The Soul of Leadership

 The quality and impact of your leadership is determined by the SOUL of your leadership.

What's your first thought when you read that?  If it's too spiritual a term, substitute "character".  Despite the abundant availability of quality training, resources and coaching, the leadership world is littered with leaders who failed to create true impact NOT because of a lack of ability, but a poverty of soul & character.

The actual 'soul-depth' of your leadership is gauged when you face experiences such as:

• the 'desert' - when you are feeling dry and lost on the inside
• a challenge to the vision you are pursuing
• a personal crisis
• the role & status you were pursuing has been taken away
• the dreams you had now seem to be unattainable

Losing your soul is sort of like losing a credit card.  You think it's in your wallet so you don't give it much thought until one day you reach for it and can't find it. (Ruth Haley Barton, "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership", pg 13).  Then you start scrambling to remember where you might have lost it.  You know if you don't find it, major damage could be done.

Do you have that depth of urgency over the soul of your leadership?

Many leaders reading this may not like the language of 'soul' or 'character' because it seems so soft.  It's not measurable.  It lacks the activism of what leadership requires. It's not strategic. I'll wager that if you would just step back for a time and truly examine the leaders you admired and who left a deep, lasting impact on your life and/or organization, you would recall character/soul qualities.

They were grounded.
They were profoundly human and real rather than role-players.
They had a spirit about them that exuded humility, strength and wisdom.
They were defined by something greater than themselves or their organization.
They loved.

I am a leader who is a Christian and am the first to acknowledge that spiritual-association, Christian or other, does not guarantee good, soul-sourced leadership.  Since all 'believers' are at their root human, the human temptations to status-seeking, power and greed are always crouching at the door of the heart and mind and seeking to take over.  My question for all leaders reading this is - what power enables you to defeat those destructive forces and rise to the level of true soul/character-based leadership?

One of the most profound books I have ever read on this topic is "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership" by Ruth Haley Barton.  Christian leaders will find this a valuable tool to exercise the first and primary task of leadership - self knowledge.

The SOUL of your organization is influenced by the SOUL of your personal leadership.  Don't neglect this most vital aspect of your being.

If you are feeling like you have lost your soul, you are in a good place!  You are acknowledging this is an issue.  Now act.  Read this book I am recommending.  If you are not ready or wanting to read from a Christian perspective, authors like Stephen Covey or Deepak Chopra focus on the deeper, soul issues of contemporary leadership.  I also recommend that you consider the services of a personal coach to help you explore your life in a deeper way.  (You can read more about my coaching background and services on my website - www.visiontracks.ca)

What lies ahead depends on what lies within. What's in there?

Harvey Matchullis

Visiontracks Facilitation & Coaching Services

www.visiontracks.ca

info@visiontracks.ca

Welcoming the Foreigner

This is only a bit of a departure for my blog.  It is still about leadership.  It is still in the theme of issues a nomadic leader faces.  It is applicable to all leaders in any capacity but is most specifically focused on the church leader.  You may be reading this and not share the theological base from which I am writing, but I suspect you will find it hard to argue against the 'rationale' and the fact that the principles apply across the board to how we accept and integrate immigrants into neighbourhoods, workplaces and churches.  I attribute that 'agreement' to the fact that God's foundational values and purposes are not only good for all humanity, but actually shared by humanity due to our common creation 'in the image of God'.  These are the echoes of God's voice all across the human race.

Most churches and individual Christians would I hope, aspire to be welcoming to all people, and especially the immigrant.  However to move from aspiration to inclusion requires some honesty around our thinking and actions.  Before we get to true ‘welcome’, some foundational issues need our attention.

      God’s View of the Immigrant:   Begin with clarity on God’s viewpoint of the immigrant who has landed in your city & neighbourhood.  The starting point is creation itself.  Since God created ALL humans in His image, an inherent value lies within every person no matter their race, religion, world view or moral standing.  This is where it all starts!   His image is reflected IN every human; one way His grace & mercy is poured out on all people.  God therefore makes no distinctions of value.

Now think specifically about the foreigner, the immigrant.  Even Israel, the ‘set apart’ people of God, was supposed to take in the foreigner and treat them with equality (Numbers 15:15; Deuteronomy 10:19).  Add to this a deep historical concern of God for the fringe, forgotten and foreigner – the very groups that, when not treated with dignity and fairness and love, made God the most angry throughout scripture. 

Who do you see when faced with an immigrant? This is someone who is created with the same value as you and therefore deserves equal respect irrespective of whether they have reconciled with God through Jesus Christ or not.

  

            Face Prejudice & Fear:  The history and current reality of the world, plus our own personal experience proves there are persistent barriers we have to admit and overcome as followers of  the Way of Jesus  if we are to be inclusive:

a.       Prejudice and the tendency to want to be with our own crowd (James 2:1 etc) is just the way we are ‘naturally’.  YET we have a supernatural power to overcome this.  Paul told believers that for those in Christ there is ‘no distinction’ between not only race, but even gender!  In other words, we are not to use the worlds’ classifications of dividing people anymore (2 Cor 5:16)

Besides these obvious theological reasons for inclusion and acceptance, there is a social component that builds a better society.  Canada’s Federal, Provincial and Civic governments are concerned over ‘stratification’ – the layering of society by economic status & ethnic identity.  Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi himself at a meeting I hosted for church leaders in Oct 2011 said this was his primary concern for the city.  I believe we have a duty as believers to do all we can to ensure immigrants are well integrated into society.   The irony is that many fled their countries to come here over this very issue – ethnic rivalries or intense poverty/economic barriers.

b.      Fear.  We fear what we do not know, so a piece of the answer is: “how do we get to know a new immigrant?”

As an example, I’d like to break down our global view/fear of Islam and pare that down to the individual hopes and dreams of a Muslim person.  As a Westerner, what is your default thinking when you hear “Islam”, or are face to face with a veiled Muslim woman?  My hunch is your immediate thoughts might include:

       “radical; paternalistic; terror; intolerance; violence; women’s rights” ...etc

What if rather than starting with a global perception/assumption, you began at the individual, personal level?  What if you approached them based on your common humanity?  Do you not share similar concerns for health, justice, love, relationships, well-being, prosperity, meaning, children, the future...?

When we view others as persons, not through our perceptions, biases and prejudices about their ethnicity or religion, we have common ground from which to start a relationship.  This is part of recognizing that all are created in God’s image.  Therefore ALL are of inherent worth and value to Him and therefore us.  Everyone is due respect AND attention no matter their ethnic, religious or moral state.

       Accurate information about Immigrants.  Are they all here to steal jobs?  Do they freeload off our generosity and become a drain on our resources?  Are they intent on remaining isolated in their cultural bubble?  Do they come with a lack of skills to work?  I have heard these and many more concerns expressed in political rhetoric and coffee-shop discussions.  Here are some overall stats to help frame our approach more positively regarding New Canadians coming to the Calgary region.  I think you will find similar attributes in any other city or country where people have chosen to immigrate.

•          70% know English

•          Educated!  70% with High School, 36% Univ. Graduates & most of the professionals have huge barriers getting re-certified to practice in Canada

•          Determined! Most come on their own, only 10% are refugees

•          Young! 50% age 25-44 – 34% under 24 yrs.

•          Dedicated to being Canadian – compared to other countries, immigrants here become Canadian citizens at a much higher rate and as soon as they possibly can.

•          Contributing – they are required to pay the same taxes on income as all Canadian citizens.  Even refugees get only 1 year of extra assistance before sharing in the same tax burdens as the rest of Canadians

•          ALL face significant adjustment issues that affect family relationships for at least a generation.  Children of immigrants adjust much faster to their new culture than parents, often creating a culture and generational divide within the same home.  This is the price of choosing to seek a new future in Canada.  Applaud & respect the sacrifice of those parents. 

This presents the Church in Canada with numerous opportunities to help with parenting/generational conflict issues, assisting the first generation be able to worship in their own language while working to integrate into Canadian life, and providing worship/social/fellowship contexts for the second generation to integrate with more established Canadian youth.

  

      DON’T start a “ministry” to immigrants – just be a good neighbour.  Starting yet another ministry can at times put us relationally at arm’s length from people.  You can too easily "deliver a service" to people without being engaged on a relational level.   This does not mean we should not organize around our ideas and desires to create ministries, but I do think it’s helpful to frame all of this not so much as a ‘ministry program’ to immigrants but rather as a part of our calling to be a good neighbour.  Look around your neighbourhood and see that God calls you to be a good neighbour to each of them.  Take away the notion of creating an ‘immigrant ministry’ and start living/acting simply as a good, responsible neighbour who is empowered and motivated by Jesus Christ.  The simple acts of neighbourliness, informed and empowered by the Gospel message will turn us into salt/light/yeast/seed.  Unless we scatter ourselves into the lives of the neighbourhood where these immigrants live, those transforming elements are of no use.

What can I/we do to connect?

1.  Be a good neighbour and walk across the yard, the street, the office floor.
2. Be curious.  Most people are honoured to have you ask about their lives.  Ask about their homeland, families, their experience coming to Canada, what they miss etc.  If you have ever moved, they feel the same things as you, but more acutely because of the distance they have moved geographically, culturally and linguistically.  God said to Israel that one reason they were to treat the foreigner with care and respect was because they themselves knew what it was like to be immigrants in a foreign land! 
3. Volunteer to be a host family for a refugee through a local agency that has the structure for this. 
4. Volunteer with immigrant agencies.  Most have programs where a person or family can volunteer, from helping with English to professional mentoring of skilled immigrants. 
5. Volunteer to be a conversation partner in local/agency/church ESL programs. 
6. Get training as an ESL teacher.  This is one of the most critical needs for New Canadians to integrate into Canadian society. 
7. Plan/Host an event to welcome immigrants in your community.  Go to your community association and suggest it. 
8. As a church, start your own small centre for immigrant services. 
9. Sponsor a refugee family – link with someone with a Sponsorship Agreement with the Government of Canada or find a similar vehicle your country uses. 
10. Research to find out what immigrant groups are living in your community. 
11. Go to your community association and find out what, if anything, they are doing.  Get involved – make suggestions. 
12. If you own a business, consider hiring immigrants. 
13. As a church, partner with a church comprised of majority immigrants and offer practical, developmental (not paternal) assistance. 
14. From the pulpit, demonstrate your awareness of global issues.  Pray for their countries, especially when conflict is occurring.  Let them know you know and care.  Also, get to know their issues and concerns and show it through the issues you choose to address from the pulpit and in other discipleship contexts.

Because in reality, we are all wanderers, looking for a more permanent place...

Harv Matchullis

Stand-Up Leadership

Stand-Up Leadership

Here we go again.  Feels like 2008 all over again, so I have resurrected something I wrote back then, based on  Holger Nauheimers' "The Change Management Newsletter"

http://www.change-management-toolbook.com

How will you exercise stand-up leadership while global conditions are so uncertain?  

Warren Buffet's philosophy of investing is:  “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful”.  (He's probably on another buying spree right now). The lesson from Warren here is not just about investing, but it's about having a plan during times of uncertainty. 

Plans, much like our personal character, are not so much formed in crisis as they are revealed by it. What exists internally is revealed quickly when pushed into a corner, or when as is often the case on our nomadic leadership journey, we encounter a new and previously unknown barrier.   

When facing a crisis the tempation is to speed up, become reactionary, respond to the conditions of the moment. Dare I say panic?  Much of the world`s financial instability is a result of this kind of thinking.  Sometimes I wonder if we are living in a 'chicken little' world!.  The alternatives are to make a choice to slow down, take a realistic picture of what is and get in a position to think clearly about the future so that you have some perspective on how to handle today.

Here are 3 practices for leadership in uncertainty:

Slow down

Panic generates speed.  The human fight or flight response to danger is a naturally occuring defense mechanism.  Granted, there may be some things you need to do defensively to protect assets, customers, suppliers and supporters.  But good leaders calm thier own panic by deliberately slowing down their thinking, resisting the panic-reaction.  Your brain is a stage and if there are too many actors on it, internal chaos ensues.  Clear off some of the actors.  Clear your mental space of the clutter that comes with crisis so that you can order your thoughts when others`thoughts are in disarray. 

Friends of mine in another business recently shared with me that we have been conditioned as leaders for forward motion; to always keep the wind in our sails.  The idea of slowing down and coasting therefore means sure demise in a competitive world.  Yet there is a time when `coasting`is actually the RIGHT thing to do.  

Increase agreement

Get used to it.  We are entering a period of time in which high degrees of uncertainty and disagreement will be the norm. 

Therefore practicing skills to increase the degree of agreement among the people directly involved on what should be done ("the truth") with respect to the implementation of any strategy to address the situation is an important factor determining success. 

Bottom line - you can't get to agreement if you don't talk  . . . 

1. Transformational, stand-up leadership is needed. True leaders take tough decisions but communicate them wisely by engaging other people in dialogue and inspire them to take decisions too. If your people see you walking the extra mile by dealing with the issues in an honest way, they will too.

2. Communicate deeply but quickly. In times of crisis people's fears matter to an organization even more than they should during "normal" times. If everybody in an organization believes they are on a sinking ship, they will disengage, thus increasing the vulnerability and accelerating the downward spiral of the organization. Then a negative perception intiates a circle of scepticism, pessimism and finally cynicism. Mechanisms for constant multi-level dialogue need to be implemented to help people assume ownership for breaking the vicious circle of pessimism and loss of confidence. Crisis communication has to be concise but use different channels and apply a broad variety of tools. 

Increase certainty 

Crisis leads to uncertainty and a tendency to process things based on assumptions.  Sometimes it's all you have because no one can predict the outcomes. How can you increase 'certainty' when the world situation offers so little of it?

 

1. Do some deep analysis and practice radical honesty. Think of the Titanic:  

"At around 11:30 p.m., lookout Frederick Fleet stared into the mind-numbing darkness. It had been a miserable night in the crow's nest, scanning for something that would be nearly impossible to notice because of the calm sea. Normally, there would be small waves breaking against the sides of the icebergs, but the sea was so calm tonight that there were no waves. Also, the lookout's binoculars had disappeared after the ship departed from Southampton, so the visibility of the feared icebergs was limited even further." (from: http://library.thinkquest.org/21583/berg.htm).

He never dealt with the issue of the lost binoculars - just hoped he could cope with what he had. By the time he did see something, it was far too late...

Don't hit the iceberg.  Do everything possible to increase the visibility of what is happening. Tell people what you are actually doing to prevent the ship from sinking. Encourage honesty and transparency. Reward messengers instead of shooting them.

2. Short feedback loops. Have regular, short meetings, involving different circles. Get feedback on how your interventions into the system have increased agreement and certainty of the organization. Make decisions based on these feedback loops.

3. Use impartial facilitators for meetings. In crises, people tend be guided by their assumptions and it's difficult to challenge those perspectives. An external, strictly impartial facilitator can help to map out different assumptions and guide teams to productive outcomes. 

Harv Matchullis

Visiontracks Coaching and Facilitation Services 

www.visiontracks.ca  or  info@visiontracks.ca

“If not you, then who…If not now, then when?”

“If not you, then who? If now now, then when?” This quote rests at the bottom of all my emails. I heard it years ago but don’t actually know its true origins. It challenges me as I hope it does you, to not be a person who waits around for others to act…especially when it comes to your personal development as a leader.

In the case of your own personal growth, YOU must be the architect of your own development as a leader. If you are waiting for a program from HR, or for someone else to come along and sweep you into their circle, to become your mentor or to sponsor your development, you will be waiting a long time.

Besides, if you really are a leader, start by leading yourself.

Leaders feel the weight of leadership. Bearing that weight without commensurate development and support has consequences. This is highlighted in an excellent book, “Made in Canada Leadership”, by Amal Henien & Francoise Morissett; (2007; John Wiley & Sons). The book title caught my eye because I feel much of the leadership material we are exposed to does not adequately reflect the uniqueness of Canadian culture and its impact on leadership.

Based on interviews with 295 Canadian leaders spanning corporate and non-profit contexts, a major finding was that while leaders seem satisfied by the level of challenge provided by their leadership experience; they overwhelmingly say they lack support. The following emotions are often associated with the lack support in the leader’s life:

• Stressed
• Unable to share
• Isolated; lonely
• Burdened by responsibility
• Targeted by criticism; scrutinized
• Disliked & misunderstood
• Pressured to sacrifice their personal life
• Pulled in too many directions
• Unable to control their own schedules
• Guilt for the difficult decisions they have to make that often disappoint people or lead to errors and failure.

Do you see any of yourself in these descriptors?

All leaders experience these emotions to some degree. It’s a part of the price of leadership. The real price of leadership however is what you don’t see…the ongoing impact these emotions have when they are suppressed and unsupported. YOU NEED SUPPORT. Face this reality and become creative and intentional about filling the support void. Create a vibrant, abundant and adequate support mechanism to enable you to thrive and soar. Except for ‘maintaining an image/persona’, I do not know of one good excuse for accepting loneliness, trial or hardship as an ongoing and unchallenged reality.

Who cares for the Leader? First of all, YOU must care. Here are some steps for maximizing your personal development as a leader…

Going In

The business year is heating up as people return from holidays. Non-profits are getting ready for launching programs. Keeping with my theme of Nomadic Leadership, acknowledge you are headed into new territory this fall. Some things will be familiar but in many ways you must recognize that you have not been this way before. Things will crop up you never anticipated...and people will then look to you for guidance. How can you be ready?

Take time to strengthen the foundations of your leadership by clarifying your purpose. The ongoing flow of organizational demands & activity can carry us downstream for quite a while before we realize that we are not clear why we are even on this river, or where it is going! This ‘organizational flow’ gives the illusion of purpose, and can actually substitute (for a while) for an unclear vision. Your followers deserve a leader with a clearly defined purpose. This is a fundamental leadership act. Ponder questions like:

• At its’ core, what is this organization all about?
• What is my vision of effective leadership?
• What is the mission my business/agency/God has entrusted to me?
• What are my values?
• What legacy do I want to leave behind?

Reaching Beyond

Exercise your leadership. Leadership is not a topic like geography. It’s a process, like acting. You have to take action. Without action the best vision remains fantasy.

As a part of exercising leadership, choose to reach beyond your perceived capacity. The theory of immunization states that by injecting a little virus into our bodies, we learn to combat it and the result is a stronger immune system. Maybe you need to inject a little chaos or challenge into your life to stimulate endurance and perseverance! What’s ‘beyond’ you and would challenge your skills and your knowledge? Temporary destabilization will eventually lead to solid leadership balance & performance.

Make a deliberate, thoughtful plan for growth. Waiting for what life or the organization throws your way is not sufficient. That’s not self-leadership; it’s reactionary living.

Tips: Reaching beyond does not need to only be within your field. Try some cross-training principles from athletics to exercise your leadership muscle:

· A physical challenge

· Take a course

· Indulge in a hobby

· Learn a new language

· Be an ‘undercover boss’ in some aspect of your organization

· Train others; make a presentation; speak at a corporate or community event on what you have learned…

Stepping Back

Stepping back from leadership activity to reflect is as important as action. Weightlifters know this “oscillation principle”. Lifting weights actually tears the muscle fiber, so it is important not to keep lifting weights day after day, but to schedule rest and allow the torn fibers to heal. The healed fiber is now larger, resulting in a larger muscle. Leadership activity, if it is to create greater leadership capacity, means we need to regularly stop and reflect. Action builds leadership muscle. Reflection injects meaning.

Look at yourself from the outside and get abundant feedback – both formal (job evaluations) and informal (asking questions, seeking input, welcoming unsolicited feedback). Not all organizations give effective feedback so you may need to go outside to find what you need. This is where the services of a leadership coach can be useful. For more information on coaching or for a sample session to test out what coaching can do for you, contact me at: info@visiontracks.ca or read about coaching on my website: http://www.visiontracks.ca/whyhire.htm

A less formal but essential strategy for gaining feedback & exercising reflection is to be part of a community that supports you and helps you make sense of the leadership experience. I have been a part of a network of 3 peers for the past 7 years. We don’t just gather to ‘chew the fat’ or ‘whine & dine’. We made a commitment to get together about once every 4-6 weeks to discuss issues of concern, innovate, learn, support each other and network in a safe environment. Our work experiences range from non-profit to the business C-Suite and we find there are a lot of similar issues we each encounter. We don’t give each other unsolicited advice. Rather, we ask a ton of questions, challenging the other to think through their own issues. And we also act as a support system for each other in personal issues. (NEVER think that you can divorce personal life from its effect on your organizational leadership effectiveness. We are holistic creatures)

The support of a peer network acts as a growth-enabler. A group of dedicated peers can:

• Turn your potential into competence
• Give a pat on the back that makes a difference
• Provide coaching that re-frames a failure
• Allow you to stay on the leadership track
• Provide food for your soul

You are leading your organization into its future. Now, what about YOU?

“If not you, then who? If not now, then when?”

Harv Matchullis

Visiontracks Facilitation & Coaching

Visiontracks can provide you with personal coaching and resources to develop your leadership. For a free sample session or to discuss strategies for your ongoing growth, contact Harvey at info@visiontracks.ca and visit his website @ www.visiontracks.ca

Minding the Polarity Gaps

Most of us tend to view our world in set of polarities. We see things as either/or. Consider these few examples:

· High quality vs Low cost

· Complexity vs Simplicity

· Free enterprise vs Socialism

· Risk vs Safety

· Western vs Eastern

· Corporate vs Grassroots

· Business vs Social Sector

Gaps exist between all polarities to be sure. However I think many of us have concluded that those gaps cannot realistically be reconciled. As a result, businesses tend to choose one of 2 strategies: Provide their product/service at a low cost and complete to edge out the competition, OR develop a high-end product/service that very few others are providing. Non-profits frequently face the gap between projects that will be appealing to donors, OR engagements that are less appealing publically but more productive socially.

Should leaders Mind the Polarity Gap by only choosing to execute at one end or the other, OR is there a way to reconnect the polarities? And if we do, what benefit is there? I am not taking about a simple ‘let’s find the middle’ approach. Somewhere between those polarities is a tremendously creative, innovative solution influenced by the realities of both poles. The solutions found ‘in between’ can make a monumental difference in a world that is desperate for answers that cannot be provided at either end of the poles.

If you are listed on a stock exchange, you deal with the polarities of returning dividends and social/environmental responsibility. What can accomplish both? If you are a pastor with a conviction about your church’s engagement with it’s world, you may be dealing with a polarity of faithfulness to your conviction and upsetting the status-quo of a congregation. What can move you both?

There is a way to reconnect the polarities. Our choices and solutions are not limited to one end or the other.

1. Commit to open up organizational conversations where creative thoughts and even dissent are given permission to emerge. You can be sure that your people, when given permission, will identify the polarities. If the leader sees no gaps, it’s a sure sign they are comfortable with the status quo, and/or their ego is too tightly tied to the product or service rather than the future effectiveness of the organization. It may seem counter-intuitive, but sow the seeds of discontent! Informally begin to ask questions that tell others you are ‘thinking out loud’ about some issues. Provide forums and various feedback loops where people are asked for their ideas. It may take a while to establish the trust that leads to openness if you have been a closed leader or organization. But remember that it all begins with you, the leader. If you are willing to be open and seek alternatives, and your team hears you doing it, the first step has begun.

2. Ensure diversity exists on your team. Research consistently shows that for a team to be innovative along the continuum between the polarities, diversity is crucial. When I use the term ‘diversity’, I am not exclusively referring to visible differences such as ethnicity, gender or age. In fact, in their publication “Diverse Teams in Organizations” (Mannix, E. and Lean, M., 2005) the authors concluded after reviewing 50 years of research that visible differences are more likely to have a negative effect on a groups’ effectiveness! By contract, it’s the diversity of underlying differences such as conviction, point of view, education or personality, which tend to lead to greater creativity and performance! Create teams with a wide range of knowledge, expertise and perspectives if you want to mine the polarity gap for innovations.

3. Develop a learning organization. Possessing creative and diverse teams with permission to explore solutions is not sufficient. The structure of the whole organization needs to be supportive so that solutions arising from conversations can be organized into knowledge and strategies. Likely every reader of this blog has had the experience of being participant in a ‘think tank’ or other context devised to elicit creative input, only to see the input go nowhere. That experience in itself creates a polarity between leadership and employees, not to mention cynicism for the next process. How does an organization configure themselves for innovation? All organizations are structured and shaped uniquely by the work they have to do. However, what kind of structure will enable you to mind the polarity gaps and allow for innovative thinking and solutions?

To become a learning organization, Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner in their book “Riding the Waves of Innovation” suggest organizations must deal with 12 value-dilemmas if innovation is to be achieved. They represent polarities in themselves. I have revised the language of their list but the essence remains the same:

Centralizing knowledge---------------------Decentralizing activity

Functional & Technical ‘silos’--------------Project teams with social & matrix processes

Top-down instruction------------------------Bottom-up participation

Leaders provide answers-------------------- Leaders pose questions

Right the ‘first-time’------------------------Right in the shortest possible time

Explicit, codified knowledge----------------Tacit, inquiring knowledge

Authority of leaders--------------------------Delegation to creators/teams

Designed strategy & business model-------Emerging strategy & business model

Rational, internal order---------------------Focus: unpredictable external customer needs

Past financial performance-----------------Future learning goals

Internal innovation--------------------------Innovation external to the organization

Building a profitable venture--------------Building an innovative network

The Nomadic Leader seeks to travel the continuum between polarities. He/she isn’t content to settle down on one end or the other. But you can’t cover the entire landscape all at once. Where will you begin? I suggest you choose one of the 12 value-dilemmas and begin to Mind the Polarity Gap.

Don’t just Mind the Polarity Gaps you encounter; mine them for the innovations that lie there.

Harv Matchullis - info@visiontracks.ca - www.visiontracks.ca

Minding the Gap - #1

Those who have ridden the Tube in London, UK are familiar with the sights and sounds of “Mind the Gap”.

As the train approaches a station, a gentle female voice in the train and on the platform calls you to mind the gap between where you are and where you want to disembark/embark. It’s a fitting leadership metaphor. The Nomadic Leader must mind multiple gaps encountered on the leadership sojourn.

We of course would value getting announcements about the gaps that challenge our organizations and leadership. That's not our reality. Whatever does get our attention rarely comes in reasonable time for us to act propitiously and expeditiously. The “Mind the Gap” announcements often come in forms such as: crisis, a bad quarterly report, reduced donations, missed benchmarks or employee departures.

Could it be different? Could we better ‘read’ the signs to get more advance notice? Not always. There are some events that occur out of our control we just have to adjust to. However some gaps could be ‘minded’ much earlier by implementing 2 habits of a Nomadic Leader. Both involve some ‘wandering’:

1. Conduct a regular ‘Walkabout’. The term originally refers to a rite of passage during which male Australian Aborigines would undergo a journey during adolescence and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months. It was a spiritual and ‘coming of age’ event. The basic and more ‘global’ concept is to leave what you are doing for while to see & experience something else outside your everyday context.

Effective Nomadic Leaders will ‘walkabout’ the work locations of their people and use these questions to take an inventory through their eyes. In other words, don’t ask, just observe:

o What is the spirit like here?

o Do people enjoy their work and each other?

o What kind of cooperation do I see?

o How can I tell they are aligned with our purpose?

o To what extent is this an innovative place that will inspire and advance our organization?

o What kind of team is here? (and will it get us where we need to go?)

o __add your questions____________

Further walkabout targets are the locations where your product or service is delivered. I once worked in a global organization where a financial controller had never seen the international context & constraints of those over whom he instituted financial policy & procedure. It created gaps of understanding and inappropriate processes. Once you SEE, your leadership has a more accurate map to work from.

2. Ask Ask Ask . The greatest danger for any leader is assuming you know what you know. “The greatest barrier to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge” (Daniel Boorstin from his book, The Discoverers). Accurate information comes from asking questions. Whether via surveys or face to face, continually update your knowledge about the context of your employees, clients, suppliers and team.

Try on a Curious George perspective!

Dissatisfaction with the status quo is the beginning of all innovation. These practices to Mind the Gap are simple starting steps that help you move toward filling that gap between what is and what could be.

Next blog – Minding the Polarity Gap

Organizational Orphans

“Teams are highly over-rated”

There is truth in this statement, because not all tasks or projects are best accomplished by a team. However my hunch is that anyone agreeing with this statement is likely part of a low-functioning team.

I spend a lot of my time facilitating team development. It is painfully evident to me how leadership and technical competencies are often allowed to trump effective team behaviours in many organizations. The health and behaviour of individuals who make up the team is the ‘Orphan’ of the organizational family. This orphan is tacitly acknowledged but given little attention. Resources, thinking and leadership are concentrated on whatever will accomplish mission and goals. Too late, many organizations then discover the cost of ignoring this orphan. “He” returns to the table with anger at being ignored and set aside. His cynicism begins to show up at meetings and his disengagement affects not only productivity but organizational vitality. The orphans’ growing mistrust of the system shows up in distrust of others. His values of connectedness to something important, of simple acknowledgement for contributions made, or of knowing that his ‘voice’ has been heard & respected have been violated.

"It will be those organizations that reach a critical mass of people and teams expressing their full voice that will achieve next level breakthrough in productivity, innovation and leadership in the marketplace and society". Stephen R Covey

For ALL people, regardless of culture, status or profession, personal values are at the core of what drives them. When those values are not honoured and do not find a place for expression, dissonance occurs. While each of us to some degree endures dissonance between our values and our work, when it becomes ongoing, unacknowledged and unaddressed, we will act. The action many employees take is to disengage. They begin to mentally ‘punch the clock’. The organization in return “receives” reduced productivity that can lead to resignation (figuratively & literally).

According to Gallup Management Journal's semi-annual Employee Engagement Index:

• 29% of employees are engaged with their jobs
• 54% are not engaged
• 17% are actively disengaged

So, WHY do organizations wait for the issue of disengagement to hit a crisis point instead of addressing it as part of their mission and goals? Isn’t there enough leadership and organizational writing out there to prove how critical developing healthy team practices are to a vibrant business/organization? What’s wrong?

Myopic Leaders

If leaders’ eyes are always on the goal, it’s likely it does not matter as much to them HOW they get there. I have seen this in many high-turnover organizations for which I have consulted. These organizations may have noble and very challenging goals, but people are moving in and out because they feel lost and neglected in service of that goal.

It’s incumbent on leaders to lead the resources and build the environment that achieves the goal. The Bible says “what does it profit a person if they gain the whole world, yet lose their soul?” I think it’s a great question for an organizational leader. What good is it if you gain your goals, at the expense of not only your own soul, but the soul of your people?

Expecting Focused Events will Build Team

Yep, you’ve been there. Sent to a team-building event. Another day of rappelling or caving or playing some silly game with a highly paid facilitator. Many organizations hope they can pay for a higher functioning team by having them attend a retreat or seminar. A cash windfall for the facilitator, but it's usually a short-lived investment.

Teams are built in real-time

The most high-functioning teams I have worked in or with, have created and observed a mutually defined code of behaviour (sometimes called team values or covenants). They rigorously monitor how they live these out each time they meet – REAL TIME. They make commitments to each other by clearly articulating how they will BE to each other. Their code is not written in the lofty language of many value-statements. They say to each other: We will____. The commitment is to behaviours.

Trust, which is the basis for any functioning team, is built incrementally, not on a ropes course. It requires ongoing, dedicated attention. What behaviours, if implemented, would transform your team into one that is not only high-functioning, but fun and invigorating to be part of? It is possible.

The Organization is Wrongly Defined

Most leaders, when asked about their organization, likely define it in terms of Mission, Goals & Resources. They'll respond: “We seek to do this”; “We get there by implementing a strategy of...” ; “We are worth...”

One problem.

Without people, you do not have an organization. Mission Goals and Resources mean NOTHING without your people to utilize them.

· Take EVERYONE away from your organization.

What is the organization worth now?

· Keep functioning with a high turnover because of disengaged, frustrated people.

What is the organization worth now?

· Be a leader that invests in building high-functioning teams who are capable and committed.

What is the organization worth now?

Your stock value &/or your value to the world rest entirely on your people.

Harv Matchullis

Visiontracks Facilitation & Coaching

If you desire a consultation on how to value your people and build an enduring, real-time approach that develops high-functioning teams, please contact Harvey Matchullis of Visiontracks Facilitation & Coaching at: info@visiontracks.ca or www.visiontracks.ca .

I promise no ropes – just an enduring process you can implement in real-time.