Today is our fifth day indoors because of back to back record breaking winter storms that have affected over 70% of the United States. This, of course, follows an almost 11 month period that included a global pandemic, social and civil unrest, and a political climate like no other.
We may not all say it out loud, so I'll say it for us: when will all of this end?
A period like this can severely impact an individual's "want to." Even the most self-disciplined, enthusiastic and energized people can be feeling the effects of this long duration of hardships and difficulties.
So what do you do when the "want to" is gone? How can a leader keep a team moving in the right direction when it feels like every direction leads to challenges?
First, focus on what can be completed today. Matthew 6:34 says "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Review what you know to be true today, and prioritize your actions based on what you can actually influence, change or affect today. Minimize worry over what might or might not happen tomorrow. For teams, have daily stand up meetings (Zoom works!) and discuss the most important things to complete in the next 24 hours. At the end of the day, review what went well and what goes to tomorrow.
Second, write out your quick wins for the week. As you clarify what actions you'll take, identify the accomplishments that you can generate by the end of the week. There is always something you can count as a "win." Consider the positive outcomes that you will have by the end of the week, write them down, then check them off or highlight them as they are accomplished.
Third, plan a "Future-Think" meeting. You can do this as a team or an individual. As a team, in your weekly tactical meeting, talk and discuss as if you are out of the challenging time and you are now flourishing and seeing success. Pretend its 12 months from now and you are discussing the environment in which you now sit. What do the results look like? How are people feeling? What are the wins? Even reflect back and discuss how the difficulties led to success. This activity allows you to speculate, analyze, and feel what it will be like on the other side of the hardships.
Finally, just do something. On those most difficult days, gather the energy to do just one thing. Then another. And another. As Jim Collins discusses in Good to Great with the Flywheel Concept, "You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster, and with continued great effort, you move it around a second rotation. You keep pushing in a consistent direction. Three turns ... four ... five ... six ... the flywheel builds up speed ... seven ... eight ... you keep pushing ... nine ... ten ... it builds momentum ... eleven ... twelve ... moving faster with each turn ... twenty ... thirty ... fifty ... a hundred. Then, at some point—breakthrough! " Most often, the best way to get your "want to" back is to simply get back into action, one turn at a time.
What do you do when your "want to" is waning? How do you get your team refocused and re-engaged when hardships are plentiful? Please share your thoughts!
