Lightning show worthy of a rock concert, trees doing the limbo… We sensibly decided to camp out downstairs, but our teenage boys? Not so much. They were all, “But…my bed!”
This is workplace 101, right? Short-term comfort over long-term survival. Companies chasing quarterly returns, ignoring the giant hole they’re digging. (Remember that company that skipped equipment upgrades? Ouch.) Employees, too, cling to “how we’ve always done it,” even as the world changes. We’re all wired for comfort, like pleasure-seeking missiles.
My kids? Comfort = their rooms, even with tornado warnings. Staff? Comfort = the familiar, even when innovation is screaming.
So, how do we nudge people out of their cozy ruts? My wife pulled a Jedi mind trick: she listened. No “Downstairs, NOW!” Just…listening. Turns out, he wanted his alarm, his comfy bed, his late-night reading.
Then, BAM! Problem-solving mode. They together addressed each concern. No resistance, just solutions. He happily crashed downstairs.
Key takeaway: positions vs. interests. Positions are what people say they want. Interests are what they really want. Like table legs: focus on the legs (interests), and the tabletop (position) shifts.
Example: the chronically late employee. Manager’s position: “Be on time!” Real interest: line utilization. Solution? Employee continues to drop kid off and punch in 2 minutes late, but then works late to keep utilization high. Win-win-win-win (thanks, Michael Scott!). Son? Headed to the basement.
The formula:
* ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป’๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ.
* ๐จ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐.
* ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ.
This isn’t just about weather or work. It’s life. We’re all stubborn teenagers sometimes, clinging to our metaphorical beds while the storm rages. The trick is to listen, understand the underlying needs, and find solutions that work for everyone. Because, in the end, we’re all just trying to find a little comfort in a crazy world.
