Written with Minola Jac
Originally Published on Apr 13, 2021 on LinkedIn
What’s the easiest way to break the ice when connecting or reconnecting with others? Ask them what shows they are binge-watching these days! Sadly, it could be argued that a prominent shared experience for humans today is being pulled into the vortex of watching an entire season (or two) of the latest rage on Netflix or Disney Plus. We share the feeling of turmoil that comes with the grueling decision to watch one more episode or go to sleep. Have we even come up with a name yet for the predicament of leaving our fate to locating the remote control before the countdown to the next episode reigns over the near future?
Whether or not you watch television as part of your daily routine, there is much to learn about the phenomenon of binge-watching, just as there is to the fascinating experience and realities of change management. This week, two recovering binge-watchers join forces to explore what binge-watching television shows can teach us about change management.
Remember WHY? There’s ample research to inform us about the pros and cons of binge-watching television shows. To state it simply, binge-watching cultivates a mixture of pleasure and self-doubt. How much is too much? What will we do when this 6 season series is over? Binge-watching too many shows at once can be disconcerting; as is the case for change management and prioritizing projects that maybe shouldn’t be concurrent. Like any activity, we can moderate our behaviors when we know why we are participating in an activity and how it fits into our bigger picture and purpose. It’s easy to focus solely on change management and miss out on the importance of socialization; spending time only with your project managers and other change managers, like we do when binge-watching snuggled up with our pets, can be unhealthy and even damaging. Take a break and test your why by having open conversations with other people. Try to do a little “binge-watching” through their eyes and perceptions. Who knows, it might feel like an entirely new season…
Manage Your State of Flow. Like binge-watching, embracing the change management process can help us get into a state of flow, which research associates with raised levels of creativity and well-being. Viewing experiences are most often designed for anticipation and time to reflect before the saga continues. Binge-watching can easily summon the evil spirits of impatience within us, or the need for instant gratification. And there is always the risk of unnecessary conflict created by leaving others behind. In “The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work,” Amabile and Kramer offer the answer to the question on top of every manager’s mind: how do you truly engage people? The answer is simple: help them see their own progress. One key action to do this is to “take your foot off the gas – once in a while”. We should never fall into the trap of thinking progress is burning through the project plan, milestones, and deliverables. Progress is also a time to reflect, to let things settle, to go back and question assumptions, to recontract, to wait up for others, to pause and breathe. You cannot binge on progress.
Navigating Complexity Feeds Our Intelligence. Television narratives have become more complex, as such, it’s possible that watching more of these shows could make you smarter. According to recent research, binge-watching activity has been related to greater dissatisfaction and less enjoyable viewing experience, even though viewers may have retained more information in short-term and long-term memory. Similarly, we learn from change management experts that stakeholders will respond to incremental change than they would for radical change. Like anything, moderation is key! We can define our own pace and rhythm of binge-watching. Similarly, clear targets and purpose for change management projects set the stage for a healthier immersive experience for stakeholders in the change process.
If we happened to pull your attention from a current binge-watching session, let us know what resonated with you. Hurry up, before the next episode starts!
