![]() Volatile: Change happens rapidly and on a large scale. In any given day you may face so many variables and changes, that techniques that once worked for you may feel like they are now are not working. They operate in an environment where hindsight no longer necessarily leads to foresight. Many leaders who once knew how to lead successfully are now finding new situations or environments where they can’t draw on experience, because they have never been in this place, in this world, with these people before. The coffee cup is simply a metaphor for what is happening every day in the workplace. In a world of constant change, small but frequent changes can make the world seem chaotic, stressful, unstable and unsafe. The smallest amount of unpredictability can have a big impact on us. OK maybe that is only in my house, but I am sure you get the point. The normal morning routine has turned into a pressure cooker and you are about to blow. Then the children come down and start asking you questions, or the pet pesters you for food, and you simply can’t focus. You need to think and choose a course of action before you act. Perhaps you slept through the wakeup call, or the milk has run out, and now you are forced to focus. All is going well until we throw a little unpredictability into the environment and suddenly we awaken. Variety is the spice of life after all.īut back to the coffee. What is more, once we have mastered a technique, we love to expand and grow and try new things. ![]() So as a survival and evolutionary basis, this ability to shortcut and habit form is essential. Imagine how little we would have progressed if we have to mentally follow steps or instructions in our own minds everyday. ![]() In a predictable environment you can operate most common tasks in an unconscious state, to the point that you don’t really know you are acting or behaving in the way we do until someone asks us a simple question, Why?ĭon’t get me wrong, this ability we have is invaluable. You do so because you have followed that process successfully many times before and your brain has formed a habit to make you more efficient. You get up, put the kettle on, get the mug, milk, all still whilst half asleep, and you do it successfully. Imagine making a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. You must have driven to work and then realised that you have no recollection of the all too familiar journey – that’s autopiloting in action. In fact, our ability to shortcut means that we often refer to ourselves as being on autopilot, or unconsciously acting. We have the ability to make shortcuts in our thinking to enable us to think, analyse, decide and act so quickly that we don’t realise we are computing these distinct stages. The human brain is primed for efficiency and as a result we are habitual creatures. “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got” Henry Ford
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