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 Nancy Wu, Head of Client Service
The workplace is often consensus based, where buy-in is sought before we brave something new.
The quest to get buy-in is a professional cop out. Why? Because the repercussions of our decisions in the workplace are often less significant than we think. We believe that our projects will have a huge effect on others, when in fact, they more likely result in small ripples in the end. And trying to get everyone’s agreement on each initiative becomes an exercise in procrastination and excuse-making, preventing us from doing our best work.
Take ownership and just act.
This is especially true if:
You are fully accountable. Let’s face it. You are the boss for a reason. The job requires leading and directing the team. When a change is in order, it’s the boss’ duty to make it happen, whether or not the team is on board. Leadership entails having to make unpopular decisions when called for because, in the end, you are responsible for producing results.
There will be a bit of agony (short term!). At one point, when I was a new parent, I almost didn’t want my son immunized because the shots seemed too painful. Silly, right? The discomfort caused by change will always cause avoidance. But part of process improvement is to rise above the temporary pain that comes tweaking, adjusting, and improving upon the way we do things.
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