The things you fear are undefeatable
Some years ago, at a teacher training conference at which I was a presenter, I sat in on a session where the following quote by the American singer and songwriter, Jewel, was displayed on a PowerPoint slide:
“The things you fear are undefeatable, not by their nature, but by your approach”
This simple statement had a profound effect on me as it goes a long way to explaining why many of us struggle to solve the problems we face in our businesses and our lives.
My interpretation of this quote is that the problems we face (the things you fear) will not be solved (are undefeatable), not because they can’t be solved (not by their nature), but because of the process we use to solve them (your approach).
The real problem or blockage is, therefore, often not the presenting problem. The real problem is how we approach solving the presenting problem – the processes we use. As we rarely question the processes we use, the problem becomes undefeatable.
Every outcome is created by a process
The fact is, every outcome in life is created by a process. We only need to walk to the door to understand this – to do this you will have to use a process. What was that process?
One key part of the process was the physical process of walking. Walking, if you had not realised it, involves putting one leg in front of the other in sequence. Let’s change that process and see what happens. Take three normal-sized steps with your left leg before taking the next with your right. What happened? You either got stuck in an uncomfortable position or, worse, you fell over – both are outcomes.
Your day is filled with processes. Even relaxing involves a process. What do you do to relax? What process do you use? Even our thoughts are processes – what thought process are you going through as you read this? That process will have a big impact on what you get out of this post (your outcomes).
If every outcome is created by a process then two things hold true:
Your current outcomes are sustained by your current processes and...
If you want to change your outcomes you need to change your processes
But, you can’t change anything you don’t see
Despite the fact that processes are ubiquitous and fill your day we rarely ‘see’ them or, if they are seen, they are taken for granted and therefore overlooked.
What we do see, in our business, is people carrying out processes. So if the processes are faulty (e.g. requiring us to take three steps with our left leg before taking the next with our right) who gets the blame? The answer is; the person implementing the process. The process generally remains unexamined and therefore unaltered. And then we do the same thing again and again. This reminds me of Albert Einstein’s clichéd quote – “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Unfortunately, I see this all too regularly in many of the organisations I work with. Some simple examples of this are write-offs and poor productivity (chargeability) in professional service firms. The most common process used to resolve such problems, in my experience, has been partners or managers having an ‘increased focus’ on the problem. This is often no more than a euphemism for pressuring staff to reduce write-offs or increase productivity. In other words people get blamed and the processes that created the problem go unexamined. But if you do examine the steps in the process you will realise that very few are within the control of the people doing the job. Management, traditionally, establishes the process for their employees to follow. People are often not empowered to change the process. If management were serious about solving these problems they would examine the processes that created them. Until they do, the things they fear will remain undefeatable.
Because your current problems are sustained by your current processes and because you can’t change anything you don’t see, the first step in problem-solving is to make the current process visible.
Even our behaviours are processes
Our behaviours depend on the outcomes we are looking to achieve. As a result our behaviours will change, depending on the context we find ourselves in e.g. our behaviours are often different at home and at work. Our behaviours are not who we are, they are the processes we use. This concept – behavioural flexibility – is the essence of emotional intelligence.
What would happen if you took this thinking into the next difficult staff review you were about to undertake?
Depersonalise the conversation – don’t question the person, question the processes they use. They are not the problem, the problem is their behaviours (their processes). Therefore help them clarify their outcomes and help them examine their current processes (behaviours) in a
safe environment. Then help them see how their current processes are impacting their outcomes. Discuss what other processes may be available to them. Help them make the transition to more beneficial behaviours – we are not seeking to change the person, just the processes they use. This is how I have ‘difficult’ conversations – soft on people, tough (unrelenting) on process.
True leadership is seeing the unseen
One common misunderstanding about process is that people sometimes think that they will end up with so many processes they will not be able to move. But, if you understand what I am saying, you will quickly realise that, if every outcome is already created by a process, you can’t create more processes. The focus is not on creating more processes, but changing the (faulty) processes that are already in existence.
My challenge to you is, when you confront your next problem, develop your skills at seeing the unseen – ‘map’ the process that created the problem and work at that level. Move from blaming to responsibility.
Warwick Cavell is a thought leader in communicating for results and strategy implementation (profitable conversations). For over 25 years, he has helped leaders improve business performance by changing the way people communicate and work to solve problems – both internally and with their clients. He is a highly respected facilitator, coach, speaker and trainer, and author of regular blogs
