Top 5 Signs You Are Stuck In Your Ways

Over the last year or so I have encountered a large amount of people that are stuck in their ways.  This condition comes in a variety of forms but they all seem to have one thing in common: victims can only see life one way.  They are unable to deal with change easily and have difficulty buying in to new ideas.  When presented with a new idea, they often will seem receptive at first but quickly come up with reasons why the new idea won't work.  They usually end up doing exactly what they have always done.

Unfortunately this condition can be contagious.  Carriers will try and influence their co-workers but are not always successful.  Co-workers will recognize when someone is stuck in their ways because they become frustrated working with them.  It feels like the victim can't see the bigger picture, always seems to shoot down new ideas, and easily becomes uncomfortable when discussing change.  At times, having a meeting with someone with this condition feels like you are hitting your head against the wall.

I never want to get this condition.  I don't want to be the person that people don't want to work with and doesn't get invited to important meetings because they think I will slow down progress. So how do you know if you are stuck in your ways?



Top 5 Signs You Are Stuck In Your Ways:

1. You talk about the past everyday.
Do you find yourself always saying things like: "we used to do it this way," or "we tried that a few years ago," or "when Susie worked here everything worked" or "it is a lot better than it use to be."  When your frame of reference is always focused on your past experiences and storytelling you may be stuck in your ways.

2. You think that new people joining your company need time to conform to the company culture before they can really make an impact.
Sometimes new people notice things that are out of whack before anyone else.  Have you noticed that you tend to disregard new people's opinions until they gain more experience in your organization? Do you feel like the new people have a lack of respect for everything that the company has accomplished in the past?  Do you find that the new people are complaining about the way the company does business or how a certain process works?  If you tend to think new people are negative unnecessarily you may be stuck.

3.  You have been in the same job with the same company for more than 7 years.
Does the thought of having to pack up your office make you cringe?  Have you applied and interviewed for a different job over the last 7 years?  Have you been asked what you want to do for your next job and not known the answer?  If the thought of changing jobs makes you nervous or anxious you may be set in your ways.

4. You have a routine at your office that you do everyday.
Is there something you have to do everyday before you can begin working?  Do you have desk items or a favorite coffee mug that you panic when you can't find it?  Do you park in the same spot, take the same route to your office, or use the same bathroom stall?  Do you eat with the same people at lunch at the same table every day? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be stuck.

5. You are hesitant to volunteer for new project because it means more work.
Are you skeptical of new projects or always thinking about all of the problems the project is going to run into?  Do you feel that taking on a new project would be too disruptive to your current work?  Would the new project be too disruptive to your schedule?  If you answered yes to any of this questions, you may be stuck.

So how do we avoid getting stuck in our ways or how do we get un-stuck?

I think as we get older, we will naturally get into a groove with how we spend our time and energy.  We find life shortcuts that work and we stick to them.  At what point do these familiar things cross over into a paralyzing and unproductive situation?  There are some preventative steps you can take.  No one wants to be or wants to work with victims of this condition.

Here are some suggestions that can help:

1. Keep Learning
Take a class at a local college, read a book, attend leadership training, or take the time to learn a new computer program or web site feature.  Subscribe to a blogger or podcast, join an organization outside of work you are passionate about, or spend time with someone you want to learn from at least once a month.  As long as you are learning you will have an endless supply of ideas and new stories to tell.

2. Break Up Your Routines
Take a different route to work.  Use a different mug or skip the coffee break at 3pm.  Keep mixing up how you spend your time.  The fewer routines you have the more you exercise your mind.  Try something new everyday and create variety in your life.

3.  Surround yourself with others that are not stuck
New people that join an organization are going through change.  They could use a friend to help them adjust but they can also be great people to help you see the same things from a new perspective.  Listen to the new ideas or their experiences from other companies.  You may be able to pick up something you can use or improve your work.  Who are the people in your organization that you feel are innovative?  Get to know them and find out how they approach their work.

4.  Take on work that is new
Force yourself to learn new things by seeking out new projects.  You will get to network with new people, explore new areas of your company, and add valuable experience to your resume or year-end review.  Not only will new work help you stretch your brain but it might help you end up with some great recognition or a promotion.

5.  Interview
Always be aware of your tenure.  Staying at a job or the same company is not a bad thing as long as growth is happening.  One great way to keep you on your toes and get you using your critical thinking skills is to apply for a promotion.  Don't just do it to do it.  Be sure you are applying for something that you want to consider doing.  After the interview process is over make sure you get feedback on why you were or weren't selected.  If you like what you are doing or feel it isn't the right time to switch jobs, schedule informational interviews with people that you want to network with or just learn more about their business or job.

Just being aware of your own tendencies is half the battle.  Treating this condition is a personal thing.  No one can cure this condition unless they want to be cured.  Hopefully now, you feel like you have a taste of the right medicine.

What do you do to make sure you are not stuck in your ways?

Use Passion For Good

I recently discovered the newest excuse for less than professional behavior in the workplace... proclamations of having passion. Passion is:  a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.

Maybe you have witnessed this excuse?  When a topic or decision is being discussed in a meeting and someone: begins talking over people, interrupting, speaking loudly, strongly disagreeing without regard to others' feelings, ignoring others who try to express their thoughts, using sharp edged language, or getting frustrated when they don't get their way.  Lately, I have heard from several people that the reason a certain people act this way is because they are passionate about the subject at hand.  When did being passionate about something make it okay to be unprofessional?  When did this become acceptable workplace behavior?

I was always under the impression that having passion about something was a positive thing.  People long for spending more time with things or people they are passionate about in life.  Passion creates and endless supply of energy that people need to do great things.  Finding what your passionate about is an amazing process.  You can't plan it, force it, or buy it.  When you realize what your God given passion is and you are able to live it there are few levels of joy that can match the feeling.  So how can this priceless feeling of joy turn into a situation where it hurts other people in the workplace?

The moment someone disrespects another person in a meeting the passion that person has about the subject matter at hand becomes useless and unwanted.  The so-called passionate person quickly becomes viewed as out of control, rude, disrespectful, and not a team player.  It becomes difficult to work with this person because of how they make you or others feel.  You can find yourself not wanting them involved in projects or discussions because of how they dominate the conversation and how they cause a loss of momentum with the work.  You will begin having side conversations with the other people you need to work with on projects and only bring in the passionate person at the end of the process.  You end up spending more time managing this person and being less productive.

At no time is having passion about something an excuse for disrespecting people or for being unprofessional at work.  Being passionate and professional are not mutually exclusive things.  When you put them together you will find greatness.  You will see people flocking to work with these kind of people.  Passionate and professional people have huge networks, get assigned to big projects, and are always invited to meetings or to be apart of the decision making process.  They are a pleasure to work with and they inspire you.


Are you the one others manage or are you the one that people want to work with?  Be passionate about your work relationships.  Be passionate about how you treat people.  Use your passion for good.

Can Excellence Be Taught?

I had the opportunity to spend some time with my nephew this past week. We were doing chores at my house.

I don't think cleaning house is anyone's favorite activity but it is always better when you have help. When your 6 years old, it is only fun if it is a game or if you get to use the cool tools and gadgets. We started pretty well when we got out the attachments out for the vacuum. That lasted about 10 minutes before he got bored and wanted to watch TV. I ended up finishing the job and pushing him to finish all the other assignments he was given. I wasn't really expecting a significant amount of work to get done but I was surprised by his behavior.

At work, we all have to do things we don't like to do from time to time. We have all been in those situations where we were so excited to take on a project and then realized half way in to it that it wasn't exactly what you thought it would be. When this happens at work though... you just do it. You push through and complete the task. If your boss asks you to do something, you do it and you do it to the best of your ability.

This got me thinking... how do you teach people to do the best they can with everything they do? There are sure plenty of people out there who didn't get this lesson growing up and once they reach adulthood is it too late? I have worked with a few people in the past who were content with average or the minimum. As a leader, can you develop the habit of excellence in an adult?

As an Aunt, how much do you push a lesson of excellence with kids? I shared this story with someone else and they said, "he is only 6, what do you expect?" I understand that he is still very young, but don't you have to start developing this type of attitude from the very beginning? How do you instill excellence in children so they grow up wanting to work hard and putting their best effort towards everything?

Are they learning the right lesson if you keep making them do the job over until it is done right? How do you develop the habit of excellence in kids without coming across as a control freak or leaving with them with feelings inadequacy? How do you keep from becoming that parent the child describes in therapy as an adult as, "no matter what I did it was never good enough for them?" How can you correct the child in a way that they will want to do their best not because of a fear of getting in trouble with the parent but because it is the right thing to do?