“I know we asked you to improve employee morale, but what you’re asking us to do is contrary to how we’ve handled promotions for the entire 25 years we’ve been in business!”

“So are you saying you want to back off the employee morale work?”

“Good heavens, no; we’re not saying that at all. You just have to find another way to do it, that’s all. Our company founder set up the procedures for awarding promotions, and we simply can’t change them. It’s too much a part of our company culture.”

Sound familiar?

Have you ever been involved in one of those “we’ve-always-done-it-that-way” discussions where the door gets slammed shut just as it starts to open?

Defending the status quo

If you have—and were on the side of defending the status quo—ask yourself:

• Why is it so important to hang on? Is the reason for the practice/policy/belief still relevant or has it become a tradition that we accept without question?
• What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen if the practice/policy/belief were to be stopped? Would we survive?
• Do I have my ego, my sense of self-worth, tied up in this practice/policy/belief? What am I really defending?

Pushing to get unstuck

If you’re on the side that’s pushing for change, seeking to get “unstuck,” ask yourself:

• Do I have all the necessary facts, information and support to build a case for a better way? Can I paint a clear vision of why this change must happen?
• Have I engaged and connected with other stakeholders to determine if they are interested in change? Do I understand their motivations, their positions and their interests?
• Is my ego pushing for change, any change, just for the sake of change? Or am I seeking a win-win outcome that improves the business, our employees and even me?

To hide behind “we’ve-always-done-it-that-way” as the exclusive reason for maintaining the status quo is to shut yourself off from fresh possibilities and improved outcomes.

To push for change just for the sake of change new runs the risk of unnecessary and unproductive chaos.

Change is a good thing, a necessary thing to drive win-win outcomes.

What say you? How have you helped yourself or someone else get unstuck?

Image source:  Gratisography