Innovating in tune with others
Change is one of my favorite areas of personal and work life. Observing patterns and phases of change, seeing where I find myself and my environment facing the adoption of different ideas or innovations attracts me a lot. I also find it very exciting to analyze at work where we stand when we propose new ideas or new development and transformation processes.
Related to the adoption of new ideas, or changes, it is interesting to note that the rate of adoption is not the same for everyone. So if you are experiencing a change, my recommendation is that you can also focus on those around you.
The Innovation Diffusion model created by Everett M. Rogers is a process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of a social system. Thus, diffusion is a type of communication in which participants create and share information with each other to reach mutual understanding.
In this process of change, we can see how few innovators have ideas. The faster they can build their coalition with early adopters, the more likely the change is to be successful. So this coalition will convince the remaining early majority to push and pull, all of them will be pretty fast. However, the timeline is not a fixed element and it may be that everyone will be at different stages of adoption, but if they incorporate the change as soon as possible, the rest of the late majority will join. Perhaps with some resistance, as they stuck to the confusion room longer. Finally, the last to enter the change are the laggards, these are the ones who stayed in denial the longest, a room that they will still need to see a lot to jump into the new. Unfortunately, some won't make it either.
Related to leadership, when you are leading a change, you must be aware that you will have people in different phases of adoption. That's why the better we focus on understanding and empathizing with others, the more likely the change process will be smoother, easier, and less stressful. If we are not able to realize that then it means that we want everyone to be on the same page as us, but that will not happen. Remember that if you brought the idea, know that there is a long way to go to get everyone on board.
To accomplish this, we must control our own anxiety, make sure we are calm and aware of the adoption phase of others. For this I will suggest another very good breathing technique called Bhastrika.
Is a very powerful hyperventilation exercise that produces a strong cleansing action on the brain. Thanks to an alternate ultra-fast air pumping action, a release of carbon dioxide, followed by a surge of over-oxygenation, generates an internal sensation of a clear mind.
How to make Bhastrika?
Sit in vajrasana or sukhasana, keeping your spine upright, the nostrils should be clean and clear. Make fists, cross your arms and place them in front of your shoulders. As you raise your hands, inhale deeply and open your fists. Apply some force as you exhale and lower your arms in front of your shoulders, making fists again.
Inhalation will be 4 seconds and deep exhalation 6 seconds. You can do 20 breaths of Bhastrika pranayama in one round.
Here I share a video to guide you better.
It is a technique to be practiced gradually, and that requires it to be controlled before exploiting it in all its possibilities. In case of hypertension or cardiac disorders, it must be practiced with the most extreme precautions and under the supervision of a competent person.
It is also important that you keep in mind that it should not be practiced during pregnancy. Avoid excessive practice in case of stress or fatigue. It is not suitable for people with limited respiratory capacity. Do not continue if it causes problems in the ears (otitis) or in the eyes (retinal detachment, glaucoma). Stop the practice if there is excessive or insufficient blood pressure. Give up if the nose starts to bleed or if blood starts to pound in the ears, or they become painful with a ringing sound. Do not practice during convalescence.
If none of these options were mentioned above, I invite you to put this powerful technique into practice, calm your mind and be an empathetic leader to infect and motivate others with your innovative proposals.
I will gladly read in the comments if you want to share your own experience and do not hesitate to share it with another leader or colleague who you think may find it useful.