The Power in Creating Your Own Rhythm + Systems
Systems are everywhere.
And by systems I mean complex and coordinated networks of people, processes and technology that were created to repeatedly and consistently deliver a defined outcome or end result.
We’ve all had the experience of having to deal with a dysfunctional system. When a system is dysfunctional, nothing gets done when or how it’s supposed to be done. You can’t rely on the system’s output or even trust that there will be an output.
The same goes for rhythm. Almost every process has an established rhythm that it moves by. When processes (or the people who run them) are out of rhythm, then there’s no clarity on when things will happen or how often. Inconsistency abounds.
If you don’t create your own system, one will be provided for you.
When you’re surrounded by the chaos and inconsistency of dysfunctional systems and rhythms, it may seem as though you are completely at their mercy. There’s nothing you can do to change such huge and broken systems, so you may as well just give into them.
In some cases, this may be true. But in most cases, you can still make sense of the madness.
While you may not be able to change the huge, dysfunctional systems and rhythms of the organization-at-large, you still have the ability to create and influence the rhythms and systems that functionally support your team’s needs and values. This is especially important to remember when you’re a leader of a high-performing team that’s embedded within a dysfunctional organization.
I often say that the team is the smallest unit of organizational culture. The most tangible way that is proven is in the team habits, behaviors, tools and practices (aka, rhythms and systems) that they use to accomplish their objectives and goals.
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