Talk about How - The Importance of Talking About How We Work

We don’t talk enough about how we work.

It’s often neglected, but we need to talk more about the methods we use to get our work done. Many of us have two modes of operation: procrastination and heads-down working. We tend to dive right into the work without much thought. Even when we plan, scope, estimate, and map out a project, we rarely pause to consider the “how” of it all.

This is particularly important when working with others. Many organizations and teams have a set way of doing things, simply because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” While these habits may have been optimized over time, they may also include suboptimal or outdated processes. As the world changes, so should our workflows.

It’s crucial to stop and reassess our methods of working with others and ourselves. Mismatched expectations can cause conflicts, and the best way to avoid these issues is to set clear expectations before a project begins.

We need to discuss how we work, rather than only fixing processes when conflicts arise. This approach is too late and could have been prevented with a little bit of forethought.

By talking about how we work, we can continuously adapt and improve, leading to better results and a more fulfilling work experience.

We don’t talk enough about how we work, and we should.