Strategic Growth and the Force of Habit

Bastille Day calls many things to mind, and strategic change isn’t one of them. Today, July 14, is the anniversary of the French Revolution. Even 237 years later, this bloody and generative time offers many lessons; most point to the folly of acting rashly without proper planning or a firm ideological foundation. Tell that to the starving French people.

Lesson 1: When we experience negative, oppressive forces for too long, the reaction will be quick, vicious and unstable. This was true in 1789, and it’s true at this very moment.

I’ve spoken recently with several folks whose work and personal lives are overshadowed by a continuous thrum of pain. Their sensory and imaginative experiences are often just complicated refractions of past suffering.

Emotionally-sticky thoughts and memories prevent new, forward-facing activities from taking shape. Eckhart Tolle, in his stop-everything-and-read-this-immediately book, The Power of Now, calls these obstructive mental forces the “Pain Body.” Without exception, each of us lugs one of these around. The Pain Body wants to foil positive change and the formation of new strategic directions in our life and work. This is as true for individuals as it is for teams and organizations. Once, at the conclusion of a long and difficult strategic planning meeting in our college, a co-worker exclaimed, “Wait a minute! Didn’t we already do this a few years ago?” Indeed, we had—and no one noticed. Our collective sense of suffering at work kept our minds trapped within a habitual and negative track. I am sure others have had similar experiences: same words, same desires, same plans, same outcomes, no real change.

Lesson 2: Useful change strategies require fresh air.

Where does this “fresh air” come from? Strategic planning and change experts always start projects from an organization’s mission and values. Without clear alignment of mission with change planning, the strength of old habits and ineffective action tracks will overwhelm the initiative. It’s the same dynamic for individual people when they try to change and grow. While organizations tend to have ready-made mission and value statements, you and I typically do not. Like the leaders of the French Revolution, we must deliberately think about what our values are, even what our “mission” in life seems to be. Buckle-up for a long ride! The professional coaching space, a practice of daily journaling & meditation, a social networking club or similar practice will usually give us the invitation and right tools for deep focus.

Lesson 3: Articulate your personal and professional values.