Questioning the norm: How to challenge the status quo
Tempo Team
Many businesses follow the status quo, with leaders relying on traditional methods and long-established processes. This approach feels safer, as it avoids the risks and uncertainties associated with organizational change.
However, sticking to norms simply because you’re used to them can stifle innovative ideas and neglect the importance of teamwork and employee engagement. As a result, team members may feel disconnected, leading to decreased productivity and performance due to a lack of necessary support for growth and evolution.
To thrive, teams must ask questions and challenge the status quo. Change and creativity help businesses remain competitive, create a visionary workplace culture, and unlock new opportunities for growth and success.
Why the status quo can be problematic
The status quo represents a bias – a preference for keeping things unchanged. This reluctance to embrace change is problematic in business, where growth requires constant evolution. Here are some reasons why leaving the status quo unchallenged can be detrimental to your business:
Inhibits growth: Companies and their cultures are dynamic and shaped by the people within them. Methods that worked for one era may not be effective for the next. As companies grow, previously successful policies and training programs can become obsolete.
Promotes stagnation: The status quo feels safe because it doesn’t push us to confront new challenges. It avoids risks and the potential for errors. However, this safety leads to stagnation. By avoiding challenges to the norm, we prevent progress.
Missed opportunities: Individuals, teams, leaders, and organizations miss chances for innovation and improvement when they’re afraid to question current project management practices.
Decreased competitiveness: Outdated methods can make a business less competitive. Competitors who innovate and adapt will have an advantage.
4 signs the status quo isn’t working for your business
You must identify the signs your business is stuck in the status quo to make necessary changes and achieve sustainable success. Here are four signs the status quo might be holding your business back:
Missing targets: If your company consistently falls short of its financial or project goals, something needs to change. Missed targets indicate your current methods are ineffective, and continuing on the same path will likely lead to more failures and missed opportunities.
Costs outpacing revenue: When expenses grow faster than income, your business model or processes may be in jeopardy. This could be due to outdated strategies, an oversized workforce, or ineffectual product offerings. Investigate and streamline your operations to meet market demands.
Dwindling attendance: When employees frequently miss work, productivity declines. High absenteeism rates indicate deeper issues within your workplace, such as low morale, burnout, or leadership that needs improvement.
Old technology: Outdated technology can hinder your business’s efficiency and competitiveness. If you’re dedicating excessive time and resources to maintain old systems, consider upgrading. Modern tools can streamline operations, enhance productivity, and provide a better return on investment.
How to challenge the status quo
Leadership requires you to bring a diverse group of individuals together to work together toward a common goal. You can achieve this by being a leader who challenges the status quo, embraces change, and gives your team the courage to think differently. Here are some strategies to navigate the complexities of the modern business world and maintain a competitive edge:
Create an innovator’s environment
To build a high-performing team and foster cutting-edge solutions, you must create a space where your team feels safe and comfortable questioning the status quo. Establish a framework – not necessarily a formal process, but a simple method – to ensure great ideas are recognized and implemented. Try the following frameworks:
Goal alignment
Open communication policies
Regular brainstorming sessions
Recognition and incentives
Feedback loops
Resource accessibility
Your framework should promote an inspiring, nonjudgmental atmosphere in which team members feel empowered to work autonomously and express their ideas for improvement.
Implement design thinking
Design thinking offers an effective method for sparking innovation. It focuses on solving problems by putting the consumer’s needs first. It involves empathetically observing how people engage with their surroundings and using an iterative, practical approach to develop creative solutions.
By incorporating design thinking, you ensure your business solutions are user-centric and meaningful, enhancing both creativity and relevance.
Lead with big questions
Good leaders expand their teams’ thinking, challenging the status quo by asking thought-provoking questions. These questions often start with “what,” “how,” and “what if.” Ask questions like:
What if we could produce this in half the time?
How can we become the best team in our industry?
What would it take to beat our competitors?
How can we optimize the efficiency of our processes?
What new technologies can we leverage to enhance our products?
These questions should push your team and leadership beyond their current knowledge and capabilities. They should spark intellectual curiosity and motivate team members to contribute innovative ideas. This approach also fosters a culture of thoughtful decision-making, where team members feel empowered to take ownership of their contributions and drive the organization forward.
Ask why judiciously
Although asking “why” repeatedly can uncover the root causes of issues, you should employ this approach carefully when fostering a collaborative environment. Avoid questions that might sound critical, such as “Why can’t we produce this faster?”
Better questions will encourage constructive thinking, like “What would it take to reduce our defect rate?” This approach helps maintain a positive atmosphere and keeps team members engaged in problem-solving rather than feeling defensive.
Motivate people
Challenging the status quo is about inspiring and motivating your team, not criticizing them. The goal is to excite team members with an opportunity to make a difference. You want them to take risks and share their outside-the-box ideas. Therefore, you must balance your role as an analytical decision-maker with positivity and encouragement.
Encourage your team to share their new ideas by listening, inspiring, and fostering an environment of recognition. Limit your own contributions in meetings, focusing on facilitating discussion rather than dominating it. This allows others to step up and share their thoughts.
Create and propose a change plan
Once you have gathered innovative ideas from your team, the next step is to create and propose a change plan. Outline clear goals and steps to implement the new ideas while identifying potential challenges and solutions.
Present this plan to stakeholders, ensuring everyone understands the benefits and their responsibilities. A sensible change plan can secure buy-in from the entire organization and provide a roadmap for successful implementation.
Explore and research ideas
Encourage your team to continuously explore and research new ideas. Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices. Create opportunities for team members to attend workshops, conferences, and training sessions.
Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement. By staying informed and open to new concepts, your team can better identify opportunities for innovation and stay ahead of the competition.
Guiding the status quo: A challenge
When encouraging your team to challenge the status quo, lead by example and share your innovative thoughts. Team members may initially hesitate, but persistence is vital. Continuously ask for feedback, promote new ideas, and reward those courageous enough to embrace change.
As your team becomes more comfortable questioning the norm, step back to let them take more responsibility. Over time, your team will develop the confidence and skills to drive organizational change independently, leading to high performance and significant value for your clients. To sustain this momentum, ensure your team has the tools and resources to effectively implement their ideas. Stay updated on industry trends to keep your team agile and responsive to new challenges.
Consistently challenging the status quo creates a dynamic and empowered team capable of delivering outstanding projects. This proactive mindset enhances performance and gives you a competitive edge.
You can leverage Tempo’s services to support your efforts further. Tempo’s suite of project management tools helps you plan multi-project work with your team, predict project schedules, and gain real-time insights to perform beyond expectations. Visualize customer feedback and project priorities with Strategic Roadmaps or track numerous initiatives with Structure PPM.
