Pragmatism (prag'ma-tiz'im) is defined as a practical, matter-of-fact way of approaching or assessing situations or of solving problems. It is also one of the most difficult things to achieve when working to promote 'Best Practice' and emphasizing the need to do things the right way.

But a pragmatic disposition might be one of the most valuable traits you could exercise in promoting, executing or implementing a given ‘Best’ or ‘Good’ practice.

Many of us involved in 'Best Practice' initiatives suffer from the 'Curse of Knowledge'. That is, when we know something it becomes hard for us to imagine not knowing it. As a result we tend to minimize the effort it takes for others to understand the ideas, experiences and consequences of a particular initiative.

It is this particular curse that causes us to underestimate the effort required to communicate and implement a change, therefore lowering our ability to empathize with the recipients of that change.

Consequently any improvement or change we attempt whilst suffering this curse can go one of two ways; the path of the zealot or that of the Cowboy

The path of the zealot, is tread by true believers; evangelists or theorists. This approach most commonly manifests itself in the form of very complex and uncompromising ideas that lose sight of and fail to take into account the original organizational problem to be addressed.

One trap Zealots fall into is the tendency to often overlook the immediate maturity of the organization they are working to change, underestimating the effort and time required to achieve the change.

Conversely, the path of the Cowboy tends to take a myopic view of the problem, focusing on ‘Quick’ wins that are not necessarily sustainable in the long run. Those who take this path also have a tendency lose focus on the business problem at hand due to the conviction that doing what is right at any cost will cause others to realize the folly of their ways.

The Cowboy in pursuit of their own solution will often compromise the practices and behaviors that are considered so crucial to the solution or change to be implemented.

Each path has it’s challenges.

Those on the Zealots path will most probably struggle to get started due to the difficulty sponsors and potential adherents will have in understanding the what and why of a given ‘Good Practice’.

On the other hand, those who use the way of the ‘Cowboy’ will see their ideas succeed in the short term due to the energy, drive and delivery-focus of the lead, but the success and sustainability of such initiatives tend to fade when the ‘Cowboy’ moves on to the next problem.

How do you recognize a Zealot or a Cowboy? Do some individuals come to mind, or even better, how do you recognize it in yourself?

These are challenging questions.

Zealots I have encountered in the past have traditionally come from with the ranks of practitioners. Most probably having attended a foundations course and moved onto mastery of their given practice so they often see the methods, frameworks and techniques they have learnt as the solution to all business problems.

A derivative of this kind of Zealot is someone who has transcended industries, and has a strong practical experience of ‘best’ practice at work in their previous jobs. Because they’ve seen it work correctly elsewhere, they become evangelical about how things should be done, and become uncompromising in what their new organization should do.

The Cowboy is an entirely different beast to the Zealot.

Possibly a Line Manager or Project Manager with the job thrust upon them - or someone who sees the immediate application of the Best Practice as their next career achievement. In reality they may not even understand the true value proposition of what they are endeavoring to implement.

How do I know this you may ask? I have worn the robes of a zealot and the ten gallon hat of a cowboy over the last couple of years, and have generally found that using these approaches to embed change are fraught with danger, to both your career and personal wellbeing, without the benefit of really achieving the change you have in mind.

On the occasions I have worn the Cowboy hat, I have had a lot of fun. I definitely achieved the change locally, and it was even sustainable to a limited extent within the small group that was affected.

Unfortunately from an organizational perspective; it didn’t even get noticed.

When wearing the robes of a Zealot I’ve not really been the lead evangelist, but have had the benefit of observing others strive for sponsorship and success.

On all occasions I can vouch that this has been a resounding failure, with the organization unable to understand the vision of the Zealot and subsequently moving to remove the lead evangelist from the organization or simply getting frustrated with the low level of change actually implemented.

It is with these experiences in mind that I have become an advocate of the pragmatic approach.

That is, an approach guided by practical experience and observation rather than just theory.

You can in-fact view the pragmatist as someone who can effectively balance and utilize the skills of both the zealot and the cowboy.

What if any insights do you have on Zealots and Cowboy? We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

It is my intention in part two of this article to provide some insights on the ‘Pragmatic’ approach, and offer some tips on how to avoid dressing yourself in white robes or a ten gallon hat.