How to Deal With Disruptions – The Stop Hating Mondays Podcast

We are experiencing a period of increased workplace disruption. And while some of this disruption will turn out to represent positive change, even disruptions with long term benefits, like remote work, can be a lot to deal with.

To be successful in today’s employment landscape, you need to be extremely comfortable with rapid and frequent disruption. And we’ve got tips to help you get there.

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TRANSCRIPT

(Transcripts are auto-generated and may contain minor errors)

Caanan

There used to be a time when “disruptive” was not used to mean something. Disruption wasn't something organizations strategically pursued in an attempt to break through a crowded market and differentiate their brands. Even though we may now strive for disruption when it comes to products, marketing, and branding – even our own personal brands – disruptions in the workplace are still not always positive.

Even disruptions that have positive outcomes and ultimately benefit people – as opposed to disruptions that harm employees in service of some other business goal – can be upsetting and destabilizing.

Of course, we're seeing a period of increased workplace disruption. Companies are going completely remote because of the pandemic – some permanently – businesses are closing daily putting millions out of work. Companies are divesting and being acquired at increased speeds.

Yes, some of this might turn out to be positive, but even disruptions with long term positive outcomes, (remote work is a perfect example of that) is a lot for people to deal with.

I'm Caanan and this is Kent. Today on the Stop Mondays Podcast we're talking about how to deal with major disruptions at work.

Kent

OK, so a lot of this discussion is going to center around your value. We use that term a lot with both our corporate clients and our individual clients.

We're not talking about intrinsic value. I want to point out that that's the value that you just bring for being – for existing. We don't talk about that enough, and it's a big stumbling block and it’s why people can't find career and even personal success.... we make it sound like your value has to be tied to something. So, you bring intrinsic value, no matter what.

We're kind of talking now about functional value.

Always knowing the functional value that you bring – the achievements you've achieved, the ways you've made a positive impact, knowing your strengths and natural abilities – this is understanding your value.

Caanan

Oh wow, I'm so glad you got into the difference between intrinsic value and functional value.

That's such a key point.

It's so key because understanding your functional value, which is again your value as it relates to the corporation – the impact you've had on the corporation – is so important now, because we've been, you know, for a long time now we've been in a period of workplace disruptions... New technologies, rapidly changing regulations... I mean, everything seems to change every week! But this period we're in now with the pandemic represents something altogether new.

So, it is incredibly important now to understand your functional value because with all this change, we're going to be required to pivot frequently.

And if you think about the executive leadership team or your leadership team sitting around a boardroom table with, let's say, cards with people's names on them.

Kent

Yeah, I think like what we know, companies do. Large, midsized, large companies do at annual review time.

Caanan

Totally, there's your name on the card.

They are shuffling things around. They're trying to figure out how everybody is going to fit in this new environment. And you need to make sure that they know what your functional value is; the value you represent to the company. And they can't know it if you don't know it.

Kent

Yeah, this is basically about self-advocacy.

Spoiler alert! Companies like to make you feel like they are acknowledging and tabulating your value. But the truth is, companies do a lot of things to make sure that you feel like you bring minimal value. They want you, by design… and let me tell you, we've seen behind the curtain… By design they want you to feel like you're not doing as great as your coworkers; like you could be doing more.

So it's important that you come up with this idea of a) knowing you bring intrinsic value jus by being – and that's going to be important in a moment here – and B) your functional value.

Kent

OK, why is it important to know that you have intrinsic value as well as value that you bring to any number of your roles? It's important to know because we suggest that you disidentify with the roles in your life.

Caanan

Right?

Kent

We all have many roles – partner, husband, neighbor, all sorts of roles – and we find in the work that we do with people, that people get so identified with their rule that if something changes if – let's just use the best example, if you lose your job – boom, my entire sense of self and worth is taken away.

Thus, the importance of always knowing your intrinsic value. So, when you disidentify with your role, you successfully realize that you bring worth in a number of ways… you bring worth to your next role and to the other roles you play in your life, regardless of what disruption.

Because that's what we're talking about today. Regardless of the disruption that has occurred at your current workplace. So, tip #2: disidentify with your role.

Caanan

I love that… I love the way you framed that because it sounds as positive as it is.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people hear disidentify with your role and, frankly, it freaks them out.

if I'm not identified with my role as HR Business Partner or Accountant or Product Manager – whatever it may be in the company – how am I going to perform optimally? Am I going to slack off?

Well, here's a fascinating truth.

When you disidentify with your role, you become more creative. You become more agile. So, in fact disidentifying with your role can help to make you a better performer.

It also makes you more agile, which is important because we're talking about how to deal with disruption.

Kent

Yeah, this is core of a lot of the work we do, we write about it all the time. We consult with people about it all the time. And it's basically the core theme of the book Stop Hating Monday, which – you know, is the very name of this podcast – is about breaking down that identification with roles in order to figure out who in the heck you are without all of that so that as you go into various roles – spouse, neighbor, employee manager – You know what you're made of beyond (or in a much bigger way than) those individual roles. So, this is a lot about recognizing that roles as we know them are limiting.

You want to have them – we all have to have them – but there's a much bigger game you're playing than rolls.

On to tip #3. This is enabled by the previous two tips: disidentifying with your role and knowing your value.

When it comes to disruptions – and there are more and more of them in our lives in such a disheveled world in workplaces that were changing drastically long before this pandemic hit – the need to be agile, to understanding your intrinsic value, understanding who you are at your core (which is what this is really all about) leaves you in a good place to respond to any kind of disruption

So. Tip #3. Always be searching. Always be ready to pivot.

You are bigger than any disruption.

Caanan

The rule to disidentify with the role, or the idea of disidentifying with your role, is really critical here, because if you're in an “always searching” mode… when you’ve disidentified with your role, you are prepared to pivot fast.

And it helps get you out of the binary mindset that you're either employed or you're searching for work.

Kent

Yeah, you're happy or you're frantic.

Caanan

And that is old school thinking: employed or searching for work.

Now, in this current environment, you ideally are employed and searching for work, and those two things are always happening in tandem.

Kent

We've been saying this forever. Now, more so than ever. If you're always ready, you don't have to get ready. And nothing keeps your current employer on their toes like you being on your toes and them knowing “Oh my gosh, this guy could go anywhere he wants to.” “Oh my God, he doesn't need us.”

It's a very powerful ability to carry with you… If you're always ready, you don't have to get ready.

Caanan

So that was a lot, but they're really basic concepts.

1.     Know your value.

2.     Disidentify with you roll.

3.     And always be ready to pivot. Always be searching.

If you can do those three things, you're going to find yourself significantly more successful, happier, and fulfilled.