Andy Lykens

Innovating and operating through growth

Posts

What to do next?

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If you’re lucky enough to wake up in a new day you have to decide what to do next. You keep on deciding until the day ends. As days add up, so do the actions we take and the decisions we’ve made.

Over time we spend significant amounts of our lives doing things – some we’re really proud of, some we’re probably less proud of. Sometimes we choose to do the easy thing or the fun thing, while other times we do something challenging, or new.

Making decisions and taking action can help you start to ‘look like’ something different. For example, if someone spent 3 years working at a Starbucks, you could probably observe them on any of those days and they’d ‘look like’ a barista. Not just in what they’re wearing, but in what they’re doing, talking about, who they’re spending time around, and so on.

If one day our barista wakes up and decides to spend one less hour at Starbucks that day, and one more hour calling a congressperson about why Los Angeles shouldn’t host the 2028 Olympics, they may start to ‘look like’ an activist. At first this would be an hour of their whole life. And then 2. And then 3. And then – well, you know how to count.

We can see how, slowly, a decision and some action can start to reshape a person. They may not like this activism and choose to spend an hour on something else the next day. Or they may decide to double their hours. Either way, the decisions add up, and momentum builds. One day they may not ‘look like’ a barista much at all.

Too often we think about change as binary – on or off. Today I am a barista, tomorrow I am an activist. But that’s not quite right, because most of the things we do need patience, and practice. Most things worth doing take time. We need to decide to see ourselves as something new, and for most people it’s hard to see how you’d jump from barista to activist, and much easier to spend the next hour doing something a little different.

The next time you are expecting a binary outcome, remember it is unlikely you will feel completely different just by doing something new once. Instead, simply change the answer to the question: what to do next?

Acronyms

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It’s possible to dizzy people by stringing together acronyms like paper dolls. They are faster to use than an actual team name or tool (most of the time). You may even feel like you have more cache around the office because you’re always using acronyms that not everyone in the room knows. And of course there’s the typing – the countless key strokes saved by quickly hammering out a few letters instead of a few words.

It’s also possible to avoid acronyms, especially in situations when you can’t be entirely confident everyone will understand them.

In the first scenario you save a little time, and feel like an insider. In the second, you can be more clear and inclusive in your communications.

You choose.

Speaking the language

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When visiting a foreign country with a language other than your mother tongue, it’s usually a good idea to spend some time learning key phrases. For example, when friends come to Italy most people know the word for “Thank you” (“grazie,” pronounced grat-zee-ay). I usually teach them 3 more words: vorrei questo/quello (pronounced vorr-ay-ee kway-stoe/kway-low). This simple phrase is a polite way to say “I would like this/that” and, in conjunction with pointing, is so handy when you want food, a souvenir, or the quickest way to a restroom.

These simple words go a long way to demonstrate that you care enough to be polite, and are trying to meet people where they are. In fact, you can totally butcher the phrases and people will appreciate you trying. This isn’t because you’re some genius, or because you’re doing something exceedingly well, it’s because you’re doing something that most people don’t even attempt. They’d rather not do the work and have people come to them.

When it comes to work, we have the same opportunity. Not only is there common language amongst our colleagues, but we also have tools, workflows and personalities to understand too. Each of these things requires more effort than the equivalent of showing up and speaking your native tongue in a foreign land.

In all of these situations, between the internet and tour guides (knowledgeable colleagues) it is possible to learn almost anything you need to know in order to meet people halfway.

Are you impressed by someone who’s great with pivot tables? There’s a YouTube video to help you collaborate better. Want to know what the acronym means? Speak up in the meeting (chances are everyone who doesn’t use it every day forgot too). Not sure the best way to integrate business units? Ask the team leads.

So the next time you’re attempting to do pretty much anything, ask yourself: what simple thing can I learn that will set me apart as a conscientious human?