Why Information Alone Does Not Create Change
Years ago, I decided I needed to know how to market my work online. I went to a four-hour workshop, and the information I gathered made perfect sense. It was Marketing 101. But when I tried to implement it, I struggled to make anything work and abandoned my efforts (thank goodness for my team!). Since then, I have taken up plenty of activities (including starting to learn Greek) and all of them have flared and faded.
Last year I signed up to a painting course. I did two full days with a small group learning how to see things differently. Rest assured, I will not be exhibiting anything anytime soon but gosh it was fun, and this time it felt so different when I came home and implemented what I had learned.
The Power of Commitment and Clear Structure
But did I really need a teacher and a group for that? I knew how to paint (sort of), I love colour and I could have just picked up a brush, so… what more is there to it? Couldn’t I just… paint?
Turns out knowing what I need to do and knowing how to do it… is still not enough to actually DO it.
This time, if I were to unpack it, I can see that I have put in place a few building blocks:
- I committed to two days with a teacher – not just trying to muddle my way through.
- I have a plan – I have set aside time in my calendar to work on this
- I’m not doing it alone – I’m meeting with others who are as keen and as amateur as I am.
Commitment, structure and support are the key ingredients.
Having them means I don’t have to be motivated, or extremely disciplined or very single-minded about my goal. (And, unlike with my Greek efforts, I don’t have Duolingo bullying me daily!)
And this is not just a personal theory. Research consistently shows that we’re far more likely to reach our goals when we add accountability and support.
How can you build those key ingredients into pursuing your vision for this year?
It could be as easy as sharing your goal with a few colleagues and creating an accountability group.
Or a peer who’s working on something similar.
Or finding a mentor or a coach.
Even a group chat that checks in weekly.
Leadership – like any other skill – is not solo work. How can you add structure, support or shared momentum to help you go after your growth this year?
And just to be clear, none of this is about doing more! It’s really about making it (a lot) easier to keep going.
All good things,
Juliet Robinson
Leadership and Change Specialist
How I can help you.
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