I am a fan of Herbert Shepard's classic "Rules of Thumb for Change Agents." HIs last rule of thumb, Rule VIII, is "Capture the moment." He suggested that we can handle a situation at work or in life more effectively if we allow ourselves to be more engaged, to approach from different perspectives. He called this the "multiple potential of the moment." For example, apply not only your intellect to a situation but also your heart. He wrote, "One needs to have as many frameworks for seeing and strategies for acting available as possible." I agree with Shepard. Sometimes we can be too linear in our thinking.
In discussing "Capture the moment" with my students, I put another spin on it. I offer my spin as Rule IX, "Celebrate the moment." In the course of our days, our weeks, there may be small victories, small moments that we should savor -- but we don't. They barely register. We move on to the next task, the next meeting, the next project. Savor that "nice work", "great job". Allow yourself to enjoy the contribution you made to the success of the team, of another person. My guess is that most of us frequently have moments somewhere in our day, that if we let them, would bring a smile to our face, increase meaningfulness of our activities.
Sometimes as leaders we fail to celebrate the successes of our units. I had an older graduate student who led an organization that had a very successful year. After we discussed celebrating the moment in class, he realized that he had not done so with his company, that he barely acknowledged the great year before focusing on the next. The next Monday when he went to work, he corrected that situation. They celebrated the moment.
Celebrate the moments, large and small, that unfold to you.
Shepard, H. A. ( 2012). Rules of thumb for change agents. In J. Vogelsand et al. (Eds.), Handbook for Strategic HR, (pp. 88-93). New York, NY: AMACON.
Image,"Coffee Book Flowers" by Sophkins obtained from https://pixabay.com/photos/coffee-book-flowers-setting-2390136/
Modified from my blog of 12/31/2013. © John Ballard, PhD, 2021. All rights reserved.
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Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook and CD are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon.
In discussing "Capture the moment" with my students, I put another spin on it. I offer my spin as Rule IX, "Celebrate the moment." In the course of our days, our weeks, there may be small victories, small moments that we should savor -- but we don't. They barely register. We move on to the next task, the next meeting, the next project. Savor that "nice work", "great job". Allow yourself to enjoy the contribution you made to the success of the team, of another person. My guess is that most of us frequently have moments somewhere in our day, that if we let them, would bring a smile to our face, increase meaningfulness of our activities.
Sometimes as leaders we fail to celebrate the successes of our units. I had an older graduate student who led an organization that had a very successful year. After we discussed celebrating the moment in class, he realized that he had not done so with his company, that he barely acknowledged the great year before focusing on the next. The next Monday when he went to work, he corrected that situation. They celebrated the moment.
Celebrate the moments, large and small, that unfold to you.
Shepard, H. A. ( 2012). Rules of thumb for change agents. In J. Vogelsand et al. (Eds.), Handbook for Strategic HR, (pp. 88-93). New York, NY: AMACON.
Image,"Coffee Book Flowers" by Sophkins obtained from https://pixabay.com/photos/coffee-book-flowers-setting-2390136/
Modified from my blog of 12/31/2013. © John Ballard, PhD, 2021. All rights reserved.
_______________________
Decoding the Workplace “Is this a must-have for managers and would-be managers? Yes.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June, 2018. Available as ebook, hardback, paperback, audiobook, and audio CD. The best-selling audiobook and CD are narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon.
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