Step Up to the Void

When I was in ninth grade, I tried out for “Oliver”. Excited at the possibility of playing a role, I stepped out onto the stage to audition. And… I froze and quickly decided that the props crew was where I belonged. It wasn’t until my 30s that I was able to stand in front of a large audience and teach with ease. As I think back, I’m wondering what would have changed had I continued walking forward onto that stage. Some roles we choose, some we are given, some we step into. When you step onto the business stage, this becomes even more important.

Have you ever worked for an organization where roles were not clearly defined or, perhaps, too clearly defined? I’ve had both. In both scenarios, our teams were not aligned to allow for co-creation of solutions, and results suffered. Each, in their own way, were chaotic – running the gamut of voices not heard, shifting blame, stonewalling, and more. You know if you’ve been there. In my world, it took a crisis to shake things up and reevaluate how we were acting as a team. What will it take in yours?

Here’s the thing. We each have choice to question when we see things aren’t working. We can reach out and have conversations to get to root causes. We can create a playbook for our teams that brings alignment, value, and respect. We can define team and work roles in a way that serves both the organization and the growth of the individual. And, it takes stepping up to our part to begin the process. Are you ready?

This Week: Think about the roles you play in life and in business. Write them down on a piece of paper. As you look at each role in the list, ask yourself: Why do you want to do it? What do you want the outcome to be? Be intentional about the roles you play. Let your arrows meet their mark. And, I would love learning from you. Please consider leaving a comment or emailing me at [email protected]. It’s a conversation worth having.

In Next Week’s Post: Setting achievable goals.