If you’re young, you’ve run up against it. If you’re “more experienced,” you’ve likely said it.
Is it useful?
In my current professional role, my team and I are agents of change. Specifically, our job is to help our company work better by implementing innovative and modern practices. However, our industry and company are a bit stodgy.
We have our work cut out for us. Change is not always welcome, especially when, “But this is the way we’ve always done it!”
The person or collective first needs to be heard. If you come at them like “my way or the highway,” you’ve lost before you start. Always start by listening.
“Not invented here” is a powerful emotion. Some people’s methods and tools are homegrown. They built them, and they like them specifically because they built them. The best strategy here is to lead with acknowledgment.
The disconnection between what people do and what they say can be stark and surprising. We must watch what they do, not so much what they say. In this situation, always use show and tell.
The old way may be better. Our job is to evaluate our proposed changes against the current methodologies. That evaluation must be fair and self-aware. Just because we have a new way doesn’t mean it’s a better way.
Fundamentally, “the way we’ve always done it” is about belief. When trying to implement change, whether in an organization, an individual, or yourself, start with understanding beliefs.
