With frequent messages about “change being the only constant” and the need to increase our ability to be agile and adaptable, I feel like I am constantly looking for new ways to do things. Better ways. More efficient, effective, improved ways to do lots of things. Work, home, even socialising! There’s a hack for this and one for that. Lots of different ways to explore doing things. If it feels like it makes your head spin, you are unlikely to be alone in feeling that. Change and innovative approaches are celebrated, invited, revered and, in many organisations expected.
Consistency or doing things the same way is not as exciting as changing things constantly. However, consistency could be perceived to be a key factor in the pursuit of mastery. I do something the same way, and in the process, I master it. I assess, improve, assess and improve until I am satisfied with the approach, making it the best it can be.
John Coleman tells us that the best strategic leaders balance consistency and agility. They respond to the changing environment, improve where they need to, and have a consistent approach. In this consistent approach, we sharpen our focus, focusing on the factors that work toward achieving mastery. In cooking, a popular technique is reduction. You cook ingredients together, and in doing so, you intensify the flavors, developing richness and intensity over time. You need to watch the stove and not allow the ingredients to reduce to the point they become burnt and stuck to the pan. This is a great example of balancing consistency and agility. Simmering gently and consistently and adjusting the temperature as the ingredients reduce to achieve the optimum sauce.
In leadership, we can be consistent in lots of areas. Here are a few that come to mind:
- How frequently we interact with our team, collectively and individually
- Providing timely feedback
- Establishing rhythms in the team that promotes connection and engagement
- Having good personal daily practices such as exercise, good sleep, time to read and digest information
When we are consistent, we make our lives a lot easier. There are fewer decisions to be made. It’s the same thing on repeat, not because we are lazy and we don’t like to innovate, but because it works. When we are consistent, we gain momentum, we see improvement, we can measure the difference from our consistent approach, and we have more time to think about other things.
I really like the philosophy “think once, do often.” Spend the time thinking about your approach upfront and enjoy the journey to mastery once you are happy with it.
Rita Cincotta writes, mentors, and speaks on individual and team performance, leadership development, resilience, and new ways of working. She works with organisations to develop human-centred solutions that help people and businesses to thrive.
