The Era of “Just Do It” Is Ending
Everywhere I look these days, it feels like our old ways of doing things are breaking down. What got us here ain’t going to get us where we need to go. Although this is the water we swim in as coaches, the elements around us are creating some really choppy water, and finding a way to help both our clients and ourselves to dry land can feel a bit daunting. I feel the call for Breakthrough Change.
For the last six months, I have done a deep dive into a theory I’ve been developing for two decades around Breakthrough Change. I’ve been sitting with some questions:
- Why does Breakthrough Change seemingly come easily to some and remain incredibly challenging for others?
- Is our propensity for change hardwired or conditioned?
- How does our intrinsic motivation affect our ability to create and sustain change?
- How can we transition from a “Push Energy” culture to a “Pull Energy” culture?
- How do we influence and enroll others in making positive change?
I’ve been gathering qualitative information over coffee, dinner, and fireside chats, and I’m hoping to dive into quantitative research to support my theory of Breakthrough Change. (Stay tuned!)
Here’s what I’ve been noticing. GenXers like me, who have been a driving force in the world and workforce for the past 30 years, grew up in the era of “Just Do It.” In general, we were taught to follow orders, endure challenge (and even pain) for the sake of the goal, to work hard and move up the ladder (because more is always better), and to put our own needs aside with the hope that we would be rewarded somewhere down the line. As revealed in my conversations with other GenXers, an overwhelming realization is dawning that we may have been sold a bill of goods. Turns out the rewards “down the line” have been fewer and farther in between than what we were promised, or at the very least were led to believe. Loyalty and putting the company first has not been to our benefit. Sprinting for miles, turns out, will eventually lead to breakdowns, not breakthroughs. Pushing ourselves and others no longer works. We can’t override ourselves the way we could in our 20s and 30s because our bodies and minds can’t handle it.
As leaders of Millennials and Gen Zs, we have also astutely noticed that these newer generations resist the “Just Do It” mentality. They question, draw boundaries, and push back. This was initially (and for some, still is) incredibly frustrating for Gen X and Baby Boomer leaders. (Don’t they know they have to put in their dues like we did?) But more and more I see a glimmer of “maybe they are on to something” as Gen Xers start to question the values they were taught. And so, we have been witnessing the slow unraveling of the “Just Do It” Era.
Yet we still see examples every day in organizations that continue to lead from the “Just Do It” mentality. As an example, many Fortune 100 companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Meta have announced in the last few weeks that they are requiring employees, who have worked remotely since the pandemic or were even hired as remote workers within the last three years, to return to the office three or more days a week or lose their job. In my crystal ball, I foresee that the slow unraveling of the “Just Do It” Era will escalate into a full-on implosion. CEOs believe that if they band together in this requirement, millions of workers will be forced back into the office, and all will be well? Grab your popcorn and your Junior Mints, folks, because this is going to be interesting.
If people are forced to “Just Do It,” how many people will return to the office versus risk being fired? And of those that return to the office, how many of them will do so simply to comply versus being aligned with the decision? And how will that impact the organizations’ supposed goal of building community and a better work environment?
The Breakthrough Change Formula
This is where my theory of Breakthrough Change comes in. I have been playing with this formula since 2004 when I worked with a corporate client on an organizational change initiative. It looks like this:
BC = 10x(D+C)>O
My theory is that, for the average person, Breakthrough Change occurs when Desire and Commitment together are 10 times greater than the Obstacles, challenges, and resistance.
I need to do more research to see if 10x is the right multiple and/or to see if this number is variable based on a particular person’s openness to change. As an example, are people who are good at creating change simply more tuned into their Desire and Commitment, or do they just need less of it than the average Joe? This is where quantitative research is required.
But with that said, whatever multiple works for you or for your client, I believe strongly that Desire and Commitment are the keys to Breakthrough Change. We all can push ourselves to do something short term, but if our Desire and Commitment aren’t significantly higher than our Obstacles, change will not be sustained. This kind of energy is what I call “Push Energy,” and it is what the “Just Do It” Era was all about. When our Desire and Commitment are at low levels, we can push through for only so long. Eventually we become stuck, overwhelmed, and emotionally and physically taxed. The Great Resignation and Quitting In Place, in my opinion, are results of organizations continuing to buy in to the “Just Do It” mentality.
If we want Breakthrough Change for ourselves, our clients, and the corporate organizations we work with, we need to strengthen our Desire and Commitment, reduce our Obstacles, or both. When Desire and Commitment are significantly higher than our Obstacles, it creates what I have coined “Pull Energy.”
As Simon Sinek discusses in his viral Ted Talk How Great Leaders Inspire Action and subsequent book Start With Why, most organizations and leaders emphasize “What.” But the “Why” wins the hearts and minds of employees, clients, and teams. The “Why” builds Desire and Commitment. The “Why” creates Pull Energy. This Pull Energy allows us to act with easefulness. It isn’t necessarily “easy,” but it is highly motivating. Pull Energy is the fuel for Breakthrough Change. Pull Energy shifts the way we experience Obstacles. Inner Saboteurs quiet down, and challenges seem doable (maybe even juicy), and we can focus on what’s needed now to move forward. When we amplify our Desire and Commitment and create the “Pull,” our experience of the world can shift dramatically. When we learn to help others connect to this, we become powerful and inspirational leaders. The world needs more leaders who understand and can manifest Pull Energy.
I believe that companies who call people back to the office have a “Why,” but they exhibit a classic example of good intention, poor strategy. What they want is engagement. They want their employees and teams to be engaged with each other because they know that engagement will improve their ability to meet their goals. This is a meaningful “Why” for the organization. But how can they make this “Why” meaningful to their employees? What can they do to solidify and raise their employees’ commitment and desire to be engaged with their fellow teammates? I believe that the “What” they have chosen—forcing people to come back to the office three days a week when they do not have a desire to do so—will not lead to more engaged employees. Unless organizations get to the heart of the “Why” that keeps their employees engaged, I believe they will not achieve the Breakthrough Change they need regardless of whether employees work remotely or in-person.
A Call To Action
As coaches, we have been paving the way for the era of Pull Energy. Each day, we help our clients connect to their Desire and Commitment and work through their Obstacles to create the work and lives they want. Our work has a great ripple effect of change in the world. And that ripple effect can be further amplified. We can collectively help our clients and their organizations transition into this new era through our thought leadership and masterful coaching. We can be part of the change we want to see.
Here are some ways you can do that:
- Play with the Breakthrough Change formula yourself and share how it helps you connect to your own Pull Energy.
- Share these concepts with your clients and share my Breakthrough Change formula. (Please give me credit if you are posting/re-posting or using it in your own work.)
- Share this blog with any leaders you know, including posting on SM if you feel called to.
- Share any thoughts/feedback on this concept with me so I can collect as much data as possible and continually refine my theory.
I hope that this article has helped you think about change in a new way that will benefit you and your clients. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback!
With appreciation,
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