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The best advice I’ve had, and the best advice I can give.

THE BEST ADVICE I’VE HAD, AND THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE.

A satirical look at the challenges of project and change management communications

Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement

When it comes to communications, meetings and documentation here is the advice I have been given….

*On emails…

Try not to use emails, instead post documents on Sharepoint, Teams or other platform so that everyone sees the same document and can pull information when they need it rather than have lots of emails pushed upon them. However, try to avoid people having to lookup or login to find information. People are too busy to do that, but one tool everyone uses is email or chat so that it the best way to engage people.

Try to avoid sending too many chat or email messages, perhaps a weekly update rather than lots of separate messages. However, try to keep each email short, perhaps one subject per email rather than dealing with too many things that might confuse. Better to have 3 short emails on different points than one long one, covering many issues.

Don’t send emails. Meet people. You’ll have far more success if you go and talk to someone. However people are busy and very often a problem can be fixed in a quick email rather than calling meeting. People are busy, don’t waste their time unnecessarily if an email will do.

Do not cc people on emails. If there is an action for them add them to the top-line recipients otherwise do not include them in the email. However when using email, be clear who is expected to act and what are they expected to do, and importantly make sure other relevant stakeholders are kept informed for the purposes of communication, coordination, collaboration and consensus. If a someone is being asked to do something that affects another stakeholder you really should alert that stakeholder, by copying them in on the information. 

*On documents…

Try to avoid bureaucracy, too much paperwork, documentation, agendas and minutes. People don’t have the time or interest to read them. Instead, have face to face conversations or meetings which are better for communication and engagement. But, make sure things are written down, have a structure to meeting and clarity on decisions and actions.

Avoid meeting minutes that are simply a transcription of what was said, but instead focus on the purpose, key points, decisions and actions. Be clear about the output and outcome of the meeting. However, stick only to what was actually said, don’t try to summarise, draw conclusions, include key facts or outline next steps but instead only what was actually said, everything else just confuses people.

Often documenting business requirements, specifications, design decisions actually takes more time than the product they describe or define. Try to avoid time wasted on such things but get on with the task. However it is critical to delivery of the right product at the right price to be clear on wants, needs, expectations, costs quality and success criteria which should be written down as a baseline against which to measure success or future change. Time spent on this is seldom wasted.  

*On meetings…

Book meetings in advance so people have a focus, target or milestones to be ready for that meeting. But try an avoid having meetings booked too far in advance, indeed often it is better to wait for something to be complete and ready and then call the meeting, so as to avoid wasting people’s time with pre-arrange meetings and milestones for which they are unprepared.

It is really important to have fixed, routine meetings for governance, to review plans, problems, progress and funding. However, it does not always make sense to have the meetings at a regular interval and it may be better to delay them until there is good news or a significant milestone to report.

Do not circulate documents before meetings or have long agendas, people don’t have the time to read them. Instead, set-up the meeting and discuss the issues in the meeting with everyone there. To make most effective use of people’s time and ensure they understand the issues, have had the chance to consult and are ready to make a decision make sure you have given them all the information that they need at least a couple of days in advance of the meeting.

If you want to engage people in critical decisions you must invite them to a meeting and given them an opportunity to express their views. The path to getting things done starts with discussion, definition, decision and documentation to delivery and done. However debate isn’t helpful and it is often better to present a recommendation and seek comment, perhaps via email, than use people’s time in a discussion which may provoke more questions than answers.

*On managing and monitoring…

If people are falling behind because they are busy or stressed, put more pressure on them to perform. They must be held accountable, they must deliver. Failure is not an option. Delay is not acceptable. However, try to understand that people are doing the best that they can and demanding more of them doesn’t help, indeed it damages the relationship which is counter-productive to getting things done. 

If acting as a project manager try to manage the process not the product. Leave the experts to develop the artefacts. The project manager role is to provide the resources, direction, support to get things done not to be the author or manufacturer of every item. However, it is important to be active and engaged with the problem, to own it and take responsibility for it, the content, quality, scope and delivery of it.

Keep your sponsors and stakeholders informed of plans, problems, progress and performance against agreed measures, like budget. Do not store-up issues and surprise them, but instead communicate succinctly and frequently. However, senior people are often very busy and telling them something is or may be late, expensive, or defective is simply negative and annoying. Instead own and manage the problem, be positive, and report at a future date. 

Do not micromanage partners, suppliers, vendors or third-parties with details of deliverables and dates. They know what they need to do, so simply leave them to get on with their task. They are, after all, the experts in their product or service and will know best how and when to deliver this. However, it is your responsibility to ensure everything is done on-time, on-budget, to-specification with low-risk and high-communication. You must ensure everyone understands, agrees and sticks to the plan and delivers accordingly. 

There is a lot of wisdom in this advice and if you follow it you will be well served.

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Reflections On Coaching Call – Start-Ups And First Clients 

REFLECTIONS ON COACHING CALL – START-UPS AND FIRST CLIENTS

As a coach, consultant and mentor there are some conversations that are worth reflecting upon and sharing, albeit anonymised for the person, business, product and circumstances. The aim is not prescriptive (this is what you should do) but instead descriptive (this is what we discussed). The purpose is to freely share some ideas that may be useful to others.

Beware, I will use many metaphors since I find that these can eb the key to unlocking an idea, but you can. Never be sure which one is the key for that particular problem.

I HAVE 1 MILLION IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES HOW SHALL I START?

Inevitably for many people starting a business or organisation they have passion and enthusiasm but sometimes a degree of frustration. It is like looking at a million stars and seeing each one, but no rocket ship to get there. Or a more down to earth analogy might be seeing all the branches of possibility and fruits of opportunity without yet having established a tree.

In one coaching conversation I shared the following …

WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER

If you were going on a fishing trip for salmon you’d take different bait and go to a different location than you would for mackerel or cod. So, despite an interest in fish, you need to be more specific about what you want, because that will help you focus on the right approach. 

The same is true of customers and clients. Think of 5 people you know who would benefit from your product or service

From person no1 – pick their first name
From person no2 – pick their surname name
From person no3 – pick their age
From person no4 – pick their background
From person no5 – pick their job
From person no6 – pick their circumstance 

You now know that person, your ‘ideal client’, they have a name, a job, interests and needs. From now onward write social media and develop products and services for that person: Sam Jones (40) looking to advance their career. This approach will give you focus on what you do and be special for them. 

WHAT IS YOUR STORY

I find that chatting endlessly can be interesting but sometimes vague and indecisive. However, if you write something down, and read it back, you can crystalise your thinking in words which you can then use as the building blocks for your story. This may take many attempts and it can be a real challenge to fine tune and make succinct but time spent on this can help you gain real clarity in thinking and speaking: What is it you want to say about you, your purpose, your product and the people you want to serve. 

WHAT IS THEIR STORY

As much as it is important to be clear about your message to the world, success is generally based what people (customers, colleagues, clients) say about you. I think it is really useful to ask “What would a good testimonial say”, this them really helps to focus on what the customer wants, needs, values and will say about you.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STORIES

If your story says you are fast, efficient and inexpensive and their story says that they value the time, careful consideration and quality then you have potential for being misaligned and perhaps need to think which of these stories needs to change for there to be congruence. If your story talking about what you sell matches exactly what they value, buy and recommend you are probably on the right path for a happy customer and lots of referrals.

YOU NEED A TREE BEFORE YOU CAN BRANCH OUT

It is great having a vision of products and services, but a start-up needs to begin with the basics. You can one day have an orchard with apples, oranges, lemons and limes, but perhaps let’s start with the first tree. So before you launch a book, blog, hotel chain and push all the social media channels what is the first seed we need to sow and grow? 

Understanding and growing your tree is important, how you choose to branch out or prune it can come later, but right now you’re not going to be making cider until you’ve done a lot of thinking, planning and doing.

You might think of your tree as your purpose, a solid foundation with roots. The branches are the processes and procedures that extend from the trunk and can provide foliage or fruit. How you managed your processes and procedures (strategy, culture, values, ethics) can be as important as your fruit (product, services, people) since one will give rise to the other. Don’t rush to harvest before you have done the prerequisites or you’ll be disappointed. 

We may seek 1 million clients, but that’s like putting a hook into the ocean and expecting to haul many fish. Perhaps we are better starting in a pond, with a known fish, some good bait and a strategy.  

GROWING A BUSINESS

Whilst it is good to think about the future (don’t plant a tall Redwood Sequoia in a plot that it too small for it to grow) it is also important to recognise that a small business needs to be nurtured very differently from a medium or large business. Whilst you may be looking at premises, accounting packages and global branding perhaps your seedling really just needs a little water, light and food. 

Unless you have deep pockets or a long runway (time) and plenty of fuel (cash) before take-off your business needs to make money soon. It may be small amounts, just enough to survive and grow. 

Rome was not built in a day, and marketing your product and monetising your process probably best starts with selling tents, sheds, garages and then houses before hotels and residential areas. Each costs progressively more, and yields more profit, but this incremental growth offers a good platform for progress or an opportunity to pause or pivot without having bet the farm on an idea for which you or your customer is not yet ready.

CREATING AWARENESS 

In a future article I will explore how to sell your products and services, starting first with engaging your customer, clients or colleagues. 

Step 1 – they must be aware of you, they must have heard of or seen you.
Step 2 – they must know you, enough to believe you are useful and relevant
Step 3 – they must like or even trust you, that you are credible
Step 4 – they may then be willing to buy from you (when the need arises)

This approach means taking the long-term view and building the relationship from knowing, to acquaintance, to friends and possibly partnership. Or indeed from buyer to customer to advocate and fan. 

ABOUT COACHING

Coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. Good coaches believe that the individual always has ideas and opportunities to resolve whatever is holding them back but understands that they may need help to define their goals, set their path, and achieve their success. Coaching is about listening, reflecting, asking questions and unlocking YOUR potential.

ABOUT MENTORING

Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.’ Mentoring is development driven, looking not just at the professional’s current job function but beyond, taking a more holistic approach to career development. Mentoring is non-evaluative, while coaching is based on measuring performance change. Due to the personal nature of mentoring, a mentor will more often than not draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story that taught them a valuable lesson, or a challenge they overcame in their career. 

Tim HJ Rogers
Ex-Athlete, now Change Practitioner, ICF Coach, IoD Mentor, Mediation Practitioner 
Helping people and organisations achieve their goals.

ICF Trained Coach IoD Business Mentor, Mediator, Management Consultant, Change Practitioner Mob 447797762051 Tim@ThinkingFeelingBeing.com Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We #facilitate and #support the #thinking, #feeling and #action needed to #resolve and move forward. #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring and #mediating to support people through #change #timhjrogers #coach #mentor #mediation #jersey 

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What makes a good ‘run-book’ for a successful technology go-live


Runbooks are a set of standardized written procedures for completing repetitive, predictable or critical tasks, usually relating to information technology processes.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT), or application testing, is the final stage of any software development before go-live. However between UAT and go-live there will be various tasks to do to ensure go-live goes smoothly. This is where a Runbook is critical.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

The list below is not exhaustive and every project will be different according to the nature of the project, circumstances and stakeholders.

1. Trainers and documentation is 100 percent ready, with ‘floor walking’ support to address issues quickly
2. All technical resources are on stand-by to address any issues quickly
3. The target system is 100 percent OK with necessary DR and BCP before we commit to it.
4. What is the last day of keying on the old source-system(s) and migration of data to new target-system(s)
5. How to handle any data changes between the migration (maybe Thursday) and go-live (maybe Tuesday)
6. How we reverse out if we incur issues that make it unwise to continue to new target-system(s)
7. Although we will have done full UAT, we still need to do a security, access, data & process check before use of new target-system(s)
8. Think about after go-live activities, including archive of data and removal of access to the old source-system(s)
9. Plan all the communication and coordination for all of this, which may include weekend working for participants.

FORMAT AND CONTENT

Often a Runbooks can be a simple spreadsheet of tasks, owners, schedule so the right things are being done in the right order by the right people. For example do back-ups before any critical changes. If you are working on-line there are many project tools like Monday.com, Trello, SmartSheet that can be used to agree tasks and monitor progress as you move from one step to the next.

For example don’t have all your users trying to test the new target-system(s) before the data-migration is complete and security & access is ready for users to login. Simple precautions like this avoid error, omission and confusion and avoid a loss of goodwill if people are weekend working on over-time, simply waiting unnecessarily because the system won’t be ready for them for another 8 hours!

DRESS REHEARSAL

This is like conducting an orchestra and some practice will be needed! If listening to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture you want the cannons to go off at the correct time! I always recommended a full ‘dress rehearsal’ of all the steps at 1 or 2 week before as a learning opportunity.

Tim Rogers
Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051
We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations.
#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes


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What makes a good User Acceptance Test, for a successful go-live?

User Acceptance Testing (UAT), or application testing, is the final stage of any software development or change request lifecycle before go-live. The list below is not exhaustive, and every project will be different according to the nature of the project, circumstances and stakeholders.

FACTORS FOR SUCCESS

Have a clear testing programme. Random testing gives random results and sampling may be good in the early stages of development but you really need complete, comprehensive and detailed testing if you are relying upon a system for your business.

Having well documented tests and processes allows for repetition, for example when redoing test or after an upgrade where you want to be clear what worked OK in the past still works OK.

Be very clear what is a minor fail (cosmetic issues), a significant fail (must be fixed within a few weeks after go-live) and what is a major fail (meaning you cannot proceed). 

Ranking tests, results and what is acceptable or not up-front avoids contract or commercial disputes of scope, quality and function, and what constitutes success. And in some cases, payment or withholding payment.

Make sure your have a Test Manager / Leader to organise the testing and manage the feedback. This is important so that if 50 people have the same problem you only report one issue and don’t confused issues with duplication, error or omission.

Make sure your Test Manager / Leader has a deep and wide knowledge of systems and processes so that they understand where in issue is with the person, product, process, or procedures. This means being able to work with a whole range of people and not wasting time alerting the software supplier for something that may be a training issue or vice-versa.

Make sure your testing team has sufficient knowledge of systems and processes, and the time and capacity to do the job well, which includes accurate reporting of issues. Moreover, the testing team need to represent all aspects of the product and all areas of the business. What may be OK for Sales may not be acceptable for Compliance and what suits one jurisdiction or office may not be adequate for the other. 

Have at least 2 ideally 3 or possibly 4 test-cycles of test, report, fix, retest. Nothing is perfect first time and not allowing sufficient time to learn, improve, correct and retest may mean that you simply don’t have time enough to address defects.

THINGS TO AVOID

Avoid testing before the systems are ready for testing! Do not proceed with UAT Testing (of functionality, config, design, operation) until you have approved the config / design and the data is 100% correct  (where data-migration from old to new systems is a key element). To test a product that has config or data errors before you start is not productive and creates a bad experience for users which may impact on their engagement and adoption, as well as their ability to later train the end-uses.

Avoid doing testing when key stakeholders are absent, for example technical people to fix issues or senior people to offer guidance. You really want all the stakeholders and experts available so as to be able to address issues quickly and successfully.

Avoid using novice or part-time testers or those with significant business-as-usual opportunities which mean they cannot fully do the testing, understand the results and support the diagnostics and remedy. 

Do not allow random testing at odd hours which undermines communication and coordination. Aim to have an organised plan for each day and an agreed time to review and feedback so that results can be understood as a whole and actions coordinated. A 20min stand-up meeting at the beginning and end of the day is a great way to set the agenda and review the progress.

Tim Rogers

Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051 

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations. 

#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

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Things to think about at project close or hand-over

Every project is different according to the nature of the project (technology, premises, culture, processes or M&A) or circumstances (scale, timing, funding, sector).

Here are some things to think about at project close or hand-over

  • Support Arrangements
  • Roles to be Transferred
  • Key points for the Support Team(s)/ Knowledge Transfer
  • Customer Expectation Management/ Communication
  • Business Continuity/ Disaster Recovery
  • Training Requirements
  • Product List (including SLAs)
  • Supporting documentation
  • Security Aspects
  • Security Officer Sign Off 
  • Acceptance from Support Team

Generally the key steps might be

*Project close or hand-over tasks

  • User documentation
  • Admin documentation
  • System documentation
  • Hand-over roles & responsibilities

*Stakeholders / Functions

  • Confirm what is done and what is outstanding
  • Confirm Business Continuity and/or Disaster Recovery
  • Confirm support arrangements
  • Sign Off / Acceptance  where relevant (e.g. Compliance or Security)
  • Remove access (where appropriate )
  • Archive data (where appropriate )

*Project Board / Governance

  • Project Update / Review
  • Benefits Review
  • Budget Review
  • Lessons Learned
  • Next steps

As a PRINCE2, Scrum and Agile Coach I can offer tools, tips and templates to support your project or act as Project or Quality Assurance to review and report.

Tim Rogers

Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051 

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations.  #jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

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When stakeholders don’t do detail

Anyone with passing knowledge of DISC, MBTI or any other personality profile will note some people like decisions, others debate, and yet others details.

  • Dominance–Person places emphasis on accomplishing results, the bottom line, confidence
  • Influence–Person places emphasis on influencing or persuading others, openness, relationships
  • Steadiness–Person places emphasis on cooperation, sincerity, dependability
  • Conscientiousness–Person places emphasis on quality and accuracy, expertise, competency

COMMUNICATING ISSUES OF PEOPLE, PLANNING, PACE OR PROGRESS

Because of the above it can be hard to communicate in the right format and style for each audience.

For example it can be difficult to engage if the decisive senior executive approach is to simply ignore the issues and say “..just make it so..” (as if their command is enough to resolve or remove the problems). This is made worse if anything other than acceptance or agreement is likely to damage the relationship and so further undermine communication and trust. The mantra  “only good news” (the sign in Sheryl Sandberg’s former Facebook office) may superficially give the impression everything is OK, but is the type of Wilful Blindness that leads to an inevitable (but in retrospect avoidable) problems later.

Similarly the stakeholder who doesn’t engage, avoids meetings and emails but remains confident in on-going, work-in-progress can be a problem. If tasks are always ‘nearly done’ but never complete then they see themselves as busy and achieving, but the reality is nothing is done / complete and your project, process ror product is simply not ready or going to fail.

Typically in most projects the key issue is the late realisation of the volume of work, the busyness of the people and the lack of resources (competence, capability, drive and desire). To avoid conflict the problem is ignored, but this just makes things worse.

Imagine you expected to run 26 miles in 4 hours and after 3 hours you’ve only run 13 miles. It seems unlikely you’d do the next 13 miles in 1 hour (and still achieve the goal of 4 hours). Let’s be honest if it takes 3 hours to do 13 miles, it is going to take longer than 6 to cover 26 miles. This seems obvious, and yet the assumption in projects is frequently that the failures of the past (people, planning, pace or progress) can all be remedied without address of the fundamental problem, too much to do and an unrealistic goal.

It is time for a difficult conversation…

HOW TO ENABLE HAVING CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT

  • The Leader has to acknowledge and confirm that he/she loves to see constructive conflict to become better and have better decisions.
  • Virtual conflict is obviously more difficult. People experience virtual meetings more as presentations (one way conversations) and next to that you barely see body language. The least you can do is to ensure everyone turns their camera on.
  • If your meeting is boring, it is lacking conflict. So do some checks now and then how the others experience the meeting. Boring? That should be a heads up!
  • In case there was conflict: praise it. It has brought you further.

Taken from the book ‘The five dysfunctions of a Team’

  • Absence of trust. Team members don’t dare to show vulnerability within the group
  • Fear of conflict. The team prefers artificial harmony over constructive passionate debate, while the latter is required to create trust and openess
  • Lack of commitment. Decisions are made, but sincere buy-in for group decisions is missing. This results in ambiguity throughout the organization
  • Avoidance of accountability. Ducking the responsibility to hold each other accountable on agreed behavior. This behavior sets low standards
  • Inattention to results. Team members focus more on personal success, status and ego before team success

See more

https://tomorrowsleadership.nl/how-to-overcome-the-5-dysfunctions-of-virtual-teams/

Tim Rogers

Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051 

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations. 

#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

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7 Ways to influence (and resist)

7 WAYS TO INFLUENCE

Do it…

1.    Because you like me, and you’re like me

2.    Do it to reciprocate, repay past or future debt or promise

3.    Do it because everyone else is doing it

4.    This offer is good for a limited time only

5.    Do it to be consistent, with past, with values, with type

6.    You can believe me, I’m an authority

7.    Do it or else

7 WAYS TO AVOID INFLUENCE

No, because…

1.    I like you, but I don’t like this proposal

2.    Is this a favour? Are you looking for something in return?

3.    Just because everyone else is doesn’t mean..

4.    If I don’t have time to think, I don’t have time to buy

5.    I need to think about what I want, and be consistent with that

6.    If I were you I might, but I’m not you

7.    Please explain the “or else” slowly so I fully understand

How to react to negative feedback (possibly bullying)

1.    Ask for time to think – it should force a pause or moment of silence.

2.    Think about what you want to happen – don’t fight back, think forward.

3.    Get the bully to stop yelling – “Please speak more slowly, I’d like to understand” or (if on the phone) say nothing until they ask “Are you still there?”

4.    What ever you do don’t explain – think forward, don’t justify, recriminate, excuse or offer explanation. They’re looking to exploit weaknesses (-) not strength (+)

5.    Ask “what would you like me to do?”. If so challenged they will ask you for something more acceptable than what they want. This is your exit opportunity.

6.    Don’t take criticism personally – attacks on your team, your work, your values, etc are not attacks on you. Although it is hard to resist “fight or flight”

7.    Learn from criticism – if you wait 24 hrs before answering criticism it will demonstrate maturity, reasonableness and you may learn something!

As a ICF Coach, Mediation Practitioner and APMG Change Practitioner,  I can offer tools, tips and templates as well as facilitation and mediation to support communications and change.

Tim Rogers

Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051 

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations.  #jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

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Are you de-scoping to achieve delivery?

One of the biggest problems with projects is scope-creep: Adding additional features or functions of a new product, requirements, or work that is not authorized (i.e., beyond the agreed-upon scope). The result is extra time, effort, complexity and cost. So this should be avoided.

However at the opposite extreme, it is very often the case that people de-scope items in an effort to avoid extra time, effort, complexity and cost. The “What can we do without?” approach has its merits. It is taking an MVP approach. A minimum viable product, or MVP, is a product with enough features to attract early-adopter customers and validate a product idea early in the product development cycle. The aim being get the basics done and build on this baseline.

The problem with he “What can we do without?” approach may be achieving consensus over what is suitable, feasible and acceptable. 

Scenario 1

Supposing you are looking to fly to Edinburgh, but the pilot lands at Prestwick and says, I got you as close as I can wit the constraints (of time, money, resource). You’ll have to walk from here. The distance between Glasgow Prestwick Airport Station and Edinburgh is 63 miles. The road distance is 75.2 miles. Is this suitable, feasible and acceptable?

Scenario 2

Supposing you are expecting to have a car delivered. It may be suitable, feasible and acceptable that the roof rack, tow-bar and floor mats are delivered later. But what about seats, air-conditioning, or radio? I’m sure we’d draw the line at engine and wheels. 

If you are de-scoping to achieve delivery you’ll need stakeholder engagement and their participation and endorsement if you want the result to be accepted as “more to follow”, than a disappointment and failure and a high degree of cynicism over the next phase what was promised and not delivered in the first. 

In a lot of respects this is more about communication and stakeholder management than the late delivery of artifacts. It may demand mediation and negotiation to build the trust which is necessary over the bridging period between what has been delivered and what was promised. This is especially the case if the temporary short-fall means extra work from some people, or greater risk, or opportunity cost. 

Goodwill is like money and the bank. You can be granted an overdraft to remedy a short-term problem, but you will be expected to keep your promises to make-good, and be judged by your ability to do so.

As a ICF Coach, Mediation Practitioner and APMG Change Practitioner, I can offer tools, tips and templates as well as facilitation and mediation to support communications and change.

Tim Rogers

Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051 

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations. 

#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

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Coaching the person rather than the problem

  Solution
Focused

 

At
the earliest stages of coach training, candidates are taught the GROW model as
part of a solution focused approach to coaching. This has many merits and is
perhaps a great place to start.

 

Examples
of Solution Focussed models


GROW = Goal, Reality, Options, Will

PEEP
= Preferred outcome, Exceptions (when is this not a problem), Existing
resources, Progress so far
MAPS = Multiple options, Asking how (action) not why (philosophical), Problems
into possibilities, SMART steps
SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound
PDCA = Plan, Do, Check, Act
DMAIC = Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control

However,
it is also where too many finishes, perhaps satisfied with questions like “How
do I get more Friends on Facebook” these coaches may satisfy their clients’ query
but they fail their growth if they don’t explore Why?

 

Cognitive
Exploration

 

To
understand why may require some cognitive exploration of thinking, feeling,
being and examination of assumptions, patterns, perceptions, and preferences
informed by experience, education and culture.

 

Examples
of Cognitive Exploration models

 

SPACE
= Social, Physical/Psychological, Actions, Cognition, Emotion
CLARITY = Context, Life Event, Actions, Reactions, Images and Identify,
Thoughts, Your future choice
ABCDEF = Activity (event), Belief, Consequence, Dispute (change belief),
Effective new response, Future focus

 

Psychodynamic
Elements

 

Often
to understand the present and the trajectory to the future it is useful to understand
the psychodynamic elements: Our stories of home, growing-up, relationships and
work help us understand what has shaped us into who we are, and key memories,
thoughts, feelings, and aspirations help understand the emotions, thoughts and
actions that drive us.

 

I
often encourage clients to use stories, metaphors and analogy to explore the labyrinth
of thinking, feeling and being in a psychologically safe way that allows for “what
if” speculation and exploration without undermining them in the here and now.

 

Person
Centred Approach

 

The
person centred approach puts the client in charge and the coach listens with
empathy and understanding. Occasionally they may seek clarification but the
focus is on active listening rather than asking and never telling. The client
decides the discussion and the direction. This may at times appear like counselling
rather than coaching.

 

However
it seems to me that although the cognitive exploration or psychodynamic  approaches might appear more interventionist
(with the coach partnering the exploration rather than following the clients’ stream
of conscious) they are still person centred because the approach is not ‘solve
the problem’ but instead more focussed on helping the client know and understand
themselves better, and grow as a result aided by awareness and choice.

 

Coaching
and Leadership

 

I
think there is a strong link between coaching and leadership. Partly because
coaching is often used by people to become better ‘Business’ Leaders, but also
because coaching helps people become better leaders of their own lives and
circumstance.

 

I
was therefore interested in a LinkedIn posting by Brian Cunningham, CEO &
Leadership Author  on the developmental progression of leadership takes us through all
10-Levels of leadership service, including…

L1 – Authoritarian Leadership… through Command &
Control
L2 – Evidence-Based Leadership… through Persuasion
L3 – Coaching Leadership… through Guidance
L4 – Transformational Leadership… through Connection
L5 – Servant Leadership… through Clarity of Vision
L6 – Transcendental Leadership… through Direct Insight
L7 – Mystic Leadership… through Direct Experience
L8 – Awakened Leadership… through Awakening other
Leaders
L9 – Integrated Leadership… through Deep Presence and
Acceptance
L10 – Unified Leadership… through the experience of
our Oneness with All.

 

It
seems to me that we can see at Level 1 a rather mechanical approach, a bit like
the GROW model, which is akin to a solution focused but command and control
approach. Whereas Level 8 upwards appear better aligned to Awareness and Emotional
Intelligence that may be fostered through  Cognitive Exploration or the Psychodynamic

 

I
am reminded of the book Executive Coaching: Systems-Psychodynamic Perspective by
Halina
Brunning which suggests that  in coaching it is important to
understand the Person, Role and System

 

 

You should
consider;

The clients
personality;

The clients
life story;

The clients
skills, competencies, abilities and talents;

Their
aspirations, progression and future aim;

Their
workplace and environment in which they perform;

Their
current organisational role.

 

 

In
many circumstances business can be like a dysfunctional family and the workplace
becomes a place where people act out their dramas (roles, beliefs, ambitions).
In these circumstances we need to move beyond solving problems to helping
people.

 

Coaching
and Culture

 

No
behaviour happens in a vacuum, it is always in the context of culture (real or perceived)
and since leadership (and perceptions) exists within a culture then it becomes
necessary to examine this.  It could be
argued that leadership creates or sets culture, and there are lots of ‘how to’
books that suggest that this is an achievable aim. However it could also be
said that culture selects leaders, either through a democratic process,
survival of the fittest or circumstantial necessity.

 

There
may be some ‘chicken and egg’ debate about Leadership and Culture, but we
readily acknowledge the concept of cultural fit and a sense of belonging, which
seem to have their roots in nature, nurture and attachment theory albeit
subsequently modified by education and experience.

 

So
coaching has to be able to take account of this, for which my go-to resource
has been Spiral Dynamics with its hierarchy which also seems to start from the  solution focused but command and control
approach (to survival) through to what Brian Cunningham
calls Unified Leadership

 

1.     SurvivalSense
— Instinctive

2.     KinSpirits —
Clannish

3.     PowerGods —
Egocentric

4.     TruthForce —
Purposeful

5.     StriveDrive —
Strategic

6.     HumanBond —
Relativistic

7.     FlexFlow —
Systemic

8.     GlobalView —
Holistic

9.     GlobalView_
Altruistic

Of
course there shouldn’t be a surprise here because all the different models have
the same denominator: people.

 

From
Structure to Process Third Generation Coaching

 

My
recent reading of Dr Darren Stevens suggests to me that the first
and second Generation of Coaching was structurally on fixing problems (problem
people, problem products, and problem procedures) by using some of the
formulaic models above.

 

Third
Generation Coaching appears to be more about process, how we think rather than
what we think, how we behave rather than what we do. It might be simplistically
be phrased as ‘it aint what you do but the way that you do it”  or compared to the saying “give a man a fish
and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”

 

The
essence is the development of the person rather than the resolution of the
problem.

 

About
the Author

 

Tim
Rogers is a consultant, coach, IoD mentor and mediator. His public sector work
included project manager for the incorporation of the Post Office and Ports of
Jersey, and project director for the Health and Social Services Governance
Review. He now focusses on coaching people and teams delivering change.


 

Contact

 

If
you are interested in coaching, mentoring or mediation get in touch

Self-help
resources here ThinkingFeelingBeing.com/clientresources/

 

Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

Tim@ThinkingFeelingBeing.com

ICF
Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator

 

#consulting,
#coaching, #mentoring and #mediating to support people through #change

 

References

 

Different
Approaches To Coaching

https://www.adaptconsultingcompany.com/coachingtoolkit/Adapt008%20Coaching%20&%20Consulting%20Approaches.html

 

10-Levels of leadership

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brian-cunningham-7478651b_aq-awarenessquotient-leadership-activity-6839979683631779840-kj8_

 

Useful
Reference to Dr Darren Stevens
https://cognilibro.co.uk/research.html

 

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Categories
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WHAT IS LEADERSHIP – CHARACTER, CONTEXT, CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMPETENCE

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP – CHARACTER, CONTEXT, CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMPETENCE

CONTEXT

An
MBA student was asked to list two strengths and a weakness in their
leadership. As I thought about this question and the possible answers I
realised that the question was flawed. Indeed I feel it indicates a
complete misunderstanding of leadership and in this article I will try
and explain why.

LEADERSHIP

*I am not a fan of leadership which is often ego-driven, celebrity, wealth accumulation

I
have always been curious about those who pursue leadership. I have a
sense that many who pursue leadership (especially politics) are exactly
the people who should not. The ‘look at me’ and ‘win at any cost’ types
who will change the principles, values and rhetoric to suit the Board or
the Electorate. I am reminded of Groucho Marx Quote … I refuse to
join any club that would have me as a member.

So in this
context writing about the value of leadership and leadership traits may
be mor challenging, but hopefully more insightful coming from a
different perspective.

*Peer groups and families, management and coaching

I
am not anti-leadership, but I see it in very different terms from the
mainstream 1950s to 2010 view. I think post globalisation, Brexit,
covid, climate change and a whole host of other social-political changes
a different view is emerging.

You mother, father, friends and
family may not be wealthy or eilte. You probably don’t address them as
Sir and Ma’m and yet these are your formative leaders. People may look
to the person on the podium, or the statute on the column, but real
change and influence comes from close ties and peer groups. The leaders
of your life are probably the 5 people that you have spent most time
with rather than the chance meeting with Prime Ministers Tony Blair or
David Cameron.

I think teachers and coaches have an important
role. This is the type of leadership that creates the right environment,
nurtures thinking, encourages challenge. This ‘Servant Leadership’ has
been often under-rated, but the fact that it now has a name and
definition suggests that it is on the rise.

You’re not the
average of the FIVE people you surround with. It’s way bigger than that.
You’re the average of all the people who surround you. So take a look
around and make sure you’re in the right surroundings.

Servant
leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the goal of the leader is
to serve. … Servant leadership inverts the norm, which puts the
customer service associates as a main priority. Instead of the people
working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people.

It
is not new. Serve to Lead is the official text studied by all Officer
Cadets at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. References, quotations,
advice on Morale, Leadership, Discipline, the British Soldier, Man
Management, Duty and Service, and Courage.

Sandhurst maintains a
tradition of leadership , which is ambiguously summed up by the
academies motto: Serve to Lead, one of which has survived through time
and change because of the basic principle that an officer is a leader.

I highly recommend the book Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling Paperback by Edgar H. Schein

I
also recommend reading about Mission Command which is more about
Outcome than Oratory. Mission-type tactics, is a form of military
tactics where the emphasis is on the outcome of a mission rather than
the specific means of achieving it. US Colonel Sean Parkes suggests
Mission command is the empowerment of leaders and followers to execute
intent-based planning and is underpinned by trust, disciplined
initiative and risk management. … Notably, a true mission command
climate generates a high-performance climate.

I am reminded of
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins’ Eve-of-Battle Speech: ‘We go to
liberate, not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We
are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be
flown in that ancient land is their own. … Iraq is steeped in history.

WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD LEADERSHIP

Ohh
there are so many: 1. Integrity; 2. Innovative; 3. Honesty; 4. Active
Listening; 5. Self-Confidence; 6. Visionary; 7. Strong Communicator; 8.
Delegation; 9. Decision-making Skill; 10. Problem-Solving Skills; 11.
Fair Attitude; 12. Inquisitiveness; 13. Self-motivated; 14. Humility;
15. Care for Others; 16. Self-Discipline; 17. Emotional Intelligence;
18. Passion; 19. Resilience; 20. Accountability; 21. Supportive; 22.
Tech-savvy; 23. Empathy; 24. Learning Agility; 25. Empowerment;

I
can add little value in this area, social media, books and search
engines are bursting with lists and advice. I have read possibly
hundreds of books on philosophy, history, change, technology and
leadership with all sorts of ideas, icons and instruction.

If
you are planning to start a small library on this topic this is a good
book to have in your collection Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade
Secrets of Leadership Book by Eve Poole

However the sales
people for MBAs, Executive Leadership Programmes may sell you a
sanitised version of leadership with simple guides and checklists but it
it not all like William Shakespeare’s Henry V: Once more unto the
breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English
dead […] Follow your spirit, and upon this charge. Cry ‘God for Harry,
England, and Saint George!’ (spoken by King Henry)

THEORY DOES NOT MATCH REALITY

*Steve Jobs and Donald Trump, Henry Ford – deeply flawed characters that inspire

So
the theory is leadership is good, and leaders are good guys? Maybe not.
Maybe leadership is getting things done, but they may not be great
people to work for. To ensure no one could recreate the Taj Mahal’s
beauty, Shah Jahan supposedly severed the hands and gouged the eyes of
the artisans and craftsmen. Steve Jobs could use his reality distortion
field (ways of thinking and talking) to appropriate others’ ideas as
his own, sometimes proposing an idea back to its originator, only a week
after dismissing it. At one time 50% of America believe Donald Trump is
their preferred leader, despite being an alleged liar, racist,
misogynist etc. Henry Ford may have automated car production (and
people) – “You don’t think of Hitler having a portrait of Henry Ford on
his office wall in Munich.” (Miriam Kleinman, a researcher with the
Washington law firm of Cohen, Millstein and Hausfeld) He is the only
American whom Adolf Hitler compliments by name in Mein Kampf.

So
when my MBA student friend writes about two strengths and a weakness in
their leadership, would the above characters be role models for the
former or the latter.

*Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos – technology and technocrats leaders

There
is no doubt that these are amongst the cleverest people alive. They
have used their genius and vision to make vast wealth and applied some
of that wealth to projects which may or many not benefit mankind
depending on your perspective.

As of 2018, Bill and Melinda
Gates had donated around $36 billion to the foundation.The primary
stated goals of the foundation are to enhance healthcare and reduce
extreme poverty across the world, and to expand educational
opportunities and access to information technology in the U.S. Key.
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have ostensibly replaced the US and USSR in the
space-race, but is this self indulgent big boys toys, or something
critical to the advancement of humanity?

In this context
Leadership appears to be how you accumulate and use your wealth. There
is perhaps some over-lap with the previous grouping but I suspect the
power of technology (to persuade, market, sell, influence) is going to
be an increasing feature of leadership, a fact not lost on Dominic
Cummings, Brittany Kaiser or Cambridge Analytica.

Are these the
new leaders, those that have mastered technology and data to sell or
manipulate? When my MBA student friend writes about two strengths and a
weakness in their leadership, should Dominic Cummings, Brittany Kaiser
or Jeff Basos be top of their list?

*Margaret Thatcher – ideological characters that don’t listen

I
am not an historian, but I have noted that the British seem to swig the
pendulum between strong authoritative leaders and more conciliatory
types who are often a compromise candidate after a period of turmoil.
John Major followed Margaret Thatcher, Gordon Brown followed Toney
Blair and the ‘weak’ Theresa May was followed by the ‘charismatic’ Boris
Johnson. I will explore contingent and contextual leadership further
below.

Was Margaret Thatcher a great leader? I think so, but I
know plenty who would disagree and have good evidence to support their
view. However there are plenty of occasions when people have sought,
supported, elected and followed the strong willed or indeed outright
tyrants.

Thatcher’s confidence in her ideals was
characteristic of her prime ministerial tenure, and it caused her to run
a government based on conviction politics – in other words, driven
primarily on her own values. However, some political commentators have
argued that this approach is eventually what led to her
downfall.Following a slew of economic problems and unpopular policies,
including the infamous Poll Tax, Thatcher decided to resign after it
became obvious that she had lost the support of her Cabinet and closest
colleagues.

Is conviction politics leadship, or myopic? A trait for the strengths-column or the weakness-column.

*Ghandi and Mandela – philosophical characters that challenge thinking

I
am cautious here, because I do not know either sufficiently well to be
authoritative, but at the same time it would be a terrible omission not
to include them in an essay or article about leadership.

Gandhi’s
leadership role was extremely complex. Knowing that violence only
begets violence, he began practicing passive resistance, Satyagraha.
Mahatma Gandhi was a leader that brought one of the world’s most
powerful nations to its knees… by using peace, love and integrity as
his method for change.

In 1943, Mandela met Anton Lembede, an
ANC member affiliated with the “Africanist” branch of African
nationalism, which was virulently opposed to a racially united front
against colonialism and imperialism or to an alliance with the
communists. Despite his friendships with white people, people of colour,
and communists, Mandela believed that Black Africans should be entirely
independent in their struggle for political self-determination. After
taking part in the unsuccessful protest to prevent the forced relocation
of all Black people from the Sophiatown suburb of Johannesburg in
February 1955, Mandela concluded that violent action would prove
necessary to end apartheid and white minority rule. US President Ronald
Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; both considered
Mandela’s ANC a terrorist organisation sympathetic to communism, and
supported its suppression. Mandela served 27 years in prison, split
between Robben Island, Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. Amid
growing domestic and international pressure and fears of racial civil
war, President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990. Mandela and de Klerk
led efforts to negotiate an end to apartheid, which resulted in the
1994 multiracial general election in which Mandela led the ANC to
victory and became president.

It is a cliché to say One Man’s
Terrorist another Man’s Freedom Fighter? The guerrilla fighter’s
targets are military ones, while the terrorist deliberately targets
civilians. By this definition, a terrorist organization can no longer
claim to be ‘freedom fighters’ because they are fighting for national
liberation or some other worthy goal.

History is an interesting
judge of character (and leadership) and despite protestations to the
contrary we are always re-wring history by the way we edit books, tear
down statues and reinterpret events or reconcile old enemies.

I
would be on the wrong side of history to suggest that these men were
not great leaders but ostensibly they were opposites for the same ends.
This furthering my view that leadership is not one thing (practicing
passive resistance) or another (freedom fighter) but like water always
changing in form (ice, sea, stream, clouds, rain). It is therefore to
nebulous for us to asset that one approach is leadership and other other
is not.

*Gareth Southgate – leaders of team behaviour and philosophy

And
so to the latest icon of leadership: Gareth Southgate. I like him, but
ironically because he is less like a leader and more like an elder. I
like him because appears to me to be managing and supporting his team
with a focus on them rather then himself. I have often suggested
leadership is over-hyped and management or coaching (helping people
complete tasks and achieve their goals) is a humbler but more noble
pursuit.

CONTEXT

*Contextual Leadership: Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler

I
met an HR Leadership Trainer who told me that “Leaders are born, not
made” which I found ironic since their professional as a trainer was
about helping, supporting guiding people to become leaders. If they are
really born with innate talent why bother with education or experience?

Let’s imagine: It’s time to elect a world leader, and your vote counts. Which would you choose:

Candidate
A: Associates with ward healers and consults with astrologists; has had
two mistresses; chain-smokes and drinks eight to ten martinis a day.
Candidate B: Was kicked out of office twice; sleeps until noon; used opium in college; drinks a quart of brandy every evening.
Candidate
C: Is a decorated war hero, a vegetarian, doesn’t smoke, drinks an
occasional beer, and has had no illicit love affairs.

Which of
these candidates is your choice? You don’t really need any more
information, do you? ; Candidate A is Franklin Roosevelt. Candidate B is
Winston Churchill. Candidate C is Adolf Hitler.

I do believe
leadership is contextual, nature, nurture, education and experience are
key factors is is history and opportunity. Winston Churchill and Adolf
Hitler would be my examples.

I aim to read Hitler and Churchill. Secrets of Leadership by Andrew Roberts

*Goleman’s leadership styles and Belbin Team Types

According
to Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee, there are six
emotional leadership styles – Authoritative, Coaching, Affiliative,
Democratic, Pacesetting, and Coercive. Each style has a different effect
on the emotions of the people that you’re leading.

Pacesetting – “Do it my way”
Commanding – “Do it because I say so”
Visionary – “Let’s remind ourselves of the larger purpose”
Affiliative -“People first, task second”
Democratic – “Let’s work it out together”
Coaching – “Let me help you develop”

The nine Belbin team roles

The Monitor Evaluator (thought-oriented)
The Specialist (thought-oriented)
The Plant (thought-oriented)
The Shaper (action-oriented)
The Implementer (action-oriented)
The Completer/Finisher (action-oriented)
The Coordinator (people-oriented)
The Team Worker (people-oriented)
The Resource Investigator (people-oriented)

For
me these are critically important to context, because the right
combination or leadership style, role and context is rather like a
chemical reaction. Perhaps nothing will happen, or something completely
transformative will happen.

*Personality Types – MBTI, DISC and Ocean-Big5

I
think it is important here to consider personality type, when thinking
about leadership style. This may be interesting because there are many
self assessment personality type quizzed on-line which may be
interesting to the reader.

The best know is Myers Brigges MBTI

The
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator is an introspective self-report
questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how
people perceive the world and make decisions. The test attempts to
assign four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or
intuition, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving.

The MBTI instrument has four sets of letters:

E
and I stand for Extraversion and Introversion—indicating whether you
get energy from being around people or from time spent alone.

S
and N stand for Sensing and Intuition—indicating whether you become
aware of specific facts and concrete details or prefer to focus on
hunches and the big picture.

T and F stand for Thinking and
Feeling—indicating whether you tend to make decisions based on logical
analysis and the principles involved or prefer to decide by considering
your values and promoting harmony for the people involved.

J
and P stand for Judging and Perceiving—indicating whether you prefer
your life to be planned and like it when things are decided or prefer to
go with the flow and like keeping your options open.

There are broadly 16 personality types.

Analysts Architect INTJ-A / INTJ-T Imaginative and strategic thinkers, with a plan for everything.
Logician INTP-A / INTP-T Innovative inventors with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Commander ENTJ-A / ENTJ-T Bold, imaginative and strong-willed leaders, always finding a way – or making one.
Debater ENTP-A / ENTP-T Smart and curious thinkers who cannot resist an intellectual challenge.
Diplomats Advocate INFJ-A / INFJ-T Quiet and mystical, yet very inspiring and tireless idealists.
Mediator INFP-A / INFP-T Poetic, kind and altruistic people, always eager to help a good cause.
Protagonist ENFJ-A / ENFJ-T Charismatic and inspiring leaders, able to mesmerize their listeners.
Campaigner ENFP-A / ENFP-T Enthusiastic, creative and sociable free spirits, who can always find a reason to smile.
Sentinels Logistician ISTJ-A / ISTJ-T Practical and fact-minded individuals, whose reliability cannot be doubted.
Defender ISFJ-A / ISFJ-T Very dedicated and warm protectors, always ready to defend their loved ones.
Executive ESTJ-A / ESTJ-T Excellent administrators, unsurpassed at managing things – or people.
Consul ESFJ-A / ESFJ-T Extraordinarily caring, social and popular people, always eager to help.
Explorers Virtuoso ISTP-A / ISTP-T Bold and practical experimenters, masters of all kinds of tools.
Adventurer ISFP-A / ISFP-T Flexible and charming artists, always ready to explore and experience something new.
Entrepreneur ESTP-A / ESTP-T Smart, energetic and very perceptive people, who truly enjoy living on the edge.
Entertainer ESFP-A / ESFP-T Spontaneous, energetic and enthusiastic people – life is never boring around them.


DISC is simpler (and therefore more popular) summarising people as follows.

D- Direct Demanding Decisive Determined Doer NT TASK OUTGOING
I- Influencing Impressionable Interactive Impressive NF PEOPLE OUTGOING
S- Supportive Stable Steady Sweet SF, PEOPLE, RESERVED
C- Calculating Competent Conscientious Contemplative ST, TASK, RESERVED

Note the links to MBTI using the letters N, T, S and F to note preferences

The Big Five personality traits is a suggested taxonomy, or grouping, for personality traits

The theory identifies five factors OCEAN:
openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious)
conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. extravagant/careless)
extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)
agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. critical/rational)
neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident)

These
are simple lists to remind the informed, but there is a lot to discover
and I would encourage anyone to read and self-test, perhaps using
on-line tools. It can be revelatory. All the above inform us about
ourselves and others and our tendency to like or loath, lead or follow.

ATTACHMENT THEORY

Whereas the above may
indicate our personality, leadning style or role preferences (which
clearly are not the same, but do inter-relate) it is important to
consider how we came to these.

For the sake of brevity I will
point to a previous article. In this article I explore attachment
theory; maternal deprivation and social isolation; mental
representations and working models; patterns of attachment; romantic
partners; and resilience. I also include a section for self assessment,
recommended books and references.

https://thinkingfeelingbeing.com/2021/06/05/6/

If
you look at the biographies and histories of any of the above named
leaders it is clear that family, culture and community are big factors
in their nature and nurture which have shaped their attitude and
leadership.

FAMILY THERAPY AND PSYCHODYANMICS

Businesses
and Organisations are often like dysfunctional families, you don’t
usually get to choose your circumstances and somehow have to get along.
Also Businesses and Organisations are often the places where people act
our their dreams or fears, talent or fantasy. It may be useful
therefore to explore family therapy as a model for organisations and a
useful perspective for leadership.

For the sake of brevity I
will point to a previous article. In this article I explore management
models for teams, alignment, communication, productivity and also some
models from psychodynamics, family therapy and resources useful to
understand relationships and their affect on the whole system.

https://thinkingfeelingbeing.com/2021/06/06/corporate-relationships-one-happy-family/

SO WHAT IS A GOOD LEADER

Words
change meanings over time. To be “Sick” was to be ill or unwell. Now
for some “If it’s really cool, it’s sick”. To any faith-based person
that you walked up to and said ‘man, you’re wicked!’, that goes against
the whole belief system that they’ve been striving to be, yet for some
it means “Impressive”

Maybe leadership is simply the new word
for good management, slightly over-hyped in the same way that to be good
was acceptable but nowadays in the competition for attention everyone
has to be awesome!

Good leadership is what happens when the
square pegs find themselves square holes, or round pegs round holes. It
is not about being square or being round and so therein the pretext of
seeking two strengths and a weakness in our leadership is deeply flawed
because the behaviours, traits and beliefs are simply “you” and
leadership is “you in the context” of other people.

For me, it is competence at understanding yourself, circumstance, and supporting people achieve their goals.

That’ll do.

LINKS AND REFERENCES

You Are The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With
https://medium.com/the-polymath-project/you-are-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-spend-the-most-time-with-a2ea32d08c72

You’re NOT The Average Of The Five People You Surround Yourself With
https://medium.com/the-mission/youre-not-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-surround-yourself-with-f21b817f6e69

The Language of Mission Command and the Necessity of an Historical Approach
https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2016/6/4/the-language-of-mission-command-and-the-necessity-of-an-historical-approach

Why People Are Drawn to Narcissists Like Donald Trump
https://hbr.org/2015/08/why-people-are-drawn-to-narcissists-like-donald-trump

How American Icon Henry Ford Fostered Anti-Semitism
https://www.history.com/news/henry-ford-antisemitism-worker-treatment

Margaret Thatcher: Leadership skills of the Iron Lady
https://www.informa.com.au/insight/margaret-thatcher-leadership-skills-of-the-iron-lady/

Defining Terrorism: Is One Man’s Terrorist another Man’s Freedom Fighter?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1561426022000032060?journalCode=gppr20

Gareth Southgate leadership
https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/gareth-southgate-alastair-campbell-contrasting-leadership-style-boris-johnson-1095336
https://weareflow.uk/what-gareth-southgate-can-teach-us-about-leadership/
https://www.institutelm.com/resourceLibrary/gareth-southgate-leadership.html

Words and Meanings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/voices2005/wicked.shtml

Secrets of Leadership: Hitler and Churchill
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_churchill_01.shtml

Adolf Hitler And Winston Churchill
https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Adolf-Hitler-And-Winston-Churchill-F3ZCYJFVK6Y3W

Daniel Goleman Leadership Styles
https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/blog/topic/business-leadership/the-six-styles-of-leadership-where-do-you-fit
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/goleman-leadership-styles/
https://www.business-powerhouse.com/6-leadership-styles-from-daniel-goleman-author-of-leadership-that-gets-results

The Nine Belbin Team Roles
https://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-team-roles
Source: Adapt Consulting Blog