When you implement software, you can face any number of “change personas” from the over-zealous go-getter to the Luddite who is still learning e-mail (yet, was somehow hired as the Social Media expert).

One other type you’ll run into is someone who wants to know the absolute minimum.

They’ll stop you when you talk through complicated software and say, “Ok, but what do I need to know?”

“What’s the minimum amount of work I need to do?”

This personality type is also a huge proponent of satisficing – doing just enough.

When you run across this person, it’s important to remember that it’s not their fault that they think this way.

We train early to study only what we need to know.

We learn to focus only on the result.

Will this be on the test?

We don’t learn about the journey.

We don’t learn about the value of learning from the journey.

But the result.

Only the result.

Did you get an A, a B, or a C?

And then, we continue teaching that through Performance Reviews.

Did you get an Above Average or Needs Improvement?

When you run across this person, remember – you win if you can share the journey with them.

You win (and they win) if you can get them to care more about the journey than what’s on the test.

But you’ll have to reframe success.

And if you can do that, you’ve just implemented more than software.

Supporting Music

Seven by Sunny Day Real Estate

Boxcar by Jawbreaker

Originally Posted June 6, 2018