My friend and coach extraordinaire Kevin Lawrence likes to remind me:
“Change the environment, change the experience.”
In my recent posting called Recharge, I wrote about those things that personally recharge my batteries. Most of what works for me involves getting me out of my regular every day environment. Today I want to ask the question:
“What do you do to change the environment for the people you lead?”
All too often, I see people being boxed into their cubicles. Creative people who don’t have access to spontaneous work spaces and white boards. Software engineers who are supposed to invent things by staring at their screens.
I know that time and time again my best ideas have come from getting out of the office. Going for a walk. Connecting with the beauty of our British Columbia environment.
For executives, this is as important. How can you achieve breakthroughs in strategy if your quarterly meeting takes place in an office board room? To truly change and grow a business, you need to get away from the day to day fires, turn off the phones, and meet in a neutral environment far removed from the office. You then have a chance to foster new ways of connecting, fresh ideas for strategy, and renewed energy to push off in new directions.
How will you change your environment today?
Great reminder David. Thanks for that. Today is Monday and Mondays can be crazy…so…I will change my environment by going to write up my proposals in a cafe nearby instead of at my office with the usual distractions.
Isabelle 😉