#12. MANAGING THROUGH “TROUGHS OF DESPAIR”
Trough Models
When we embrace change (v fearful resistance) at a - personal, company, or national – level, there are common stages for getting to our vision - if we don’t quit.
These stages are:
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The excitement of the big new idea
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The continued excitement about getting ready for the journey
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The despair of discovering that the slog to imagined greatness is overwhelming
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The creative, flexible, persevering grind; and
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The eventual achievement of a greater capability.
These stages have different names within different models. Some are:
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The Dunnig-Kruger Effect is typically applied to personal transformations.
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Technology-driven-change stages are found within Gartner Group’s “hype cycle” which includes their “trough of disillusionment”.
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And, national initiatives like “build-it-back better” or tariffs-for-zero-trade-deficits are called by Machiavelli - “a new order of things” - which he advises against.
Why We Get Excited and Overly Optimistic About “New”?
We get excited about anything “new” that we think will leave us better off. We evolved to get pleasurable, dopamine hits when, as Hunter-Gatherers (HG), we were in pursuit of survival needs: food, tribal status, and procreation. (Today, capitalists have sadly exploited our dopamine reward centers to addictive levels).
The dopamine hits from “new” continue as we learn about and gear up for pursuing our big idea. As we begin execution, we think we are a lot smarter than we are; we can’t yet know what we don’t know. In the Dunnig-Kruger model this is called “peak of Mt. Stupid”. In the Gartner model, it is the “peak of inflated expectations”.
Alas: the tedium of unforeseen - details, human adaptation rates and external obstacles – quickly sets in and overwhelms us. Into the trough of despair we go!
Guidelines for Persevering
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Do anticipate the Trough for any endeavor. Have the intellectual and execution humility to visit with other trailblazers who will share their trough-despair stories and solutions.
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Whether you are pursuing a hard-skill (like golf) or soft ones (star CEO) do consider - seeking support from others, practicing self-care as needed, and being grateful for having the opportunity. Too many planet citizens are trying just to survive v “self-actualizing”.
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For corporate changes, test cheaply in one area and fail forward toward your vision. Design each experimental step to ideally generate more learning value than resource costs.
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Take comfort that competitors will have the same challenges and most will fizzle. Your eventual success will create a “moat”: a competitive advantage not easily copied.
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While persisting onward, there will be human doubts and relapses. Pause, breathe, take a day off. Then, revisit your vision; adjust your plan (sometimes bigger pivots are necessary); renew your curiosity, faith and patient ambition.
Achieving excellence isn’t for snowflakes. Go to
merrifield.com for more on mastering “new”.