Adjust One Behavior Based on What You Learned This Week
Observation without action produces awareness but not improvement. This week you identified difficult patterns and noticed how your workplace actually operates. Today you're deciding what to change based on what you learned.
The adjustment doesn't need to be dramatic. Small behavioral changes based on accurate understanding often produce better results than large changes based on assumptions.
Review what you learned from Friday's and Saturday's reflections:
Friday: Which day was most difficult and why Saturday: What workplace pattern became clearer
Based on those insights, identify one specific behavior you'll adjust this coming week. Not a general commitment to "do better" but a concrete change in how you'll handle a specific situation.
If your hardest day is difficult because of meeting density, adjust by:
Declining one recurring meeting that doesn't require your direct participation. Send regrets with an offer to review notes afterward.
Blocking 30 minutes before your first meeting to prepare rather than rushing from task to meeting without transition.
Suggesting one meeting move to a less dense day, framing it as improving your ability to contribute effectively.
If your hardest day is difficult because of deadline pressure, adjust by:
Moving your personal deadline one day earlier to avoid Friday stress.
Communicating Wednesday when Friday deliverables will be challenging rather than accepting every request optimistically.
Blocking Friday afternoon against new meeting requests to protect completion time.
If you noticed informal influence matters more than formal authority, adjust by:
Including influential people in discussions earlier, even when not required by formal process.
Asking for input from people whose opinions leadership values before finalizing proposals.
Sharing draft ideas with informal influencers to incorporate their feedback before formal presentation.
If you noticed certain decision paths move faster than others, adjust by:
Framing your next request using language that connects to fast-track priorities.
Routing proposals through decision paths you've observed work efficiently.
Timing requests to align with when leadership is most receptive to similar ideas.
If you noticed meeting dynamics favor specific communication styles, adjust by:
Presenting your next idea using the communication style that gets heard rather than your natural preference.
Sending pre-meeting context to people who process information better with advance notice.
Following up in writing after meetings when verbal discussion didn't gain traction.
If you noticed information flows through specific channels, adjust by:
Checking in with well-informed colleagues before making decisions based on incomplete information.
Maintaining regular contact with people who know what's happening before official announcements.
Sharing relevant information with colleagues who aren't in those channels to build reciprocal relationships.
The adjustment should be:
Specific: Not "communicate better" but "send meeting agendas 24 hours in advance"
Observable: You'll know whether you did it or not
Within your control: Doesn't require others to change their behavior first
Based on this week's insights: Directly addresses something you learned
Write down the specific adjustment you'll make:
"This week I will [specific behavior] because I learned that [pattern from this week]."
Example adjustments:
"This week I will decline the Thursday morning status meeting because I learned that Thursday is my hardest day due to meeting overload, and this meeting doesn't require my direct participation."
"This week I will send my Friday deliverable by Thursday afternoon because I learned that Friday deadline pressure makes that day my most difficult and moving deadlines earlier reduces stress."
"This week I will include Sarah in my project planning discussion before presenting to leadership because I learned that her informal influence means proposals she's seen in advance get better reception."
"This week I will frame my budget request using language about customer satisfaction because I learned that proposals connecting to customer impact move faster through approval processes."
After making the adjustment, note the result. Did it reduce difficulty on your hardest day? Did it improve how your idea was received? Did it give you information sooner?
Some adjustments work immediately. Others need refinement. The point is testing changes based on actual observation rather than continuing patterns that don't serve you.
Weekly observation and adjustment compounds over time. Each week you understand patterns more clearly and adapt your approach more effectively. Over months, these small adjustments add up to significantly better navigation of your workplace.
One behavior identified for adjustment. One specific change you'll test this week. One outcome you'll observe to see if the adjustment helped.
That's the cycle that turns awareness into improved effectiveness: observe, understand, adjust, evaluate.
