pics from holiday part 1

pics from holidays part 1

Learned Helplessness

If when you give feedback to those you lead you always provide solutions to their dilemmas, then all your staff will develop is learned helplessness - a loop of giving answers rather than encouraging the search for answers.

Give staff permission and the opportunity to explore the dilemma for themselves. Even if they make a few mistakes, they will have ownership of it rather then leaving it with you to sort out. 

It feels good sometimes to feel needed, but maybe the best/right thing is to enable people to the point that they don’t need you – at least for answers all the time. They will still need encouragement, support, training and direction.

Self-Leadership

Your external fruitfulness is directly linked to your internal reality.

I was at a conference a few years ago and heard a guy by the name of Bill Hybels talk about self-leadership. It was a great session – he was very transparent and authentic. He presented 8 questions that leaders should regularly ask themselves in the hope to bring some self-reflection and personal development. Although they are yes/no questions, I think each response should include asking “why?” it’s a no or yes and then what action can be taken. Here they are;  (evolved slightly)

1. IS MY PURPOSE SURE?

2. IS MY VISION CLEAR?

3. IS MY PASSION HOT?

4. IS MY CHARACTER CLEAN?

5. IS MY PRIDE SUBDUED?

6. ARE MY FEARS AT BAY?

7. ARE MY PSYCHOLOGICAL WOUNDS UNDERMINDING MY LEADERSHIP?

8. IS MY LEADERSHIP PACE MAINTAINABLE?

i'm in

diversity and decision making

"Plans fail for lack of council" - Ancient Proverb

How far should we take this whole idea of "celebrating diversity"? 

Its become relatively easy I believe for my generation to embrace diversity when it comes to gender, race, food and cultural backgrounds (Please don't take your mind back to Bondi beach a year or so ago) From what I can see of those around me directly, we have done a pretty good job at it. 

Of late though, I have been challenged to celebrate it in new ways including the diversity of personality types. Rather than writing off the Phlegs as being too laid back or the Choleric as being too domineering or the Sanguine as being too happy or the Melancholic as being too perfect, maybe we should endeavor to actually embrace the diversity of the way people think and operate in life. Each personality can bring something unique and fascinating and when you see a particular decision that needs to be made, or the world in general through another's eyes, it can often lead to the most refreshing and thought-provoking experience. Difference and even disagreement are not necessarily bad things.

Disagreement is not always disunity. 

In my opinion, holding the “It’s my way or the high-way” attitude is actually a sign of cowardly leadership, – more on that later

The best decisions made don't necessarily occur when everyone toes the party line, shouting and cheering the leader’s lead without question or deliberation. The best decision comes when a leader creates a welcoming, creative environment of dialogue regarding what the best decision is rather then merely demanding it. A space where, if required, people are free to disagree, to thrash out all the options and points of view, to figure out where an idea may fail. A place where an idea can be accused, defended and justified.

The main ingredient to make this effective though is a commitment to the best solution rather than a commitment to ego. When you can create that kind of environment, the best decision is usually generated. 

I have been asked on numerous occasions to go into organisations and facilitate this kind of decision making process where-by the leader is able to sit in the discussion without bias, considered equal and learns to listen (hopefully). This obviously requires a great level of trust by the leader toward the team as well as the ability to put aside personal insecurities that often drive a leader to retain the level of control they have... but more on that later. The most common outcome is a decision that is well thought through and has walked through the tunnel of skepticism and proved itself worthy of implementation. More importantly, the decision is owned by the team and that intrinsic alignment to the decision (ownership/buy-in/etc) will be the greatest force to its success. 

So next time you're in a meeting and have a fantastic idea, don't look to the like-minded or yes-men for approval, share it for all to comment on and welcome the laughing at,  the scoff, the tear to shreds, the disagreement, the pick at, the doubt, the roll of the eyes, or even the walk out the room. But maybe at the end of the process you will be left with a decision that stands with integrity and is owned and considered by all as the very best decision. 

perth beaches are brilliant

In an attempt to increase my health and fitness for 2008 I have been hitting Floreat beach most mornings with a friend to walk, jog, run, stagger, nearly pass-out and walk a little more. I probably see a maximum of 30 people. Imagine doing the same thing in China... see below

leave your feelings at the door

Not bad for nearly 15 years ago...

"For decades, managers and workers have been told to check their feelings at the door. And that's a big mistake. It's one thing to say that behavior is more accessible to managers than feelings are; its another thing altogether to say that feelings have no place at work.

Change is fundamentally about feelings; companies that want their workers to contribute with their heads and hearts have to accept that emotions are essential to the new management style. The old management style paradigm said that at work people are only permitted to feel emotions that are easily controllable, emotions that can be categorized as "positive". The new management paradigm says that managing people is managing feelings. The issue isn't whether or not people have "negative" emotions, it's how they deal with them. In fact, the most successful change programs reveal that large organizations connect with their people most directly through values - and that values, ultimately, are about beliefs and feelings."

Jeanie Daniel Duck on Managing Change, The Art of Balancing, Harvard Business Review (1993)

opportunity cost

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity"  Seneca

We are all faced with opportunities everyday - To act or react to the events that come our away. I often hear people speak about how they had an opportunity presented to them and they were unsure about whether or no to take it. 

Dilemma...

What if the opportunity passes? 

How do I know it is right for me? 

What should I do? 

I believe that there are four questions that we can ask ourselves that will help filter opportunities for us to seize or not to seize.

1. How will this opportunity reflect against my core business / values?

2. What will this opportunity potentially cost me?

3. Am I prepared to pay that cost?

4. How long am I prepared to pay the cost? 

I'm in Sydney at the moment visiting a friend who is quite sick. I took the opportunity to come because I love the person and cherish their friendship but the opportunity costs. I'm desperately missing my family. The boys have just started their first week back at school. I have had to reschedule work to make time to come over. Am I prepared to pay that cost? Yes, definitely - he is an incredible friend, but for how long can I stay? In this situation - four or five days. Any longer at the moment and I think it would begin to have a significant -ve impact on the other things that I consider important and love. 

Opportunities will present themselves everyday in the different facets of life. I guess the first and main thing is to know what your core business is, know what is of the upmost importance to you and then weigh the opportunities up against that.

health or growth

If you focus on the growth of an individual or organisation you may not get a healthy individual or organisation. But if you focus on health, you're more than likely to find growth.

Healthy things grow! 

think outside the box

You will never develop a creative culture within your organization if there is a box to keep thinking outside of that only allows you to leave on short trips, every now and then.

weekend away

So.... we just got back from speaking at the whitford youth leaders retreat over the australia day long weekend in club capricorn, yanchep (or as my son jackson calls "captain corn"). It was five years to the weekend that Allie and I made the move from a ministry position at whitties and to go back five years on was such an incredible privilege. A defining moment I would call it. Let me add that it wasn't just a move from a ministry position but a move from a spiritual home, a nest that had loved me, trained me and equipped me for life for 14 years. Some of my fondest memories come from that place and the past weekend brought them on like a flood.

Here I was, speaking to these beautiful young adults, some that were kids the last time I saw them, some had beards - it was freaking me out. We had a great time together and I can say that I think I left more blessed than anyone else. It was an honouring and humbling experience. I thought a lot about the power of relationship and the opportunity we all have to encourage each other in life.

To be told that you have left a great legacy, sounds nice and is honouring but it is also very humbling when you also remember your shortfalls and how you would have done certain things differently, given the chance. So it was also a time of grace.

I thought a lot about the next chapter, what does the future bring? What will I be looking back on in 20 years? can I say I gave it my all? can I say that I acted out of the conviction of my heart? or would I act more out of convenience?

I hope I chose conviction...