I was recently at a client site talking with them about changes they were trying to implement. The changes would improve the workplace but there was a remarkable resistance to change …which in itself is an entirely different blog, a book or two have been written about implementing change. One of the comments made was “I don’t understand; if people are so unhappy why wouldn’t they do something about it, and improve themselves?” (I took some liberties with the exact quote to get the whole point across) We discussed this for a bit, and naturally came up with no good answer.
Within a couple of hours of this meeting, I tripped across an article, Be Happier, 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now. I read it because I am always interested in such articles and besides, it provides blog fodder! I thought about forwarding it, but then wondered who do I forward it to?
Forwarding the article to the people who acknowledged that change was needed and were already happy is unnecessary; they already have been working on their behaviours. However, if I gave it to the people they were talking about (the ones who apparently are unhappy and do not want to change) they would likely not see what the point of the article was. Acknowledging the problem is more than half the battle because only then can a person open themselves up to suggestions to improve. It got me thinking about the use of such an article…does one anonymously forward it to a group of people, using the subject line to be less than subtle…”You do not think you are a life sucking, miserable, stick in the mud, but you are, so read this.”? Personally, I think this article is great, and if you read through it, you will probably find that you have done some of the behaviours listed and there is no doubt you will recognize coworkers’ behaviours in that list.
My solution, obviously, was to blog about it, attach the link and hope it sticks with someone who can use
it! This is way more subtle than sending an anonymous e-mail.
Within a couple of hours of this meeting, I tripped across an article, Be Happier, 10 Things to Stop Doing Right Now. I read it because I am always interested in such articles and besides, it provides blog fodder! I thought about forwarding it, but then wondered who do I forward it to?
Forwarding the article to the people who acknowledged that change was needed and were already happy is unnecessary; they already have been working on their behaviours. However, if I gave it to the people they were talking about (the ones who apparently are unhappy and do not want to change) they would likely not see what the point of the article was. Acknowledging the problem is more than half the battle because only then can a person open themselves up to suggestions to improve. It got me thinking about the use of such an article…does one anonymously forward it to a group of people, using the subject line to be less than subtle…”You do not think you are a life sucking, miserable, stick in the mud, but you are, so read this.”? Personally, I think this article is great, and if you read through it, you will probably find that you have done some of the behaviours listed and there is no doubt you will recognize coworkers’ behaviours in that list.
My solution, obviously, was to blog about it, attach the link and hope it sticks with someone who can use
it! This is way more subtle than sending an anonymous e-mail.
RSS Feed
