Keeping It Simple...

In my house, we clean out closets and shelves to make room for new clothes and toys. I comb through my files, pulling together our tax information (exciting, I know). We also enjoy seeing our friends and perhaps have a little too much fun with food and drink.

However, there is a New Year behavior that I really don’t understand: the New Year’s resolution. Even more puzzling are articles written about them. This is not one of those articles (well, somewhat, but not completely).

Revolution or Evolution?

My primary problem with resolutions is that we try to make lifestyle changes through revolution, rather than evolution. I know the two words sound the same, but there is a big difference: revolution is a forcible overthrow of a system in favor of a new system, whereas evolution is the gradual development of a new system.

Many New Year’s resolutions fail because we try to revolutionize our entire lifestyle, rather than introducing several small lifestyle changes over time, which eventually result in a big pay-off. Imagine going from coach potato on Dec. 31 to marathon runner on Jan. 1 – that’s a tough transformation! A more realistic goal would be to transition from coach potato to speed walker, eventually to jogger, and finally, to marathon runner.

We are trained to operate in the now and at full speed. We live in an era of high expectations and technology. Coupled with our need for immediacy, we expect nothing less. But if not trained properly, we crash. The marathoner who doesn’t hydrate will crash. The engine without an adequate supply of oil will crash. Corporate initiatives without a plan or the right players on board will crash.

All or Nothing?

My point is this: Don’t run the race unless you trained for it. The saying “no pain, no gain” does not always apply. Implementing an office ergonomics process need not be stressful and should not be difficult. It should be kept simple. It should evolve and mature over time. All too often, we see companies get caught between two false choices:

➤ Do everything. Assess every workstation, buy all new equipment and furniture, and complete a comprehensive training plan – today.
➤ Do nothing. React to issues as they arise and provide only “corporate-approved” products, which won’t necessarily result in success just because they are designated as such.

Now, you may feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Doing everything is a great way to go but unfortunately, it tends to be unrealistic in these economic times and there is nothing worse than a poorly funded revolution! And doing nothing is simply irresponsible, especially if your people are expressing discomfort or suffering from injury.