Resisting the itch

One of the features of meditation practice is when I experience discomfort - pain in my knees or back, an itch on my ear or nose - I resist the temptation to move. We’re conditioned to immediately address any discomfort - itch on your ear? Scratch it! Rather than do this, meditation teaches us to first observe what’s happening when we’re uncomfortable - explore what discomfort is - before responding with action. 

The same is often true in organizational contexts. Lots of things happen that feel uncomfortable - growth is slow this month, a particular initiative is taking a while to get off the ground. There’s a natural temptation to react quickly to make ourselves feel better - slash prices! Make the hire - we need to fill that role! Pull the plug on that new product - what were we thinking!? 

In my experience, it's worth staying with organizational discomfort for a little while longer than what feels comfortable. We can observe root causes & real opportunities more clearly, & give appropriate time to let strategic decisions take hold. This can go against the grain of the human tendency to take quick action, but can often lead to improved outcomes.