Why a Pro Troublemaker is the Best Person for Change

No one likes Negative Nelly. She’s an energy-suck in meetings, and her point of view isn’t cheering anybody on. But playing devil’s advocate doesn’t have to be a drag.

There’s a better role for sparking change in your organization. I call it the Pro Troublemaker. These people are mission-focused changemakers. And unlike the base-level “troublemakers,” the Pro Troublemakers are actually liked!

If you want to know the secret Pro Troublemaker sauce, this content is for you. In this 6-minute video, you’ll learn exactly what goes into a Pro Troublemaker, how they work, and why every team needs the energy they bring.

And after you check out this video, give me your feedback in the comments below. Your feedback can help someone else, so please share! Do you have a Pro Troublemaker on your team? (Or are you just stuck with the problematic troublemakers?) What are you doing to motivate your peeps?

Transcript:

– Hey there friend, it’s Stefanie Krievins, founder of the Pro Troublemaker Nation. Today, I’m here to invite you to become a Pro Troublemaker. And if you’re gonna join me, you gotta know what that is, so before we dig into being a Pro Troublemaker, that positive change agent that people actually want to work with in our organizations, I wanna share with you the complete opposite, the way that many of us, unfortunately, are currently showing up, so that you can name what’s not working and then I can tell you what would work even more effectively. So, the opposite of a Pro Troublemaker is a troublemaker, a devil’s advocate, Debbie Downer, a Negative Nancy, and my apologies to my Debbies and Nancys out there; the people who complain so much, they only list problems, they never list solutions. They create so many rules that no one can follow all of them, and they hinder your organization’s ability to be creative and innovative. Or, they break the rules because they just feel like it, so they hinder the team ’cause no one knows what they’re actually doing, they’re not following your processes. They complain, they alienate themselves, and frankly, they’re just straight up exhausting. They walk into that staff meeting and you’re like, “Oh, great, she’s here again to tell me “all the things I’m doing wrong.” No one wants to work with that person, and I think if we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve been the troublemaker at times because those were the tools in our toolbox. Friends, the reason I created Pro Troublemaker Nation is because I used the tools of the troublemaker and they didn’t work, and I had to find a more effective way to create change with my former employers when I had a boss, and with my current clients so that I could bring more positive change making to the world, so that businesses could make an even bigger impact, and nonprofits can make an even bigger impact in this world. And how we do that as individuals, how we create that positive change is being a Pro Troublemaker. This person is a professional at getting shit done. They’re positive, they’re goal-oriented, they’re mission-focused, they keep that big picture in mind, and they help us keep our eye on that prize. They’re strategic, they’re focused, they’re adaptable. They know that as a Pro Troublemaker, they don’t have to save the world, they don’t have to get it all done; they have to get the right things done. And we know as Pro Troublemakers that no plan ever goes according to plan, so we have to adapt along the way. We have to stay committed to our goals and adapt that plan so that we can still get there. You know, when it comes to the rules of an organization, we need those in order for a team to function together. We need processes so that our clients experience the brand of our company, not just whatever the employee wants that person to experience that day, those are important. A Pro Troublemaker knows that sometimes we gotta to bend the rules to do the right thing. Sometimes we’ve gotta ask for the rules to change, and that’s okay, because that’s how innovation happens. So friend, here’s the invitation today. Become a Pro Troublemaker. Be the type of change agent in your organization that people actually want to work with. You attract the possibilities, you attract other people to you because of your positive energy, because you see the possibilities, not just what’s not working. Print out that Pro Troublemaker manifesto, put it on your desk to remind yourself what does it take to be a Pro Troublemaker so that I can invite more people into the mission, more people into high expectations, so that we can solve even bigger problems in this world? All right my friend, let’s get off the internet, let’s be a Pro Troublemaker, let’s get that real work done, and I’ll see you next time.