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The Newsletter | Edition 033
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In our Off-White Papers, we provide practical guidance on how to respond to our rapidly-changing world. This weekly newsletter explores those topics in real-time, with information and action steps on how to make progress now.
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...QUIT TO WIN
Business is laser-focused on winning. Whether it's winning a new client, a work accolade, or the attention of the public, companies want to come out on top. But there are moments when it's best for leaders to cut their losses and move on, or pivot and choose a different path forward. So how do leaders effectively 'quit to win' for the betterment of their organizations?
- The cure for status quo, from Meron Medhanie
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Taking steps before leaps, from Ash Casper
- The bigger picture of achievement, from Jillian Rosen-Filz
And this time, our illustrations from Ash Casper.
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BEGIN AGAIN From Meron Medhanie
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TL;DRGrowth and evolution require us to constantly change. Essential to this change is shedding what no longer serves us, or what has become the status quo.
WHY IT MATTERSGreg McKewon, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, defines Status Quo Bias as “the tendency to continue doing something simply because we have always done it.” It’s easy to find this in every crevice of our organizations. How many times have you heard, “this is the way we do things here” or “this is our culture?” Ironically, even the mantras that encourage evolution like “move fast and break things” don’t make space to interrogate their effectiveness or make space for others.
While easier to accept the status quo and more difficult to challenge a pillar of organizational culture, it’s important to recognize that the status quo won’t always serve us in a fast-changing world.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Find the smallest, seemingly insignificant places where the status quo resides and challenge it.
WHEN INTERROGATING YOUR STATUS QUO, ASK YOURSELF
- Does this support the way a new generation works and thinks?
- Does this make space to welcome diversity (this article says there are 34 types) of all kinds?
- Does this serve the people and planet outside your walls?
- And if you were to begin again, could you justify the time, resources, and energy allocated?
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SAY NO, SO YOU CAN SAY YESFrom Ash Casper
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TL;DR“Saying no is our growth strategy.” This is a bold statement made by the founder of an executive search firm. She writes about her experience having to simply deal with a verbally abusive client as a newly established company in 1992. Proudly, by 1999, when presented with a similar situation, she turned away the business, despite it being a high-profile opportunity.
WHY IT MATTERSWhile this example is dated, the takeaway still applies. There is inherent confidence and power in saying no. And while it is widely popularized that in our personal lives we must look for ways to say no in order to refocus our time on what matters, many brands and businesses don’t follow the same advice. When time and mental energy is freed from pesky busy work or demanding clients, innovation and progress can be prioritized, allowing leaders to say yes to the right work.
Of course, it's difficult to make saying no a priority all the time. For example, many brands and businesses had to make tough decisions when the pandemic and economic fallout hit. But when a ‘say no so you can say yes’ mentality is ingrained at the core of a company, all decisions, independent of circumstance, will stem from it. This makes room for progress that aligns with your values, even if that progress is a step rather than a leap.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Instead of making happy customers the first priority, focus on the right ones.
WHERE TO START?
- Set out by identifying your business motives and ideals.
- Based on those ideals, define the type of work that aligns.
- Ask yourself, do we share the same values, goals, and motivations?
If yes, say yes. If not, say no.
If maybe, finds ways to push the work in the right direction.
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THE ECSTASY OF ACHIEVEMENT From Jillian Rosen-Filz
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TL;DRSetting high goals sparks feelings of excitement, motivation, and confidence in just about anyone. But it’s important to preemptively gauge whether the process of reaching those desired achievements and what comes after, are part of your motivation to succeed—or are you being driven by something else entirely?
WHY IT MATTERSWe often overestimate how satisfied or fulfilled we’ll feel once we hit a certain goal. And more importantly, the cost associated with achieving that thing we’re after, how long that satisfaction will last, and what it all really means for ourselves, our families, our colleagues, or our businesses.
Coined by Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard-trained positive psychology expert, “The Arrival Fallacy” is “an illusion that once we attain our goal or reach our destination we’ll reach lasting happiness.” It’s a feeling that can trick us into simply playing along with whatever comes our way in pursuit of our goals because the vision of achievement feels like pure ecstasy. The problem is, ambition is ultimately a focus on desired outcomes—wealth, success, recognition, etc. However, If we're only focused on outcomes, the process of or results from achieving them can stray from our personal values. If you think all of the joy exists in the "arrival," you'll lose sight of yourself along the way.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Turn the statement “I’ll be happy if I can just achieve X" into, "I’ll be happy if I can achieve X, by going through Y process, with Z as a result.”
THOUGHTSBy adapting your goals to include not just achievements, but the scenarios and processes that may come before and after, it becomes much easier to understand your motivations and make decisions accordingly. If you’re not happy with everything in that equation, it may be that you’re chasing achievement for the sake of it, without purpose or intention. Perhaps it’s time to step away.
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