I have found a classification of people in the performing arts called 'accidental administrators.' They are the people who trained to be actors, or directors, or some specific aspect of theater, and ended up being the person in charge of the organization. When I ask these people about their journey, I usually get the same response; they decided to do the things that no one else wanted to because these things had to be done. So they became the accidental leader of an organization. They didn't plan, prepare or desire to be the person in charge. They just found themselves there because of who they are, because of the type of person they are. Sometimes this leads to a level of Imposter Syndrome, and even malcontented staff surrounding theses individuals who say 'who put them in charge?' The answer I tell those disgruntled workers is: You did. And they did. They chose to make the organization work, because it had to be done and no one else would do it. They saw what needed to be done, and did it. When companies begin - the lines between job descriptions and duties are fairly fluid. Individuals need to do what must be done to make a new organization survive. As a company grows, it's needs change and everyone must adapt to the constant changes. Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as making a commitment to code everyday, which is a goal he has had to step away from as the realities of being the CEO of a large company change. The main quality I find from these accidental leaders (and in full disclosure, I identify with this group) is that they adapt to the needs of the changing organization as time goes on. Accidental Leaders are still leaders, and they are not stuck in amber waiting for the next ice age. They listen, react in real time, and adapt to the changing situation either by training themselves, or finding the support they need to make a dream come true. They are quintessential problem solvers, who see the end result and goal and reach for the dream. When you are hiring, how can you identify these individuals? Look for the person who has been doing work outside the scope of their training. That shows they are doing whatever they can to be successful. And test them on problem solving. The ability to adapt and change in real time is a key skill. How can you develop these skills in the staff you already have? Provide training in the skills of improvisation. It can lead them to higher levels of listening, critical thinking and problem solving as well as leadership development. Don't let accidental leaders believe that it is all coincidental that they are where they are. It is who they are that makes them leaders. For more information and workshops of Leadership Development - click here for Andrew's workshops.
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At a recent workshop for an executive group at Microsoft we discussed using a shared language for listening. We defined three methods:
The goal with defining these styles ws to say 'How do you want me to listen to what you are saying?' It was to help them set expectations for the conversation, and allow the listener to be attentive and best provide what their fellow co-worker needed. It also created a little negotiation in the beginning of the conversation, so that both parties were on the same page with what they wanted to have happen. And many times, one thing bled into another. Conversations would begin as a Friend, and then change into the Solver. However, it was the speaker, the initiator who was responsible for the changing. 'I wanted you to listen as a Friend, but I guess I am asking you to help me Solve this as well...' So when you head into a conversation - try setting up the expectation of how you should listen. Does your co-worker need a Rock, a Solver, or a Friend? Ask first, and see if you set the expectations first to be be the most attentive and available you can be. Which way do you want me to listen? Click here for more information on Andrew's workshops for your organization. In Improv, we teach people to be 'in the moment.' In the moment means being aware of what's happening NOW, and to reacting to THIS moment rather than reacting to something that happened previously or something that reminds you the current situation. I recently finished a workshop for a group regarding decision making and innovation tools. The process includes generating as much as possible (brainstorming) and then narrowing the field of options based on needs and desires defined before the process begins. For me, those things are in perfect union. The decision making process sometimes gets jumbled by not defining your goals and intended outcomes first. If you can spend the time getting closer to what you want and closer to what you are attempting to see as an outcome of the decision, then the clearer you can be in reacting to the offers you receive in the moment. Brainstorming then becomes focussed based on needs and strategic directions, rather than just about divergent thought. The steps: 1. Define the outcome you would like to see: Start by defining what you are really trying to do, and get clear about the underlying motive of the action. . 2. Define the field of play: Where do you do this? What factors surround the decision? 3. Generate solutions without being tied down to the constraints of reality. An unreal solution can lead to a possible solution somewhere. After that - it is about action. Question - How do I do this? Answer - Just do it! Question - Am I doing it right? Answer - Yes! Once you have made a motion forward, new information becomes available. That new information now makes the previous moment inconsequential, and creates a new situation to be dealt with. So the question becomes, what role does a gut reaction play in your decision making process? I recently had the opportunity to work with a group of people that were all very good at 'solving the problem.' After two weeks, I realized this was their downfall. An example: Someone sees problem "A", and decides to duck tape fix the issue. The duck tape fix causes problems "B" and "C," which proceed to take the rest of the afternoon to solve. Each one of those fixes cause multiple strings of additional issues, each of which need to be addressed. The first solution actually causes a cascade of wasted time, money and energy that can't be stopped. Every problem solved was a band aid on a bigger issue. They were so busy solving problems, they didn't consider the ramifications of the next problem that their solution created. When I started asking them to define what the problem actually was, they stopped. That idea never occurred to them. It was more about 'solving' than 'defining.' This shift created a critical thinking process to the day; 'What is the underlying issue I am trying to solve, and what are a series of possible solutions that we could employ/' The shorthand for it became DOS: DISCOVER the underlying issue causing the problem. OFFER multiple solutions, being aware to not fixate on any one solution and allow the brainstorming to happen. SOLVE the underlying issue. This little idea began to save multiple work hours and untold resources which could now be used to make things better, rather than constantly being reactive. So ask yourself, are you currently solving the problem? Or are you addressing the underlying issue that created the problem? Click here. for more information on Andrew's decision making workshops and seminars. Many years ago I worked with a magician who taught me a lot about producing events. Together we created Haunted Houses, Parties and events as well as on-going attractions in Casinos. There was one trick he did on a whim that always stuck with me. It was the 'coin toss'. We were at an event, and he had a wooden nickel that they have given him. He took it, showed me both sides were unmarked, flipped it in the air and shot at it with his hand as if he had a gun. When the wooden nickel hit the ground, it had a black mark on the side facing up, resembling a bullet hole. Then it was my turn to tell him how the trick was done: ME: "You did a slight of hand to show me the same side of the coin, and make it look like I was seeing both sides." HIM: "Correct" ME: "Then how did you know it would land with the side that had the mark facing up?" HIM: "I didn't. That part I gambled on..." ME: "So if it had landed with the unmarked side up, then what would you have done." HIM: "I don't know - but it didn't happen that way. The trick worked. If it didn't, I'd have figured out something else..." As I learned with a lot of magic tricks, there is a certain amount of bluff and confidence that it will work the way you thought it would. And there is a lot of being sure of yourself to make whatever happens look like it's what you wanted to have happen. When I speak to people about their leadership style, I sometimes hear people say "I am not sure what I am doing, or if what I am doing is the right thing." I think we all have times of self doubt about the next action we are about to take, or the next proposal for a client, or the next initiative we are putting forth. And the truth is, it may not work. If we understand the risks involved, and agree to move forward with confidence anyway, then we will make whatever happens work. Not trying the trick because it might fail is the only real failure. So remember the rules: How do I do this? - JUST DO IT Am I doing it right? - YES See where it takes you. Many people look at the theatrical work that my company does onstage and they say "it's amazing that this is unscripted!" Or more often it is "So, what part was scripted, and what part was improvised..." The idea that things are constantly being created in the spot using a few simple rules is mind boggling, and somewhat impossible for people to believe. The truth is - Improvisation is an act of constant innovation. We take what the audience gives us and create a theatrical work that amazes, engages and involves the audience as active participants in the process. The audience leaves the theater knowing they had a part in the end product that was created. Wouldn't that be great for your business? If each employee left with the thought that they were a part of the whole, that they had an amount of control over the larger piece that has been created? These rules for engagement in improvisational theater cross over to any phase of work, to any industry. They can help shape how your company operates, giving each of your employees the chance to leave each day feeling like they are a part of the larger organization. These tenets: Being willing to play, finding the drive / commitment in what you do, listening and building on offers with your team; these are all skills that we strive for in our organizations. So why would people look at Improv and say 'what can you teach me about business?' The answer is: a lot. From Wikipedia: "The Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship holds that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare. Since the 1920s, the Oxfordian theory has been the most popular alternative Shakespeare authorship theory." I have heard this theory for years, that there is no possible way that a person of such humble origins could be responsible for brilliance. This theory is the same as saying that any child growing up poor in an intercity environment could never amount to anything. Many times when I am working with teams I will have people say "Tom doesn't like to do anything outgoing..." Then once we start, Tom does the thing that blows everyone away by being adventurous and innovative. The comment afterwards is always "I didn't know you were capable of that!" As I approach teams, I know that each and every one of the people on a team have their own skills. They each fall into a role to play, and they sometime play that role reluctantly. However, they have far below the surface that they don't bring to work, or show to their co-workers. And sometimes that part they keep inside can be a game changer for their career, and your businesses future. So - next time you say "There is no way that Sally will go with this new business idea...." give her a little credit and ask her. Maybe she has been waiting to be asked. Maybe, your idea is just what she was looking for. Everyone has the potential to be extraordinary. It's only the limitations that others place on us that can hold us down. Learn how 'Yes, and..' training can support new idea generation and innovation in your business. I am taking a few days vacation over New Year's to visit my in laws and relax with the family and their Shelties. The two dogs LOVE to herd anything; sheep, people, cars, other dogs... They do whatever they can to ensure that they know who is doing what, and do everything they can to keep the sheep in line. For anyone who has ever had a Sheltie, you know this to be true. It reminds me of working with a number of teams and their manager's leadership styles. There is an exercise that I use when I do workshops that is a great indicator of how much a person tries to control a situation, and helps define qualities of leadership. The game creates multiple patterns and stimulus, all of which are very difficult to track. As participants do the exercise and attempt to control the situation, it eventually leads to failure. The lesson that comes out of it; if you do your part, and trust that others will do theirs, then you can let go of trying to control everything. This begins a conversation about team trust and micromanagement. As you begin the New Year and start to reflect on your own style of managing, ask yourself: 1. What am I trying to control that is out of my control? 2. What can I let go of, and trust that other people can and will take care of ? (And maybe there is a deeper management issue here with those employees to discuss the lack of trust that they will have follow through.) Here's to a happier 2015, with less need to 'keep all the sheep in line.' Click here for more information on ImprovMindset workshops and Keynote Presentations for your team. One of the jokes that I tell all the time is: How many actors does it take to screw in a light bulb? Six. One to do it, and five to stand around and say 'I could have done that better if I had been given a chance...' What I love about the joke is the measure of truth about the statement. As a founder of an organization and a business leader, I am always struck by the amount of people who say "I would have done what you are doing differently..." And I agree! They would have. If they had been given a chance. The 'chance' that everyone speaks about is something that differentiates people. Leaders MAKE their own chances. They don't wait for them. It's in our nature to improve and build upon our world. To look at things and think about how to make them better. Once we see that something exists, then we can figure out how to alter it. What I am fascinated by is the creation of something. The spark that is something new. The desire to create something outside the scope of that you already know. To risk doing something that hasn't been done before, in order to figure out what that new thing might be. So ask yourself - are you playing it safe and waiting for the next thing to come along that you can alter? Or can you take the plunge to start the new thing, the scary thing? Are you willing to try and fail, or do you stick with what has already been proven to work? In those moments I am reminded of the phrase that i heard years ago; "How do I do this - Just do it! Am I doing it right? - Yes." It is better to make a decision and find out what you learn from it (or from the failure) then to stand back and not do anything. Forward motion. Take action. Screw in the light bulb yourself. For more information on ImprovMindset's Innovation and Action workshops, click here. In my recent work, I have been working with clients surrounding leaps of faith; diving into the unknown and finding out something new that you would have never found in the safety of your current surroundings. It is a method of putting yourself in a vulnerable position, one of uncertainty, to find the edge of what you know and push beyond it.
In the olden days, they used to print on the uncharted waters of maps 'Here there be dragons.' The same is true for our lives. We are used to a daily work routine - a way of operating. It's comfortable. It breeds a complacency. For many of us, we would rather deal with small set backs and be comfortable, then to stretch and find a new opportunity. Part of my work involves giving participants the physical understanding and the physical experience of taking a leap of faith. We practice doing it in controlled ways, so that we can explore our tendencies to not want to rock the boat. We can then see the decisions in a new light, and see how we might be sabotaging our future by keeping the next big thing from changing everything we know and love. A desire to change causes self-reflection, it creates introspection. Couple this physical training with an intellectual understanding like Franklin's decision making process, and you have a physical and intellectual practice to follow for decisions. As I work to change the dynamic of my work - I look at the dysfunctions of my organization and see that they reflect my personal dysfunctions. Since I built the organization, I have to face my own personal demons and be willing to slay them to find the next step. And here there be dragons. That small feeling - the 'pit of your stomach oh-my-god-what-am-I-going-to-do' feeling is a chemical fight or flight response that we, as humans, have hard wired into our brains. It is based on protecting ourselves from the Sabertooth tiger that might attack us. It is the vestige of an older world, that still affects us now. How can we begin to reframe that feeling - that fear - into excitement and wonder? Into the joy of finding outcome thing new? Can we look at the uncharted waters and think 'wow, I wonder what a dragon looks like? let's find out!' I believe by linking the intellectual process with a physical practice, we an alter the fear factor of decisions. After that, we have to reinforce the practice with more repetition. Practice does make perfect. And reflection on the practice gives self realization. Here there be dragons. For more information on Andrew's work, click here. |
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