Playing your Bigger Game – what does that even mean?
I recently told you about how I fell in love with a model for how to play big in work and life. So here’s a series of posts to help you get started, and possibly you will fall in love too.
There is something major happening in my industry: everything is going online.
Training and learning programs can’t be done face to face (for who knows how long) so people are acting quickly and adapting.
It’s like a tidal wave, almost a tsunami of content that is going online.
I’m not the target audience and it feels quite overwhelming and in my face.
And this keeps playing in my head.
I feel like the whole world is shouting Pivot! Pivot! to itself.
And let me just put this here: the quick, decisive action by country leaders and individuals to put social distancing in place has been crucial to the safety of everyone.
The supply chain heroes across industries who are keeping stores, hospitals, petrol stations etc stocked and open so that we can stay at home, and still get what we need to stay healthy and comfortable, have done an amazing job. The pickers, packers, delivery people: bringing supplies right to our doors.
They have kept things going and adapted to crazily dramatic swings in demand, and to the crazy, scary circumstances.
Boy did they pivot.
And they have done it like ballet dances: with strength and grace.
And I know in your industry major shifts are happening too.
But have you pivoted yet? Have you reinvented your business in the last 4 weeks? Have you moved everything online?
Have you?
Have you?
Have you?
Oh boy, the online world seems to be screaming that to us, like an over-enthusiastic cheerleader.
Comfort Zone
Comfort zones = behaviours and attitudes and thoughts, that we do day today.
And as Bigger Game players, we ask ourselves: how is this comfort zone serving me right now?
Right now in the world, we are experiencing a common comfort zone: Quick! do what everyone else is doing.
A behaviour of: if a lot of people are doing it, I better do it too.
(side note: I mean, how else do you explain the toilet paper hoarding on this scale? Some people got scared and hoarded, then a whole bunch of other people also hoarded, not because they were scared per se, but because other people were hoarding).
In some areas, this is really serving us e.g. “everyone else is working from home. oh yes, I should work from home”.
Millions of people are social distancing? And I’m just going to do what they do? Great!
This is where this comfort zone is really serving us.
For the health of us all, please stay in this comfort zone of Quick, do what everyone else is doing.
Do I really need to reinvent my business, and do it instantly?
Do I really need to take everything online?
For some of you, the answer is clear and you know straight away. And those people have done it already.
For others it’s not so clear cut: some questions need to be considered, scenarios need to be discussed. Perhaps you need to consider where does online fit into our long term vision?
Maybe you need a minute to think about what you actually want, and what to do about it.
This is where the comfort zone of Quick, do what everyone else is doing may not serve you.
Maybe what serves you right now is to pause, consider, check back with your Compelling Purpose. Ground yourself in what you are about, and reconnect to your why. And then take the bold action that will keep your business alive, now and in the future.
I’m a big promoter of being agile: organisationally, and in mindset.
But agile doesn’t mean jump blindly. It doesn’t mean being the fastest to respond.
It’s about being able to adapt and change in a timely manner.
So if you need a minute to figure out how to respond, take it.
If you already know what you want to do, take that Bold Action and do it.
Choose the comfort zone that will serve you right now.
Wondering what I’m talking about with this Bigger Game stuff? Check out the “Bigger Game” category on my blog.
Or get in touch, I’d be delighted to talk to you about it.
Fair warning: I can be a bit like an over-enthusiastic cheerleader on this topic ;0)