The Human Hub: Innovation and Taking Action
Jul 31, 2023
Remember that old saying – the definition of insanity is doing the same things but expecting a different result – or something along those lines! It's very fitting for our themes this month – Innovation and Taking Action.
Last month I talked about the difference between hopefulness (having agency) and hopelessness (being paralysed). There is a similar thin line between stress and overwhelm. My interpretation of how the brilliant and lovely Brené Brown differentiates between the two states is:
- Stress is when you’re working at full capacity, feeling stretched, but you’re able to function, to make decisions and to act.
- Overwhelm is when you’re paralysed by the extent or cumulative impact of stress and by the future unfolding at the speed and in the way that you cannot cope with.
We are always aiming to be on the stressed side of that equation…and of course to dial it down so that we have positive stress for specific contexts that require it but that isn’t our consistent reality. Apart from all the health and emotional reasons why this is so critical, it's also what will make the difference in terms of our ability to innovate and take action.
Sunshine on a cloudy day
If we are feeling paralysed, we can’t do anything. If we are feeling continually stressed, our clarity of purpose and ability to make conscious decisions will be clouded.
Think of it like this – it's ok to have some clouds and rain, but if that’s all you ever experience it will get you down, make you hide inside. If you have shards of sunlight, some periods of sun and warmth, you’ll feel more comfortable in your skin and getting out and about, and the colours around you will look brighter.
Staying on the positive side of stressed
I use the following process to support and mentor leaders, colleagues, friends and family to put in place the conditions that keep you on the positive side of the stressed/overwhelmed cliff:
- Set clear expectations – often, this is for yourself rather than others – what will you do/not do, how much of something is ok to accept/not accept? Boundaries are yours to define, yours to stick to, and yours to break.
- Communicate clear service levels – service in this guise can be your responsiveness or time, or it can be what your company offering in and how fast it can be delivered. This helps others (peers, customers, leaders) understand what is doable and reasonable for you.
- Constructive call-out – having done the first 2, this enables you to call-out to others when they’re expecting more from you or your team than you’ve said you can reasonably deliver, or when you feel your boundaries are being breached. It can be constructive, calm and collegial if it's in reference to the first 2 and holding them accountable to respecting you – it takes it away from the emotions you might be feeling about the breach. It's helpful to have a good friend who can call you out when you might be bending your own boundaries too!
- Say no – you’re able on the basis of the first 3 to say no and feel comfortable and confident in that decision. You’ve given yourself the mandate, and you’ve clearly signalled that to others through this escalation path of these actions.
- Make trade-offs – you’re also able to negotiate whereby you may bend on something that matters to you in return for something that will in turn enhance or regenerate your context.
Change making
Innovation involves seeing things differently so that you can think, decide and act differently. For that you need mental headspace, the opportunity to daydream, and the ability to breath. Taking action requires you to have a clear sense of what you want to achieve and why, and to have the wherewithal to do something. Combine the two and you get new types of action that can make a difference.
These topics commonly come up in my podcast conversations, and my guests' resilience and achievements at forging through to create, innovate and being resilient are truly inspiring - have a list here: https://www.humansatwork.org/podcast or on all major podcast platforms.
I've also written in extensively in my blogs about more tactics for sustaining leadership, true strategic decision-making and regenerative thinking - have a read here https://www.humansatwork.org/blog
To dive into more emotional helpfulness, you can find out more about Brené Brown at https://brenebrown.com/
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