Now that I have had a week to recover from the lost hour, I have also had time to gather some thoughts that were prompted by this thing we do with the clock twice a year – Day Light Saving Time. It all began in the US during WWI as a way to conserve energy. Since the 1970s a number of studies have been done to determine if Daylight Saving did, in fact, conserve energy. Early studies showed that energy was conserved because lights were not used until later in the evening when it got dark. However, since the 1970s, there has been a shift in energy consumption – air conditioning, not lighting, is the major consumer of electricity. Later studies show very little energy is saved – some studies show that more energy may be consumed.

So we have a practice that was very beneficial when it was first begun but its merits are now questionable, at best. But we continue because “that’s what we have always done.”

Does that ring a bell?

Just because you have always done something that way does not mean that it is still the best idea – but it also does not mean that it is a bad idea. What we need to do from time to time is look at those things and make sure it still makes sense to continue to do them. “That’s the way we have always done it” is not a reason for doing anything. Using the “5 Whys” – repeatedly asking the question “Why?” – helps you peel away the layers and get to the root of an issue.

Leaders must ask the unasked questions and challenge the status quo, because the group will not. Certainly, change is not good simply for the sake of change, but many times the traditions and the proven methods of yesterday are not as beneficial as they once were in helping an organization reach a desired outcome. I have seen companies miss out on revenue simply because systems were set in place years ago and were not changed as the business changed – and no one questioned it until tens of thousands of dollars went uncaptured.

I challenge you to question tradition and challenge the assumptions. Make decisions intentionally, starting now!