You cannot evaluate a belief from within it.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing when the belief you have will get you where you need or want to go. It is alarming, however, when the belief you harbor destroys what you value or desire. From within a flawed idea, it’s difficult to see: The destructive outcomes you are creating are a function of your choosing.
Remember: You don’t have to believe everything you think.
You are nearly halfway through 2021. As a team, will the beliefs you’ve formed ensure the year ends brilliantly? Now is a good time to conduct a belief audit. With your team, suspend judgment for a moment and objectively evaluate your beliefs by answering these questions:
- Consider the peers in others functions with whom we must work. Have we convinced ourselves that they are (fill in the blank: idiots, incompetent, competitors)? And if so, what is the effect of that belief? What belief should we choose, which will in-turn drive greater trust?
- For a moment, think about the resources we have available to us. Have we somehow persuaded ourselves that we can’t get where we need to go with the resources we have? What implications does that belief have on our decision making? What do we need to believe as it relates to our resources?
- Let’s talk about how we make decisions. Have we succumbed to the idea that we must always make decisions the same way (i.e. through consensus, endless debates, or an incessant need to revisit data)? If so, what are the ramifications for our approach as it relates to speed and agility?
Your brain must create beliefs to make things predictable – and thus, easier for itself. To allow your mind to generate ideas or beliefs randomly results in haphazardly choosing your future.
Will the beliefs you have create the outcomes you need by the end of 2021?
