Off and running...

My Dad gave me a calendar yesterday. It was one of those desktop ones on which every date there is a new ‘thought for the day’. I’m not really sure of the theme, Dad had used a few days of it himself so the cover was long gone. In general I suppose the quotes, most which are attributed to 'great thinkers' throughout history,would be considered as ‘life tips’. Not my dear old Dad's cup of tea at all, hence the handover. He knows me well.

It's off to a good start. The entry for the 12^th April reads: “We never do anything well until we cease to think about the manner of doing it” and is attributed to William Hazlitt. I googled Hazlitt to assess his credentials for such a statement. A contemporary of Wordsworth and Coleridge, Hazlitt was a philosopher, journalist and essayist in early 19^th century Britain. According to The Hazlitt Society he became the first major drama critic in English, the first major art critic, and one of the most gifted literary and general essayists in English. Considered a lifelong radical, he was one of those men whose ideas and challenges helped drive cultural and intellectual development in the early years of the industrial revolution. Sounds like he knows what he's talking about then.

Part of me agrees with Hazlitt. Think for a moment about Wayne Rooney (go on, force yourself). What fantastic muscle memory he has developed. His mind identifies the trajectory of the football and knows in an instant exactly what combination of moves it needs the body to make to ensure the sweetest of connections and the most clinical placement. Rooney doesn't need to think about it. His success comes through practice, natural skill and a reading of the game.  It's smooth and well practised and definitely efficient.

But does Hazlitt's quote have validity in the workplace? 

I think not. We often like to think of our organisations as efficient machines where activities become smooth, well practised and consistent with Hazlitt's view. But there is a danger in that. If, to quote Hazlitt, we 'cease to think about the manner of doing' then over time smooth and well practised becomes faded and outdated. The outside world moves on whilst the organisation stands still. And that's bad. To cease thinking about the way we do things is to overlook possible areas of development. If we all accepted the status quo and ceased thinking about the manner of doing then where would creative new ideas come from?  If we want to develop then we must constantly challenge the way that we do things. 

One of the questions that I ask people to consider is why do you do what you do? If they can answer that then the follow up is why do you do it in the way that you do? This is sometimes more difficult to answer, requiring them to re-evaluate the purpose of the activity and the possible alternative methods. It can also help to draw out some underlying values and beliefs that shape (and sometimes constrain) our view of the world. In other words, making ourselves stop and consider the answer to these questions allows us to apply creative thinking in the workplace. And that's got to be a good thing hasn't it?

Thanks Dad, nice calendar.

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