Saturday, October 27, 2012
Leading Habits
Occupational Health & Safety: Leadership entails helping others change –- to consider new methods, effectively use different tools, communicate in preferred ways, and adopt higher-level skills.
However, change –- especially when people have little control over what they're to do differently -- always includes giving up accustomed methods, such as habits. These are default auto-pilot programs and reflexes (both mental and physical), ingrained thought patterns that are predictable and "comfortable."
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4 comments:
I agree with the idea that changing up your habits can be a good thing. It is not only a challenge for your mind but also for your body for those physical tasks we encounter on a daily basis. Changing up the routine makes us more able to to look at things in a new point of view and keeps us fresh. I think this is a great quality to have especially when working in the theatre. Our job includes problem solving and new ideas to any complications that arise. I also see many of the traits suggested for leaders as being needed in a technical director or head of a crew. Those in charge should definitely be able to challenge their team in new ways while doing so in an encouraging manner.
I like that this article discusses changing habits both in a broad and specific sense. These tips are really useful for any type of habit changing, whether it is just to change some things up or if there is a specific goal, such as safety like in this article. Change takes time and can be very difficult for people to do. This article is great because although the author understands that some people are more resistant to change than others, he also believes that anyone can be open to change if a leader uses the right approach.
I think there is more to being a good leader then just changing habits. I think that the most effective leader is one that can take peoples skills and use them effectively within a given set of perimeters. If you are good at changing peoples habits that is good but it does not mean that it will really change anything. People as they say are "creatures of habit". We like doing the same things over and over again because we know we can do it, and because it is comfortable. Why break this when it is decently efficient, and when changing it could just confuse people and make them less efficient?
I liked the very first line of this article....."Leadership entails helping others change". We all know and have experienced how change can be difficult. We all can get set in our ways and to have to do something different can "ruffle our feathers" as they say. But, when we are shown how change can be better and be allowed to transition into the change, it is easier to accept. This article gave a lot of great ways to make change a positive thing. Sometimes change is scary because it may be something we don't know anything about. Training, as the article mentioned is an important aspect of them buying into the change. This empowers them and then they are confident to make the changes. Knowing that change is better for all involved and not just one person is also crucial. Leading by example is probably the most important aspect. Our leader can't expect us to change if they are not willing to set the example. I liked this article a lot and think that every point made was good advise.
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