The other day I lost my keys and asked my daughter to help me look for them. However, her idea of “looking” was to stand in one place and occasionally turn her head. That was looking. If I were to represent what she surveyed in her “looking visually,” it would be comical. The best part was that the keys were indeed in her field of vision, but because she wasn’t doing anything other than swiveling her head and standing in the same spot (ensuring that she was looking at the same things each time) – she would never find them.

It reminded me of the patterns we are in, for example. We see the same things because we don’t actually move (metaphorically) from where we are. But the point here is that she was not changing her perspective and, therefore, not seeing anything different. If I had not mentioned this to her, the keys would still be “lost” – tucked under a magazine that someone haphazardly threw on the counter.

That led me to the point of this post – and we’ve covered variations of this in discussions about having a fixed vs. growth mindset. But, the idea was that unless my daughter changed her perspective – she would never have seen what was evident to others (me, in this case). Unfortunately, we often find ourselves in these patterns. In implementations, we often encounter “Showstoppers” that need to be addressed to move on. The problem with categorizing “Showstoppers” is that they usually are both an expression of the problem and the problem itself. They often include “Ok – stand here. Swivel your head and find my keys,” and when the keys don’t turn up that way – the “Showstopper” flag is raised. When, in fact, the issue is not how you find the keys but that you can’t find the keys – taking one step, either right or left, and “Presto – the keys have been found.”

When you run into a “Showstopper” in implementation, it’s essential to start with a change in perspective. That change in perspective will be your life raft while others panic. So, when people run into the room screaming, “Showstopper. Showstopper” – ask yourself if it is really a missed requirement or is someone just standing in place? Software Implementation and Digital Transformation are intended to propel organizations forward, which will require a change in perspective.

Note: Depending on the industry that you are coming from, “Showstopper” can mean different things. The one constant, however, is that a “Showstopper” prevents progress and ceases the event, implementation, situation, or development project in its tracks.

Supporting Music

The Mighty Quinn by Manfred Mann

Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Brazil by Declan McKenna