Have we become stupid and lazy?
I think most of us would say, “Certainly not.” But how often do we give into the easy or expedient at the expense of the substantive? It’s a cultural dilemma. We read the headlines and not the stories, we condense our commentary to 140 characters, we take the diet pill or supplement to help us lose weight or gain muscle, and we consume processed foods instead of preparing a healthy meal. We want immediate gratification, even though it’s rarely the best solution.
In my professional world, I see it all the time. Typically, I get a call from a CEO who has been referred to me. And more often than not, he wants me to “fix” his sales or management team. But usually, he wants the “quick fix” which is often to come in to do a workshop to address the problem.
Now, I work hard to make my workshops dynamic, engaging and filled with takeaways for immediate application. But I will be the first to tell you, as I explain to the CEO, after further probing, that a workshop is often the equivalent of putting a bandaid on an arm that needs a tourniquet. While the bandaid won’t hurt the situation and it may even make things marginally better, it is NOT the best solution.
Just examine your own experience. If you’re not getting the results you want and you need to change. Will a silver bullet do the trick?
I’ve built my career, in part, on a research finding I heard over 15 years ago. I’m not even sure of the source of the information any longer but it resonated with me and was in complete alignment with my personal experience and what I saw with my own team (and has been confirmed hundreds of times in the past decade with my clients).
If we’re exposed to information for the first time, we retain 50% after 24 hours, we retain 25% after 48 hours and we retain only 2% after 16 days.
In other words, it’s not enough to be exposed to information, we must do something with it. Knowledge isn’t power. Applied knowledge is. So if you start with reading a book, attending a workshop or participating in other training, how do you build on it? What can you do to reinforce, repeat and build long-lasting change?
It’s only with application that we change and improve. But it’s not so easy. Habits, willpower, discipline and desire play a part, as do our often deeply rooted beliefs. To change ourselves or to change our work culture, there are rarely quick fixes. Sure there are things we can do immediately that will help. But for long-lasting shifts and changes, we need to do the substantive work to get there. And it may not show up in this quarter’s results. But I can guarantee that it will show up with the right effort.
Before you go for the quick and easy option, you must know what is ultimately important to you? Then, ask yourself some important questions:
- Will this get me the long-term results I want?
- Is this solution “too good to be true?”
- Am I being persuaded by slick marketing claims or substantive data?
- What is the immediate or short-term benefit? What is the long-term impact?
- What are the benefits and consequences of this action?
- Does this solution put a bandaid on the problem or actually fix it?
- What have others done to get the results I seek?
To achieve worthwhile results, you usually have to implement a principle I call “Dinner Before Dessert.” In fact, I would say that in my career it is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned. No wonder parents have shared it with their kids for generations. The analogy is simple. If you ate tasty but nutrient-poor desserts before dinner, you would likely fill up on empty calories. In the moment, it might seem great – your appetite would be satiated and your taste buds would be dancing in the sugary goodness. But over time, you would get more lethargic, gain weight and face other health challenges. If you ate dinner first, however, you would fill up on more nutritious and healthy fare that in the long-run would be much better for you.
There are usually negative consequences, albeit sometimes delayed, attached to immediate gratification. Dessert tastes great in the moment, but you’ll pay for it in the long run. That’s pretty true for all the other things in life that are really important.
