There is no try.

1/ Notice

Occasionally we read something online that doesn't just stop the scroll. Instead it deeply resonates with our experiences. This blog, entitled Most People Don't Want To Succeed, was one of those somethings.

Over the years I've sat with individuals and teams who talk on a surface level about their vision, their aims, their goals. But when it comes to the doing... they try but fall short of the outcome.

It appears they aren't prepared to do what it takes. I've found this is true for my own performance too. Guilty as charged!

It may be that they find their current circumstances easier to stick with than making the changes they need to make. I remember reading about the Beckhard–Harris equation for change.

D x V x F > R

D is dissatisfaction: The pain or unhappiness with the current status quo.

V is vision: Having a clear and compelling picture of the desired future.

F is first steps: The practical actions to get going.

R is resistance: That is the cost, friction, and fear of doing something different.

The multiplication signs are important because if any one of the factors is effectively zero, the left side of the equation collapses, and not a lot happens.

If you are the one who is trying to bring about change, that's important to appreciate.

I saw this with a leader and their management team. On the surface they wanted to propose a management buyout to their holding company. But things weren't moving forward as fast as the leader expected and they wanted to understand why.

During an offsite we discovered that 80% of the team members' primary motivational driver was financial security, the other 20% valued risk-taking and adventure.

Because of this, the buyout was unlikely to happen.

Back to the blog, what resonated for me was this quote:

Most people don't want to succeed, they just want to say that they tried their best and there was nothing they could do.

It may seem slightly different from the team scenario. But what was happening was some members of the team going through the motions (Well, we tried), while being happy that the buyout proposal wasn't progressing (We tried, and there was nothing else we could do).

In a safe offsite environment we were able to recognise legitimate constraints created by their life values, and how the desired outcome is prevented by what one is reasonably willing to sacrifice. In other words, we surfaced the reality of where things stood. Most of the team were happy with what they had.

We were able to stop the leader wasting time hoping their team would 'change their minds'.

That may sound a little harsh. But that's just one example, and I have dozens more. I tend to agree with the blog author and believe this situation is more common than most of us are prepared to admit.

2/ Question

What are you doing a good job of appearing to be committed to, but deep down you just want to look like you've done your best, so you can say you tried and there was nothing you could do?

Ouch!

3/ Act

• Choose a situation where there is a struggle to achieve a desired change.
• Look at this through the Beckhard–Harris lens. What do you notice about the level of dissatisfaction with the current situation? What about the clarity of vision? Or the ease of first steps?
• Now explore performative actions that seem to project 'trying our best' without making real progress toward the desired state (Meetings about meetings are a good example).
• Ask yourself: Am I prepared to ask about the real intent, or challenge the status quo?

Ultimately, remember we all often maintain a public commitment to a goal. Even when privately we don't want it enough to accept the costs.

Hit reply and share your takeaways.

That’s it until next week.

Clive