Change is Good. It just doesn't always feel good.
Someone once quipped to me, "the only person who likes change is a baby in a dirty diaper." I absolutely loved this comment for so many reasons (funny! true! babies!). And I've used it quite a bit for myself and others while we're going through some disruption or another. I thought it might be interesting to dig into a story about change and some advice I was given which served me well, despite it being so antithetical to my nature.
Years ago when I was in another role, crushing it and seeing my career escalator moving up, the department I was in dissolved and my boss up and left. Sure I had setbacks before, but losing my boss crushed me. Not only did I work so hard to get where I was, but I was cast out of the influencing circle, asked to prove my worth (again). My instinct was to suit up and go into battle. To stake my claim over my domain and show everyone what a killer project manager I am (with mad PowerPoint skills to boot). But, as I have done in the past, I set aside my instincts and sought out several key (outsider) people I respected and asked for and listened to their advice.
One person gave me this gem: Do Nothing. Now as a Seinfeld devotee I loved this. It seemed close to the George Costanza School of Management which is hilarious (“do the opposite”). I also knew that even if it felt uncomfortable and I was scared, giving myself and the organization some time and space to regroup was a good strategy for moving forward. And while I did nothing to conquer the organizational politics (I would say I avoided getting distracted and drained by them), I was busy learning and listening. I focused on listening and learning like it was my job. No longer the right-hand to an executive, reading, being a mentor and friend to others, offering help and delivering on those offers all became my daily activities. And I gave myself a moratorium on making career decisions. For 4 weeks I would “do nothing” that was not associated with listening and learning. At the end of the experiment, I had 4 internal job offers. And I took one of those offers (which some people said would kill my career) and it was the best decision I ever made. (More on that in another blog).
What I learned from that experience was that advice was not about nothing. It was about purpose and intention. When I felt I was not in control of my circumstances and career, I took a pause and focused on being productive with purpose. I felt what I was doing mattered. I focused on learning. What do you do in times of change? I’d love to learn from you!
