Tips & Lessons for 2022: resist the comfort of familiarity

Christine P_ Dela Rosa
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
January 9, 2022
Advice

When we join new companies (new departments, teams, office locations), we often bring curiosity in a way that might challenge the status quo. However, it is that "newness" that adds growth and we should go out of our way to welcome that.

Relevancy for today

There's so much uncertainty in the world that I've been seeing more aversion to change than normal. And it makes sense to crave a sense of normalcy by holding on to historical ways of working. But that's why we need to fight extra hard to resist the comfort of what's familiar.

What do you think? Does that resonate with you?

4 comments

Comment

Log in or Sign up to comment
Anita Kalmane
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
January 10, 2022

I think there is a balance between challenging the status quo and trying to understand why things work the way they work. Also, it's known that one can't change a lot of things at once without a lot of resistance, so I find it important to start with observation and then introduce changes bit by bit. Some of them might take even several months.

 

Believe or not, but it took around half a year to start having agenda's for one of the meetings I was attending. I suggested it in the beginning, but was shut down / ignored. After talking with some attendees in private, it turned out that a few more didn't understand the relevance of the meetings and often zoned out. When more people started speaking up their mind, suddenly it had more value. And when finally we introduced agenda-full meetings, it wasn't me who started it - it was somebody else. I just planted the seed which took a while to grow and was waiting for the right time to do it.

Like # people like this
Christine P_ Dela Rosa
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
January 10, 2022

For sure, change takes tiiiiiiiime, @Anita Kalmane. So it should probably be said that welcoming change won't necessarily translate into immediate adoption.

Vero Rivas
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
January 10, 2022

Hi @Christine P_ Dela Rosa 

   I think that people by nature are reactive to change because of the fear of starting over, uncertainty, ignorance, but I think that starting a new job, company or relationship is wonderful, because it takes you out of your comfort zone, active to be attentive, to learn to give the best of yourself to face this new situation

Cheers

Like # people like this
Christine P_ Dela Rosa
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
January 10, 2022

I agree. And it's the "fear" that makes it hard, and it's the "hard" that makes change great. 

Like Vero Rivas likes this
Josh Costella
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 10, 2022

I love it when we get a new perspective in our team. We've been lucky enough to grow our team over the last couple years and have that "new set of eyes" has paid huge dividends. 

I'm a firm believer in hiring people better and smarter than yourself and then supporting them and getting out of their way! 

It's been an absolute joy to welcome people into our team that bring themselves to the table as well as their personal experience. I've loved when the questions of "Why do you do it this way?" have come up. We are a better team for it. If there's a better way to do something, do it!

Like Christine P_ Dela Rosa likes this
Christine P_ Dela Rosa
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
January 10, 2022

I totally agree. Sometimes, the new teammates surprise me in the way they see a process or spar on a concept. I forget what it's like to not have the same perspective over time and getting an outside force to shake things up is so welcome!

Nikki Zavadska _Appfire_
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 13, 2022

This is definitely interesting!

In my head by seeking discomfort you move fast, experience new things, adapt, and change.

By having comfort and familiarity you have a stable base on which you can build much larger and stronger and long-lasting things.

I believe there needs to be a balance but I'm personally definitely more inclined to "seeking discomfort". When I'm comfortable I get really nervous 😅

Like Christine P_ Dela Rosa likes this
Christine P_ Dela Rosa
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
January 14, 2022

In "Creativity Inc," the book about Pixar, they talk about "protecting the new." And how our default is to continue to keep doing what you've done before. That without trying, inertia will keep the old practices going. However, if you want to adopt something new, or at least give it a try, it takes extra effort to get that going.

In my head, "resisting the comfort in familiarity" is another way to say that we should resist complacency. Of course, if what's familiar is good, then keep that going, too. 

So to your point, @Nikki Zavadska _Appfire_, it's a balance. Absolutely. But my $1.99 is that to get to a balance, you need to overcompensate on "the new" side. It's a good think your default is to be uncomfortable...super healthy!!!

TAGS
AUG Leaders

Atlassian Community Events