Good morning,
One thing I always wonder
about when riding transit is whether I will join the group standing up to form a line at the door of a train, bus, or subway before its arrival at the next stop. The merit
of the approach is obvious. For me, the
potential downside of losing my
balance is significant enough to prevent me from doing it. Still,
if it works, more power to those queuing up.
A few weeks ago, I rode the train home from Norwood into Boston with a friend. Since the train was crowded, we stood together near the exit door. As the train approached Back Bay station, passengers began to line up behind us. By the time the train pulled to a stop, the line was about fifteen people deep. Entirely by accident, I had managed to not just join the 'early standing' group- I was a co-founder!
The surprising thing was what took place in the next car. I could see it from my spot by looking through the window on the door. What I saw was very much unexpected.
No line.
When the train stopped, the passengers getting off the train stood up from their seats and walked through the door. Surely, the train was not divided into cars of people who stand up before arrival and those who wait until the train stops to stand. So, what happened?
My conjecture is that there were plenty of riders in the second car who would have stood up had they seen one other person do so first. But since there were no riders in that car who were willing to lead the way, the riders waiting to stand never got a leader to follow.
A few weeks ago, I rode the train home from Norwood into Boston with a friend. Since the train was crowded, we stood together near the exit door. As the train approached Back Bay station, passengers began to line up behind us. By the time the train pulled to a stop, the line was about fifteen people deep. Entirely by accident, I had managed to not just join the 'early standing' group- I was a co-founder!
The surprising thing was what took place in the next car. I could see it from my spot by looking through the window on the door. What I saw was very much unexpected.
No line.
When the train stopped, the passengers getting off the train stood up from their seats and walked through the door. Surely, the train was not divided into cars of people who stand up before arrival and those who wait until the train stops to stand. So, what happened?
My conjecture is that there were plenty of riders in the second car who would have stood up had they seen one other person do so first. But since there were no riders in that car who were willing to lead the way, the riders waiting to stand never got a leader to follow.
On the other hand, the car I was riding in had
a clear example- my friend and I-
so everyone waiting for at least one other person to stand was comfortable enough to do so once they saw us by the door.
This moment on the train reminded me of one of my most consistent challenges in my last role. Often, I would speak or meet with someone and they would say something about how things worked in the company. 'Why can't we just do it like this?' or 'I don't understand why it happens like that!' were common expressions in these conversations. A week or two later, I might chat with someone else and hear the same thing.
The challenge I refer to above is the question of how to motivate someone to initiate. How do you get a colleague to turn an idea into a prototype?
Some companies use policy to encourage the overly cautious. They make the environment safer for failure by setting aside time each week for work on individually initiated projects. Google's use of this policy led to the creation of something I use everyday- Gmail.
These policies focus on process over outcomes. Of course, a results-oriented approach has its time and place- sometimes, all hands need to be on deck. But too much focus on narrowly defined measures of success often comes at the detriment of efficiency and accumulates costs in unmeasured areas. Such an environment is likely to discourage creativity, particularly if colleagues absorbed by the measuring results are openly skeptical of new ideas.
From my own experience, I found that pointing out an example of someone taking initiative elsewhere usually proved enough to get a reluctant colleague to try a new idea. Usually, I would say 'look at so-and-so, they had idea X last month and gave it a shot'.
It does not have to be exactly this way, of course. The main idea is to help people feel supported when they act on their conviction. Creating an environment where people feel safe to try new things is hard work but successfully doing so will lead to the growth and innovation that every organization states they are seeking to achieve.
This moment on the train reminded me of one of my most consistent challenges in my last role. Often, I would speak or meet with someone and they would say something about how things worked in the company. 'Why can't we just do it like this?' or 'I don't understand why it happens like that!' were common expressions in these conversations. A week or two later, I might chat with someone else and hear the same thing.
The challenge I refer to above is the question of how to motivate someone to initiate. How do you get a colleague to turn an idea into a prototype?
Some companies use policy to encourage the overly cautious. They make the environment safer for failure by setting aside time each week for work on individually initiated projects. Google's use of this policy led to the creation of something I use everyday- Gmail.
These policies focus on process over outcomes. Of course, a results-oriented approach has its time and place- sometimes, all hands need to be on deck. But too much focus on narrowly defined measures of success often comes at the detriment of efficiency and accumulates costs in unmeasured areas. Such an environment is likely to discourage creativity, particularly if colleagues absorbed by the measuring results are openly skeptical of new ideas.
From my own experience, I found that pointing out an example of someone taking initiative elsewhere usually proved enough to get a reluctant colleague to try a new idea. Usually, I would say 'look at so-and-so, they had idea X last month and gave it a shot'.
It does not have to be exactly this way, of course. The main idea is to help people feel supported when they act on their conviction. Creating an environment where people feel safe to try new things is hard work but successfully doing so will lead to the growth and innovation that every organization states they are seeking to achieve.
Signed,
The Business Bro
The Business Bro
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