this way and what are our results. It will change everything. You got this! Let’s move from Maintaining to Creating!!