Change is a flirt. But the status quo knows your name.

I’ve been on the road. Paihia last week, and today I’m back from Wellington. It’s great to be home again and in my own bed. I think I've burned though this week’s curiosity quota already. 

I really should be excited and energised after the last few days of great ideas and exhilarating (no understatement) conversations.

And yet, that pull of the familiar… Same-ness... BAU... and the status quo for a few days is soooo appealing.All this talk of change and reinvention has me pausing. 

Holy shang, the status quo has some power.

3 things I’m reflecting on while I put my feet up

1. The status quo influences our decisions.

I voted in our local government elections last week. In elections, incumbents tend to have an advantage because voters prefer the familiar candidate – even when they suck. “Better the devil you know?”… 

We tend to do what’s in front of us, or what we already know, because our brains are wired to avoid the discomfort and perceived risks associated with change. It's a true progress killer.

2. The status quo is defensive.   

The public library is a capitalist nightmare. "Get a whole lot of resources and give them away for nearly free." The council would laugh at you for suggesting it, but imagine the uproar if you tried to get rid of your community book nook. The status quo defends what we already have, even when the argument for obsolescence is strong.

3. The status quo is invisible - you don’t realise how much it affects you.

There’s a well known social experiment where a woman goes to a medical waiting room. She’s the only real participant, everyone else is an actor.

Whenever a bell dings, the actors all stand up. At first, she looks confused, but she joins in anyway.

Standing, sitting, standing again. Looking and feeling like a twit... And then teaching other people to do the same, despite having no idea why. That’s status quo bias. It doesn’t need a reason, just repetition and familiarity. And it’s contagious. 

I have questions...

When was the last time you stepped out of the status quo and made a genuinely bold move?  

When I do shift my weary carcass from the sofa and head to the office these are the questions I’ll be using to put us in the mood for being bold, brilliant, and our best.

• Are we comfortable with this because it’s familiar?

• What worries do we have about making a change?

• What’s the best and worst that could happen?

• What experiment can we run that will expand our horizon in an acceptable way?