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Stop, Drop, and Roll

When I was a young child, I learned fire safety in school. One of the principles I was taught was to stop, drop, and roll if your clothes catch on fire. This week I experienced a fire. My fire was not a literal one, but it is something that caused alarm. A new data system was implemented and forced people to rethink how they do the tasks of their jobs. It also threw people out of sync of their daily routines. For many people new things cause stress and panic, but a change in how you carry out your tasks does not need to be a five alarm crisis.
 
The solution to the crisis of the change is back to elementary school fire safety. Before you panic, stop, drop, and roll. Panic does not help the situation. It only makes learning harder. When something new rocks your daily routine, slow down.
 
First, stop for a minute and think. What comes first? What is a sequence of tasks to complete a process? What are the fundamentals of the topic? What materials do I need? What tools and resources do I need to help and assist me? Planning is a big part of success. It is the difference between running in a circle and running to reach a destination. Planning can be on the large level, but it is also for the individual contributor. Stop for a minute to plan what you want to accomplish, then develop a personal strategy for how to do it.
 
Next, you will probably have to drop something. In order to implement something new, often times, you will need to eliminate something old. The something old may be a tool you were using, like a data system, or it could be something as simple as a way of thinking. Often times the things you need to change are not actually tangible things, but thoughts. Letting go is sometimes the hardest part, especially if you have been doing a task for a long time.
 
Finally, roll with the change. When faced with something new or different, you may need to change. The change may be a routine, a process, or a procedure.  Often times when trying new ways to do things, a change will be made, and then modified again. Those tweaks can be frustrating, but it is often the change from good to great. In some cases those tweaks can lead to greater efficiency and increased productivity. Be flexible and roll with the changes. Expecting there will be modifications along the way will make you feel more at ease with new anything.
 
Stop, drop, and roll has proven to be valuable in more than just fire safety. This is one of those things you learned in kindergarten that will help you anytime you are trying to implement something new. It is not about the fire, but it is how you will react that makes all the difference.
~Karen Cirincione
Email:kcirincione@gmail.com
Twitter: @kcirincione

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