CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO - to boost your career prospects.

 When Grant Reid, the CEO of the powerful Mars company, stepped down in 2022, important shareholders said:

"He had a healthy dissatisfaction for the status quo."

Challenging the status quo at work can be career-enhancing. It works best, though, when you prepare carefully.  

The status quo at work is how things are right now. As in Reid's case, challenge can attract praise. It shows you're committed and engaged with work. It suggests that you have leadership potential.

For example, Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach for America, wanted to reduce educational inequities. Many said it was a naive dream. Yet she persisted, and her organisation has transformed education by placing talented teachers in underserved communities and challenging traditional teaching norms.

Similarly, Jason Kilar defied expectations by leaving a secure job at Amazon to start Hulu. It reimagined television programming delivery. Despite widespread scepticism, Kilar's vision prevailed. It disrupted the entertainment industry, proving that unconventional paths can lead to remarkable success.

Malala Yousafzai, the Education Activist committed to girls' education in Pakistan, defied societal norms and the Taliban's oppressive regime.

Despite facing threats and an assassination attempt, she continued advocating for education. Her courage led to global recognition, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the establishment of the Malala Fund, inspiring countless others to challenge injustice and fight for education equality.

GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

If you challenge the status quo in your job and push for growth, innovation, or change, you may be branded a disruptor or, more politely, a “challenging” employee.

Yet you are almost certainly essential to the organisation. Those who push for change can come from any level and are usually:

•        Passionate about their work and want to see their organisation succeed

•        Unafraid to speak up and share their ideas, even if they are different from those of their colleagues

•        Willing to take risks

Despite the importance of seeking change, your actions may threaten senior colleagues. For example, they may see their role as preserving the status quo. Let’s be honest; you could meet strong resistance, even disapproval.

By challenging "how we do things around here", you may hear tired excuses such as

"It's the wrong time or the wrong thing right now",

"Nobody sees this as a problem",

“We should change, but later".  

So, while challenging the status quo can be healthy, personally and for the organisation, it may require courage to put your head above the parapet and propose something different. Here are three famous people who did.

Grace Hopper, a computer scientist, defied the common belief in the mid-20th century that computers were mere calculators. She advocated advanced programming languages that were more human-friendly.

Her work led to COBOL, a high-level language that revolutionised software development. It paved the way for current advances in Artificial intelligence.

Rosalind Brewer, a former Chief Executive of Starbucks, challenged the status quo by prioritising diversity and inclusion within the company. She introduced ways to increase the representation of women and people of colour in leadership roles.

Brewer's commitment to equity transformed Starbucks' status quo, altering the internal culture and setting an example for other organisations.

John Kotter, a leadership expert, challenged traditional organisational structures by shifting the focus from top-down directives to empowering employees. Kotter's approach emphasised the need for change. He has helped countless organisations adapt by encouraging collaboration and agility.

Hopper, Brewer and Kotter used their vision of how things could be to overcome internal resistance and even external criticism. Their experience reminds us that questioning the status quo from within can drive meaningful transformation. It can also be personally painful.

WILL CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO HELP YOUR CAREER?

Much depends on how you approach it. Keep asking aloud

"Why do we do that?" "Could there be a better way of doing that?" "Does that work well?"

and you'll burnish a reputation for not taking things for granted. To challenge the status quo safely, you need to rely on three essentials:

• Preparation

• Practice

• Supporters

Preparation You may have more than one idea for creating change in your organisation. Prioritise your ideas and pick your battles with care.

Bombarding people with new ideas daily may cause them to tune out from your best suggestions. Suppose you see colleagues using Excel spreadsheets badly, and you know better. First, discover why they do it that way rather than rushing in with suggestions. If the answer is "because I've always done it that way" or "I've tried other ways and don't understand them", you have an opening for your proposal.

People who have successfully challenged the status quo have usually done their homework and conducted essential research.  

Practice

Practice to ensure that your status quo challenge makes sense. How will you present it? For example, do you have a solid argument for people to consider? Is there hard evidence to support your suggestions?

Change can be scary for some people, no matter how convincing the evidence is. If you present your proposals too forcefully, you risk people shutting off. They may reject your idea before you even have the chance to sell it to them.

Pay attention to other people's points of view. They'll be understandably cautious if they've experienced a previous negative change.

Keep your pitch short. Allow plenty of time for discussion and questions. Choose the right moment, as it may not be something to bring up immediately after inspiration hits you.

 Supporters

Gather supporters or allies to make the change. If your idea threatens long-standing attitudes or processes, you will need co-conspirators who can help.

The more entrenched the status quo that you're trying to disrupt, the more vital allies you may need. 

Follow the steps of careful preparation, practice presenting, and gather supporters, and you'll have a good chance people will like what they hear.

Challenge the status quo with positive proposals, not constant criticism. That will appeal to those in charge.

They will start to see you as a valuable person to have around, and their approval can enhance your long-term chances of success.