Don’t be the Office Blocker!
BY THE CATHONATOR
Have you ever refused to watch a movie because you think it’s going to be awful? But, there’s a situation (maybe years later) where you’re FORCED to watch it and you end up…LOVING it!?
Well, I did it the other day. Let me paint you a picture…
Are you familiar with, Trolls? Those ridiculous little brightly coloured squeaky characters, full of Disney-sickening goodness, silly voices and an array of overpriced accessories for you to buy – you know the ones? I certainly do.
The endless onslaught of rain and the desperation of a 4-year-old’s cabin fever drove me to ask Netflix for content suggestions. The Trolls movie popped up. Instinctively I pressed ‘Play’ and we were off. Not before muttering under my breath in protest and hoping that it would buy me a quiet hour or so. I set about my chores – #MumLife.
Despite the wheelbarrow of washing and the Everest of ironing piles, very quickly, I found myself neglecting these tasks in preference of standing in front of the TV… smiling. Skip forward another hour and I was dancing around the living room, laughing with my daughter, to one of the many catchy show stoppers – which we had heard many times before, without ever knowing their provenance.
Channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw, I couldn’t help but wonder:
I was so sure I would hate the Trolls movie, because of all the things I thought it was. I hadn’t actually ever tried to watch it or to learn what it was about, or find out who starred in it. Quickly I realised that once I knew about the joys it could bring, my life – or at least my day – was better for it.
The question that lingered with me was, how many times have I done this, about much more important things?
How many times have you been steadfast on an opinion or on an issue, because you just know, but the truth is, you haven’t actually fully researched all sides of the problem?
To quote High Fidelity by Nick Hornby,
“I’ve been thinking with my guts since I was fourteen years old, and frankly speaking, between you and me, I have come to the conclusion that my guts have sh*t for brains”
In our business lives, this is also extremely relevant. How many times in the business world have you run into a Blocker who seems to have another agenda and hasn’t been furnished with the facts or full thought process before slapping down a big fat NO on the table?
Maybe you’ve done it too?
Blocker (noun) – Someone who purposefully opposes any change (improvement) to a process for personal reasons.
Or just simply by being a giant ignoramus*
*I added the last bit.
I could go on about how this stretches to the big issues in life, but that’s for another day.
In the workplace, one of the many ways a Blocker can be made is through poor change management strategies. Assuming yours is not just choosing to be obtuse for shits and giggles, these people are usually afraid of change. They’re afraid of new innovative ideas, especially if they have come from someone else. They relish in the comfort of the status quo. The best way to ensure all stakeholders are along for the ride is to include them in the decision process. They can’t credibly object to something they helped to create. In many cases, including the marketing and advertising industry, this can be done with a group facilitated workshop. The results can be remarkable. Check it out.
Cath “Cathonator” Roberts proudly works at BlueMelon Design, where we love a good facilitated workshop and she only watches kids movies in her spare time. You can join the Blummie community here.
BRAND MARKETING TIP
If you’ve ever had a Blocker to an awesome idea or project, it could be because they were not part of the process leading up to it.
This is one reason why at BlueMelon, we love to start our creative projects with an awesome facilitated workshop.
