Connection not Approval

On my whiteboard at work I wrote my own maxim on how to put myself into my work. It says:

The message must be vivid, compelling, alive and connect me to you.

I'm in a sea of smart people being led by another sea of smart people (perhaps you work in one of those as well?) where ideas and directives are passed down daily but the people who need to embrace these new ideas are all in their own little worlds waiting for a good fairy to touch them on the nose with a wand and for the idea to magically become a reality. But the good fairy never comes and they all go back to their corners and continue to do the things they do as they've done them time and again.

I too have waited for a good fairy to come and bring instantaneous change without my participation (more times than I care to admit actually). I have also "run away to join the circus" more than once in my career. I hoped that if I changed the mode of my work I would be happier--more me. What I was searching for was connection.

Large organizations are poor at fostering connection. Even today at my very well-intentioned company I see the painful struggle of trying to implement large scale change. I work with someone who full time works to implement change--the work of shifting the minds, hearts and hands of our thousands of peers.

There are many theories on why change is hard, how to go about changing how things are done--however, it usually boils down to the organization needing certain things to be done and rewarding based on how well those needs are met.

This approach has nothing to do with people being attracted to and inspired by an idea so powerfully that they naturally line up behind it.

The ideal is to have these changes come from the natural genius of the people who do the work. I think it's too much to ask of each person that they shut up and do as they are told until they are anointed as a leader. Its also too much to ask them to pretend that they "feel" something that isn't there--such as the sense of making a change that will disrupt everything and perhaps not work (or be abandoned for the next idea handed down from on high).

I believe deep down everyone wants to have a chance to do their best original work and have it regarded with attention and appreciation--to connect to their unique audience.

Until people stop waiting for the good fairy to come it won't matter what idea is being pushed down--if you don't like it you have to offer something better. Maybe there is another idea that would make more sense and we are missing it? Magic never comes from leadership unless its the magic of leaders getting out of the way. Its hard for people (especially leaders) to see that. Every message we are given to take responsibility and to innovate is countered with a conflicting message that we need "buy in" and "sponsorship". We sometimes reward these actions with trinkets or official approval (which is a form of control). This feeds back to the notion that you need to be anointed to implement change. Until that mindset changes I don't see that the revolution will come.

Where I'm going with this is that in some cases seeking connection and change isn't particularly safe. The energy to start something is quickly killed off by the need to seek approval instead of seeking connection. The enthusiasm and momentum that comes from spontaneous, organic actions can change everything. It can win hearts, minds and hands. It simply cannot be mandated.