The Art of Shaking Things Up

Summary

In this article, you will learn:

• Why leaders choose to “shake things up” in their teams

• How they do it

• How it can go wrong

• 4 tips for doing it well

Reading time: 3 minutes 52 seconds.

The Temptation.

Last week, I talked to a client who, due to recent layoffs and a slow quarter, is struggling with low morale and a disengaged team.

When this happens, productivity, collaboration, and creativity all take a hit. It’s rough.

In these situations, leaders may see the need to reinvigorate their teams, boost morale, and increase employee engagement by introducing changes that inspire and motivate them.

When done well, this can be effective.

At one point, she used the expression “shake things up.” It’s an idiom I rarely hear, so it stayed with me.

This is a phrase that typically implies making major changes.

It can be used to describe anything from changing how you do your job to how you live your life.

When you shake things up, you hope to activate something new and exciting. You’re trying to break out of your comfort zone. Change the perspective to look at something you know well in a new way, under a new light.

Shaking things up means many things for teams, for example:

• Getting exposure to new ideas from unusual sources

• Trying on ways of thinking through new methods

• Changing work environments

• Taking on new responsibilities

• Immersing outside your industry’s bubble

• Rotating into a new team

• Assigning an unusual challenge

• Spending time together in an informal way

When leaders and managers are tempted to shake things up in their teams, they typically seek to reinvigorate, inspire, or even reward.

The trap.

Done right, shaking things up can ignite creativity and build bonds within a team as its members work through changes.

But done wrong, teams swirl into chaos, insecurity, and confusion.

The wrong approach can hurt. Not only can it distract from what needs to get done, but it can also trigger an emotional derailment.

When you shake things up, there’s an unpredictability about where things will land.

This is not bad in and of itself - some people will find this aspect exciting. But others may feel destabilized or, worse, scared.

It’s crucial to remember that there’s a certain randomness inherent to the word “shake.” 

The tips.

If you’re considering shaking things up in your team, consider these 4 simple tips:

Tip #1 - Have goals and an approach that aligns.

Whether big or small, your intention should be coherent and clear. Don’t do it out of boredom. Do it with a valuable purpose.

Your shake-up needs to align with the problem you’re struggling with.

Is your team uninspired and developing lackluster ideas?

—> Expose them to fresh thinking, cutting-edge tech, thought leaders, and success stories that challenge the status quo.

Is your team down in the dumps, feeling the pain of economic conditions with too much time on their hands?

—> Inject more joy into their day-to-day life by empowering them to tap into their passions. Help them find ways to channel these passions through their work better. Take a day off and focus on gratitude for recent contributions and accomplishments.

You need to know why you’re doing it, and the approach has to make sense relative to your goals.

Tip #2 - Share the goals and enroll the team.

I’ve seen leaders shake things up with good intentions; still, people interpret it as punitive. This is a communication breakdown and is easily preventable.

Don’t rearrange seats or shuffle duties, and be done. Many people struggle to assume good intent, so you must communicate both the approach and the intention.

“We’re going to try X instead of Y because Z” prevents people from jumping to conclusions and needless worry.

Crucially, by involving others in the change process, you open the door to helpful contributions that you may not have anticipated, and you enlist them in the mission to make things better.

Engaging your team during a shake-up will build trust and create a positive environment rather than a disturbed one.

Tip #3 - Time it thoughtfully.

I once wanted to shake things up for a few burnt-out people in my practice who felt undervalued. So I asked them to work on a new side project with me instead of jumping onto a new client assignment.

It seemed like a great idea at the time, a break from clients, a vote of confidence, and an opportunity to present to the leadership team.

But my timing was awful.

They were wrapping up a major deliverable, and while I thought I was providing relief and reward, I delivered relentless pressure to perform.

Even with pure intentions, timing matters. There are times to shake things up and times to take it easy.

Tip #4 - Monitor, measure, and adapt.

So you’ve got your purpose, and you’ve shared it. You’ve timed the shake-up well and taken action. Now what?

The worst thing you can do is set it and forget it. Like any strategic choice, you’ll want to know if it’s having the desired impact and act accordingly.

It also conveys respect for the team involved and shows that if you were willing to shake things up, you would also be willing to address and repair unintended issues.

This mindful dynamism helps make work both exciting and purposeful. It’s about making thoughtful, calculated choices to inspire and improve, not gambling cavalierly with people’s time and energy.

Conclusion

Even with good intentions, shaking things up can go awry if done too casually. If you’re not careful, it will result in confusion and chaos.

My challenge to you is to reflect on your own team and consider how you can apply these ideas to foster creativity and collaboration.

I encourage you to take action, experiment -thoughtfully- with new approaches, and continuously evaluate the outcomes.

When you shake things up, you want to stimulate, not agitate.

Follow the principles above for better outcomes and a happier, more creative, and more productive team.

Thanks for reading.

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