By Dave Bushy, PCC
Human beings are geared towards action. I suppose it is how we have survived, how we create change and ultimately, how we move forward.
We humans are often less equipped to pause and reflect before taking an action. True, there might be valid reasons for not delaying. For instance, pausing and building awareness is something you can’t afford to do when a bear is attacking you or when you have to quickly steer away from a potential collision with another car. Such moves are reactions that come naturally as survival mechanisms.
But often that ingrained habit pattern or reaction becomes part of how we live and work in the world. Think about the last conversation you might have had with a friend or colleague. They might have mentioned a challenge they were facing in their life. Instead of pausing and then asking clarifying questions to help build awareness for you and the other person, you might have immediately offered up a solution or even said, “I had something like that happen to me. Let me tell you about it.”
You take action. And suddenly, the moment to build awareness, more detail and even empathetic connection with another, is lost – sometimes forever.
When, with intention, we take the time to build awareness with another person, or about a challenge we are facing, it helps us to fully explore the situation, gain perspective, and gauge just how important – or not important – the matter might be.
In commercial aviation, we were always taught to first assess the situation we faced. It could be a warning light or an unfamiliar sound from an engine. No matter how critical it might have appeared to be, taking even a multi-second pause before taking action allowed us to act with intention, knowing full well that time was of the essence. We were always cognizant of the fact that moving just any lever or switch had consequences that needed to be considered and that first identifying the correct lever or switch was vital.
It is not uncommon for me to speak with executive clients who are not just geared to action – indeed they are often triggered to it. Too many issues, personnel situations and daily challenges confront them – so much so that they almost begin to view any level of awareness-building as a distraction. As a former executive, I can readily identify with their experiences. That’s why I spend time with clients in exploring a three-step process that does not take long, but supports sound decision making:
- Awareness
- Action
- Meaning Making
Awareness is deceptively simple, but more nuanced than one might think. And it takes a shift in mindset. Think about working with a subordinate. You observe a business situation that you want resolved. It seems to make sense to just tell the person to “Get it fixed.” But if you pause a few minutes and explore with the other individual how they see the challenge and spend some time to gain a shared perspective, you often realize that their view is different from yours. Co-creating the “it” you both face can spare both of you mis-steps and help you avoid the drama that we so often face in corporate life.
Action – Awareness then helps you co-create some proposed steps or actions that you now both feel are necessary. Action then takes on a shared perspective. Your intentions align with planned outcomes and you understand not just the “it” of a situation, but now appreciate the “how” it will be done.
Meaning Making is a process that in some respects revisits the two steps of Awareness and Action. It can happen in the moment, with a “How is it going?” or after a period of time when an “After Action” Review occurs. Interestingly, it is the most common failing of senior executives. So often they move on to the next event without taking the time to assess just how well – or how poorly– things might have gone. Without meaning making we don’t integrate the learning. We will just make the same mistake again.
So the next time you feel yourself “geared” or “triggered” to action, pause and think about me in a cockpit when a light illuminates – it might save you unnecessary drama!
Dave Bushy of Boston Executive Coaches – bostonexecutivecoaches.com – is a an ICF-certified coach who was trained at the Gestalt International Study Center (GISC). Dave is a former U.S. Army officer and senior airline executive who works with leaders throughout the world.
Image from Pixabay