Do At Least One Thing...

Your morning starts with the usual goals for the day: Get project 'A' started, move project 'B' one step down the road, call Fred about the problem that came up yesterday, and so on.  All of these are important goals; important in the sense that they directly relate to your job, and the work that you are doing.  All of these goals are essential to your success in your present position.

However, the thought may pass through your head every now and then that none of these goals relate to who you want to become, how you want to grow, where your life needs to change, or how you are preparing yourself for the future.

If you are one of the lucky people who find themselves being and doing exactly what is right for you, you can probably skip the rest of this blog post.

But, if you are like most people, you have room to grow, ways to improve, and much to accomplish before you reach nirvana.

For the majority of us there are a couple of things that, if done effectively, can create a turning point in our career, and our personal life.  These things are:

• Learning about yourself, who you are, who you want to be, and what is necessary to move yourself to your desired future.  (Kevin Cashman's book Leadership From the Inside Out is a great friend and resource while you make that journey.)
• Every day do at least one thing that moves you toward becoming/being who you want to be.

Simple concepts?  Yes, maybe too simple for some.  But, the execution of these steps takes some work and dedication.

The good news is that this dedication to improving, and investing in yourself pays huge dividends for the rest of your life.

You might say "That's a great idea.  I'll start tomorrow."  And, to that I would say "You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays." (From The Music Man, by Meredith Wilson)

Start today.  Put on your daily planner (along with Project A and Project B) to do one thing every day that moves you toward being who you want to be.  Take the first step.

The first step for many will be to begin to get clear on exactly who you want to be, and what you want to do with the rest of your life.  Some of you will be able to work this out for yourselves by devoting a little quality time to thinking over the question, either alone or with family or friends.  Others may want to consider getting a little help from a coach or mentor who can ask some meaningful questions.  Either way, get started! (See the footnote above regarding Leadership From the Inside Out)

Then, every day take one action, devote time to one thought, have one conversation, introduce yourself to one person who can help, read one article, tell one other person what you are doing, or focus a few minutes on your future. 

Your journey of a thousand miles begins with that first step.


Before you realize what has happened, you will find that your feet are on a slightly different path; one that leads to a better destination. 

Good luck on your journey.


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For those who might be interested in a little reading on this subject, you might find David Whyte's book Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity very interesting.  Whyte describes his journey from his job as a marine biologist to his dream of becoming a poet in a way that will give heart to all who have a passion for making both life and work meaningful.

Have A Nice Conflict

You are running a little late, and show up to the early morning project team meeting a few minutes after it started.  But already things have taken their usual course.  Tom is raising his voice and pressing for action on his latest proposal, Helen is telling Tom that he doesn't have enough information to move forward - more data is required.  Joe is leaning back in his chair looking uncomfortable, wishing the problem would just go away.  All three faces turn to you, the team leader, as you walk into the room.  Once again, your team is in conflict, and the day is just beginning.  Everything is normal.

Conflict is part of our daily lives.  Families experience conflict. Business and government organizations live in a sea of conflict.  International relations are fraught with conflict.  The news is filled with conflict.

The question that comes to mind is: if conflict is so prevalent in our lives, why aren't we better at dealing with it?  Perhaps one answer is that we are never given the proper tools.  As we grow up we learn how to get along, or how to take control of a situation.  We learn how to press our point, or to compete.  But, we may never be taught how to:

• Anticipate conflict
• Prevent conflict
• Identify conflict
• Manage conflict
• Resolve conflict

The time has come to change all of that.  Being a better leader or manager, or just being a better person, starts with self awareness and self management.  These competencies are rooted in self knowledge - knowing yourself, what motivates you, what you value, and how you translate those motivations and values into behaviors.  As you extend your knowledge beyond yourself, you gain an understanding of others, and how their motivations and values drive their behaviors.  You also begin to gain an understanding of what causes conflict.  (See the footnote below for information on tools to help you gain deeper self and social awareness)

 [C]onflict [is] the feeling that occurs when another person or set of circumstances becomes an obstacle that inhibits one's ability to live out their motivational values.  (Have a Nice Conflict, p 95)  People go into conflict about things that are important to them - values that are tied to their sense of self-worth.  (Have a Nice Conflict, p. 130) 

If you want to deal with conflict, your challenge is to learn how to identify motivations and values in yourself and others, and how to communicate with the people involved in a conflict.  Then, the key is to use that knowledge to build a path back to self-worth for all parties. Luckily, you are not alone.  Help is on the way.

Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson, and Kent Mitchell have recently published a book titled Have a Nice Conflict that will, in a few hours, give you valuable insights into how to translate your self and social awareness into actions, behaviors, and language that will help you anticipate, prevent, identify, manage, and resolve conflict.  Their book is based on work done by Elias H. Porter, as well as decades of study, and experience using the Strengths Deployment Inventory, or SDI.

One of the things that Scudder, Patterson and Mitchell points out is that behavior in conflict follows patterns.  Although it is true that human beings are not 100% predictable, it is interesting to note that certain discernible patterns of behavior do exist.  Knowing that patterns exist, and having some tools to help you identify the patterns when you see them, gives you a huge head start on managing conflicts.

The authors have created a fable, or parable, that lets you follow the journey of "John" as he learns about these patterns of behavior within himself and those around him, both when things are going well, and when things go into conflict. 

As Have A Nice Conflict points out, one of the biggest challenges is to learn how to manage a conflict when you are already firmly entrenched in it. If we enter into conflict at a purely reactionary level, if we just follow our emotions, we tend to let the conflict manage us rather than managing the conflict.  But by managing ourselves, and learning how to communicate with each of the individuals involved in the conflict, we can be more effective when we find ourselves in the fray.  Also, conflicts become shorter, and are often avoided.

A well-chosen behavior on your part can prevent conflict with another person. But you need to prevent conflict in yourself... too.  (Have a Nice Conflict, p. 142)  Managing conflict is about creating the conditions that empower others to manage themselves out of their emotional state of conflict.  It's also about managing yourself out.  (Have a Nice Conflict, p. 162)

We all need to follow the advice of every airline flight attendant: place your own oxygen mask on first, then help the person next to you with theirs.  You need to gain control of yourself before you can be any help to the other parties to a conflict.  (See the earlier blog post The View From The Balcony)

Preventing conflict within yourself, and creating conditions that allow others to manage themselves requires conscious thought.  Conscious thought is much easier when you know what to listen for, what to look for, and how to respond to people who hold differing motivational values.

Have a Nice Conflict gives you some interesting insight into language and behaviors that you can use when you find yourself in a conflict with another person.  And, it shows you how to modify your language to fit the person, or people, in the conflict.

The first and best thing you can do is to dedicate some time to learning about yourself.  The footnote below gives links to some very valuable tools for gaining an understanding of what it means to be you.  Every tool has its supporters and critics.  There is no "single best tool".

Take a look at Have a Nice Conflict.  I think it will be well worth your time.  You will come away with some interesting insights into the people you live and work with.  You may also learn a thing or two about yourself in the process.

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Footnote:   

There are many tools that help you learn about yourself: Myers Briggs, Thomas Kllman, DiSC for example.  But the best tool I have found to increase both your self awareness, and your social awareness is the Strengths Deployment Inventory, or SDI.  The SDI is the one instrument that I have found that takes on the question of how to deal effectively with conflict.

I have a personal bias toward the SDI instrument, and have used it successfully both as a tool for gaining self-knowledge, and for creating a team environment of mutual understanding, better working relationships, and reducing conflicts.  Have a Nice Conflict and the SID go hand in hand with developing your self and social awareness.  The SDI will give you insight into why you and others behave in certain ways.  It creates a bond between team members, and establishes a common language about behavior that can be used within the team when things get a little tense.

The DiSC Instrument is also a great team-based tool for looking at styles and behaviors.  In my experience, the DiSC has been useful for helping teams identify attributes of the team members.  It becomes more powerful when used with the SDI to help the team members understand what to do when those attributes, or behaviors get in the way.

The Thomas Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument is great for helping you think through critical situations where conflict might exist, and selecting a behavior or strategy that may be appropriate.

And, finally, the Myers Briggs instrument is always a great tool for improving your self-knowledge.

Each of these tools should be done with the assistance of a coach. (See the previous blog entry Every Leader Needs A Coach)  To gain the full understanding of what the tools have to say, having a few hours with a qualified coach will be most valuable.

Learning Is Doing

In these tough economic times more and more workplaces, both business and government, have sharpened their pencils, gotten down to brass tacks, cut out the fat, tightened their belts, and adopted new production measures - because we all know "what gets measured gets done."  It has been very important for managers and leaders to be able to prove that each and every employee is doing what needs to be done, every minute of every day.

Top management has said that if you are not at your post, focused on your assigned task, you are not doing anything.  And, if you are not doing anything, you are wasting the company's time and money.

The concerns of management certainly can be understood.  Stockholders are unforgiving of companies that do not operate efficiently.  Citizens are unforgiving of governments that waste taxpayer dollars.  In either case, dissatisfaction with the organization's leadership can lead to changes at the top.   CEOs and politicians alike hold positions that are constantly at stake.

So it is not surprising that management's emphasis has remained on ensuring that employees are doing something that contributes to the success of the organization; doing those things that can be measured, proven, and demonstrated with hard facts.

In the face of this emphasis on facts and reality (See blog posts on The Leadership Diamond and Reality), true leaders are faced with the dilemma of finding ways to operate a profitable and efficient organization while still encouraging employee growth and learning.  These leaders understand the need to take care of today by delivering efficiency and quality, and to take care of the future by investing in the managers and leaders of tomorrow.

In a recent blog post (Learning and Teaching) the need for learning, both adaptive and generative, was discussed.  Adaptive learning is the learning that helps us survive.  Organizations, like individuals, must learn in order to compete, gain resources, and survive in a competitive climate.  Generative learning is the learning that "enhances our capacity to create" (Peter Senge).  It is this learning that lets the organization move beyond mere survival, create new and better solutions, and reach new levels of achievement. 

If an employee spends time learning, improving the chances that the organization will survive or will reach a new level, then that employee is doing something that contributes to the long-term success of the organization.

Even when the immediate results of the learning cannot be measured in profitability, number of widgets made, or popularity in the polls, learning that leads to the creation of good and competent managers, leaders who can take the organization to the next level, or creative thinkers that discover new ways of solving the problems of today is essential to the success of the organization.

If you are a leader, manager or politician, you have the opportunity to ensure that your organization is taking time to step back from the business of the day to take in the big picture (see The View From The Balcony), encouraging creativity and experimentation (see Everyday Creativity), expanding knowledge and skills (see Knowledge Skills and Talents), and improving the health of the organization.  All of these efforts will help you create a successful organization.

In successful organizations learning is doing.

Learning and Teaching

My joy in learning is partly in that it enables me to teach.
Seneca

The above quote is from Seneca the Younger, an early Roman philosopher and statesman.  Although he is thought to have made this statement during the early part of the first century AD, the sentiment expressed is as true today as it was in his time.  The real joy in learning is very often found in the use of the new knowledge, and the passing on of that knowledge to others.

The importance of learning, and the passing on of knowledge, should strike a chord with strong leaders.  As discussed in an earlier blog post (The Seeds of Change), organizations are organic in nature, which means that they are constantly growing and changing.  For the organization to be growing in the desired direction, leaders need to be sure that focused learning, and the passing on of new knowledge, is encouraged, and that both learning and teaching are highly valued attributes in the workplace.

The leader plays a special role in this process because by modeling the desired behavior (showing that the acts of learning, teaching, and applying new knowledge are valued) the organization has a greater chance of embracing a culture that values growth and change.  Learning and the application of new knowledge is in essence "change".

Peter Senge talks about two types of learning: adaptive learning, and generative learning.  Adaptive learning is the learning that helps us survive.  Organizations, like individuals, must learn in order to compete, gain resources, and survive in a competitive climate.

Generative learning is the learning that "enhances our capacity to create" (Senge).  It is this learning that lets the organization move beyond mere survival, create new and better solutions, and reach new levels of achievement. 

A leader who is both a learner and a willing and enthusiastic teacher helps to create an organizational culture that acknowledges the necessity and value of both adaptive and generative learning, and an organization that enthusiastically sees and reaches for possibilities.

Everyday Creativity

Dewitt Jones, the highly regarded National Geographic photographer, has taught literally thousands of leaders some very important lessons about bringing creativity into the workplace.  Here are a few of the topics Jones covers:

Perspective - Learn to change lenses; change the way you look at challenges and problems.  Are you too close to the situation?  Are you not close enough?  Are you seeing things from only your perspective, or are there other perspectives that are valid ways to look at the situation?  You will almost always find that there is more than one right solution.

Try - If you don't try, you have already failed.  There should be no penalty for trying.  Leaders should encourage others to try, and have no fear of failure.

Patterns - We all fall into patterns of behavior, and ways of thinking.  In order to find creative solutions, we must break these set patterns.  Seeing things in a new light is necessary to find creative ways of dealing with challenges.

Technique - Train your technique so that you know how to use your equipment (tools of the trade) without having to think about the technical part of the job.  For Jones, this means being a skilled photographer who intuitively knows how to adjust his photographic equipment for various lighting conditions.  For a leader, it may mean being comfortable with the technology of your business, with computer systems or applications, or with communication channels.  The technique of using the tools should not get in the way of being creative.

Potential - Every situation has places from which you can view events, people, and interactions.  Find the place of most potential.  This may be a place that is unusual for you, in your role as leader, to stand.  However, it is in this place where you will most clearly see what is going on down on the stage, and how you may be able to influence the outcomes.  (See the earlier post on The View from the Balcony).

Windows of opportunity - The world provides us with windows of opportunity.  These may be instants in time, days, or months.  Be patient.  And, be ready to take action when the window of opportunity opens.

It's up to you - Whether you are the leader of an organization or one of the staff members, there is no one to whom you can delegate creativity.  If you are the leader, you affect the organization's culture.  Is creativity encouraged?  Is there a penalty for trying?  Are patterns allowed to be broken?  Do people know how to use their tools?  How skilled is their technique?  Do you encourage people to take advantage of windows of opportunity?

I encourage you to check out the very short video by Dewitt Jones - Everyday Creativity.  It is a very inspiring and information filled 22 minutes.

Every Leader Needs a Coach

In the world of sports there is a natural tendency to respect those who have succeeded on their own.  These are the Olympians who have climbed to the summit by sheer strength of will, and raw talent.  They have shown us all how to win.  They have made it look easy.  These are the heroes of the press, and the public.  We look at a Tiger Woods or a Kobe Bryant and marvel at their success.

But, what makes Tiger Woods or Kobe Bryant so good? 

Each has extraordinary talent.  Each has tenacity, focus, and perseverance.  Even if they did nothing more, each would be considered a good player in their respective sport.   However, each has taken an additional step, a step that has helped them achieve their well earned reputation.  Each has a coach.

Why would someone as talented as these players use a coach?

The answer is actually relatively simple.  Tiger Woods cannot see his swing,  Kobe Bryant cannot see his form.  In the heat of the game, neither can be an unbiased judge of how they are playing.

The same is true in business and government.  In the heat of the board room, when the future is clouded by the fog of war, sagging economies, and a need to change the organization, leaders are not always the best critics of their own performance, or the best judge of how their behavior is affecting the organization.  A coach who can view the play from the sidelines can be an invaluable ally.

The role of coaching in the business and government world has changed over time.  According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR):

Ten years ago, most companies engaged a coach to help fix toxic behavior at the top. Today, most coaching is about developing the capabilities of high-potential performers. (Harvard Business Review, January 2009, "What Coaches Can Do for You", Diane Coutu and Carol Kauffman)

In the business and government world, about half of the coaches employed today are focused on the positive side of coaching, developing high-potential talent to assure top corporate performance.  Another quarter of all coaches are focusing on strategic issues and organizational dynamics. 

For the potential leader or manager seeking to improve and grow, a coach can provide insight into how behaviors are affecting the organization, an independent assessment of the extent to which change efforts are achieving the desired results,  or insight into which new behaviors are or are not working.  However, as the HBR pointed out in an article in 2007, learning and growing takes a significant amount of effort:

The development of genuine expertise requires struggle, sacrifice, and honest, often painful self-assessment. There are no shortcuts. It will take you at least a decade to achieve expertise, and you will need to invest that time wisely, by engaging in “deliberate” practice—practice that focuses on tasks beyond your current level of competence and comfort. You will need a well-informed coach not only to guide you through deliberate practice but also to help you learn how to coach yourself. (Harvard Business Review, July-August 2007, "The Making of an Expert", K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula, and Edward T. Cokely)

Don't expect instant success, and at the same time, expect constant progress.  True mastery of of any trade or profession takes time.  (See the blog post - 10,000 Hours)

Finally, you might find the following very short video of Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, interesting.  If Eric Schmidt can benefit from having a coach, so can you.

Opening Your (Johari) Window

Back in the 1950s two fellows names Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham developed a tool to help people better understands their interpersonal relationships and communications. Over the past 50 or 60 years this tool, known as the Johari Window (that’s a combination of Joe and Harry), has been used countless times to help individuals and groups learn more about themselves, and their managers, subordinates, and leaders.

The concept of the Johari Window is relatively simple. Consider the fact that there are things about yourself that you know, and very likely things about yourself that you don’t know. Also, it is fairly obvious that there are things about you that others know, and there are things about you that others don’t know.

This simple premise forms the basis of a very interesting conversation about who you are, your blind spots, what you are willing to share with others, and the great unknown.


If you read the earlier blog post on Trust, you might remember that part of what makes a leader trustworthy, and therefore successful, is communications – letting people know what you are thinking, and what drives you. And, as this communications is going on, you are exposing things about yourself to others. You are enlarging the part of the Johari Window called the Arena – the part that both you and others know about you.

The larger the Arena (this area of shared knowledge) the better your understanding of how others see you, and the better others understand the characteristics that make you who you are. Because you are open, your coworkers do not need to interpret or insert meaning. They can understand your words and actions for what they are. This openness contributes to a more trusting relationship.

Do not confuse openness with agreement. People will still disagree on policies, direction, and goals. But, by removing the need to insert meaning, or imply motives, the debate can focus on the topic of the work. I do not have to agree with someone to trust them; but, I do need to understand them, and have an understanding of what drives them.

The Johari Window below shows what happens as self disclosure and communications begin to expand the Arena. Your Blind Spot shrinks, you are seen as more genuine (the Façade shrinks), and there are fewer questions about your motives and how you will react to your team (the Unknown shrinks).


If you are interested in doing an online exercise using the Johari Window there is one at this URL - http://kevan.org/johari. Instructions are found on the web site.

If you are interested in doing the exercise in person, talk to that coach I suggested you get in the Trust blog entry, or contact me and maybe I can give you a referral. My contact information is on the right side of the blog page.
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The Paradox of Success

Organizations, like people, sometimes reach a point where the ego, either the collective ego of the organization or the ego of the organization’s key leaders, has swollen to the point where growth is stifled. New learning becomes impossible. Innovation and exploration slow or stop.

“We are the best!” “We are bullet proof!” “We are too big to fail!”

When an organization has become so certain that it is the model for others to follow, that it has the answer to every problem, and/or that it is so competitively superior to others that there is no need to look for improvements in services, products, or delivery systems, the end is near.

The employees of these companies are often the first to detect these signs. The problem is that within organizations where this mindset is held at the highest levels it may be difficult or impossible for lower level staff to get top level managers to see the signs.

In his book The Paradox of Success, John O’Neil gives a few telltale signs that help identify when an organization needs to step back, regroup, and invest in some serious organizational self-renewal. O’Neil suggests that we watch for:

• Centralization vs. Decentralization of Power – In pyramidal structures the decision-making capacity is located at the top, in the top manager’s office. In self-renewing organizations, knowledge and decision-making power are dispersed where the action takes place.
• Adaptability of leadership – The old, more typical, organizational structure has the strong leader; single point of control; a lonely, isolated, resourceful, and action oriented leader. A self-renewing organization develops and nurtures large numbers of leaders who know how to work alone and in teams. These leaders swarm around trouble, and know when and how to retreat to think deeply, and plan carefully.
• Flexible structures and procedures – The typical organization is massive, hardwired with policies and procedures, specialized by department and function, and slow to respond to change or mistakes. The self-renewing organization is light and flexible, situation-responsive, quick to adapt. It thrives on partnerships and strategic alliances, continuous learning, and is aware of its shadows – those places where the taboo topics, and the dark side of both corporate and individual personalities lurk. (The Paradox of Success, John O’Neal, 1994 – P. 254)

Individuals and leaders of organizations need to treasure truth-telling friends and associates. They need to listen whether the news is good or bad. They need to seek out teachers and mentors who will challenge them, and introduce them the undiscovered country where growth and improvement lie. Learning is the fuel that will enable both individuals and organizations to sustain success.

Your role is to be a “truth-telling” friend to the organization and its leaders. Or, if you are the leader, your role is to seek out and listen to those who can see the truth and are willing to say it openly. (This is easier said than done for many leaders.)

Your role is to find a teacher or mentor who can lead you into the wilderness where self discovery and learning can take place. Or, it might be that your role is to become a teacher or mentor who can help others on their journey of growth and discovery.

Either way, you have a role. If you choose to play it, both you and your organization have a chance at success.

What is the truth about you? What is the truth about your organization? Who should you tell? Who should you seek out? Who are your teachers or mentors? When does your journey of renewal begin?


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10,000 Hours

A few weeks ago, my friend Tim Scudder (CEO at Personal Strengths USA) posted the following on one of the networking sites we both frequent: "Just read Outliers by Gladwell. 10,000 hours to achieve mastery!? Speaks volumes to the value of retaining and developing people."

I have often thought about the importance of developing and retaining good people. Clearly investing in the growth of our employees is essential to the success of the organization.

But,Tim's comment caused me to stop and reconsider my thinking about the organizational costs of loosing an employee who has reached a significant level of mastery. His comment made me think about the true value of the individual, and the importance of retaining and continuing to develop these exceptional people.

From a leadership perspective, the knowledge, skills and abilities of the people within the organization contribute to the success of the entire system. (See the blog post on Knowledge, Skill and Talent) The stronger your team, the more likely it is that you can achieve your goals.

In Outliers, Gladwell states “…[T]en thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything...” (P. 49)

At first blush it seems that this in not that hard to achieve. Any employee who had worked for five years has invested 10,000 hours in a job. So why is it that finding people who have achieved mastery is so rare?

When you examine what mastery requires, it is more than time-in-grade. Mastery requires study and focused effort. For example, an employee may come into the organization having an idea of what leadership requires, but they may spend only a few hours each week developing their leadership skills; only a few hours in practicing the craft. It may take many years, even decades, to achieve the 10,000 hours necessary to develop a great leader.

If you do the math (and this is admittedly very rudimentary math based on some very gross assumptions), at a total cost of $100 per hour (including all overhead related to employing a person), and assuming that a person spends maybe ¼ of his or her time actually working on developing mastery of a chosen field, it will take 40,000 hours for a person to achieve the 10,000 hours of investment in a chosen field. This is equal to about 20 years of work. During those 20 years, the organization will have invested over $4 million in that employee’s development. If the person spends significantly less than ¼ of their time each week invested in developing their craft, mastery may never be achieved.

What is lost when that 20 year veteran, that person who has achieved mastery, walks out the door?

At a minimum, you will be trying to attract another highly experienced person from a competitor or related business. According to Human Resources experts like Hewitt Associates and Bliss & Associates, the best case cost for lost productivity, recruitment, and training will be 150% of the person's salary. (Julie Clark, City of Carlsbad HR Director) In the worst case, you will invest years bringing the new person up to a level of mastery that was lost.

A leader (and the organization as a whole) must consider not only the monetary costs of loosing an employee who has achieved mastery, he or she must also consider the systemic costs.

What were the costs to the classical music world for the loss of Mozart? What would be the cost to Apple for the loss of Steve Jobs? How would the world be different today if we had lost the other masters of their craft before their contribution was made?

What would be the cost to your organization of the loss of key leaders or "masters"?

Tim said that the concept that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve mastery speaks volumes about value of retaining and developing people.

I believe that it not only speaks, it shouts.



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Skills, Knowledge, And Talent

Please note that there are several great comments posted at the end of this blog. Be sure to click on the "comment" link at the bottom of this entry to see the comments. And, thank you to all who have shared their views.

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We often read or hear about leaders who are described as skillful, knowledgeable, or talented. But, what does it mean to be skillful, knowledgeable, or talented? And, can a person who wants to be a successful leader become skillful, improve their knowledge base, or expand their leadership talent?

Part of the answer lies in the definition of skills, knowledge and talents. Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman examine the difference between skills, knowledge and talents in their book First Break All The Rules.

According to Buckingham skills are the "how-to's of a role" (p. 83). Skills can be transferred from one person to another. A person can learn a how to hold a golf club, build a house, write a sentence, or do arithmetic. Skills are an important part of being successful at any endeavor. And, without skill any resulting action or effort will be clumsy and ineffective.

Knowledge is "what you are aware of" . There are basically two types of knowledge: "...factual knowledge - things you know, and experiential knowledge - understandings you have picked up along the way." (p. 83)

Factual knowledge would be the rules of mathematics, accounting, scientific principles, or other similar fact-based information. Like skills, fact-based knowledge can be learned from others and/or gained through some form of education. (p. 83)

Experiential knowledge is harder to teach. It is less tangible, more related to patterns and connections. To gain experiential knowledge you must take time to stop, reflect on past experiences, and find meaning. Experiential knowledge may be different for each person because each will experience a different pattern of life. (p. 83-84)

Talent is a totally different phenomenon. Talent is the pattern of thinking and feeling that comes from the very core of the individual. Some people care deeply about precision and accuracy, discipline, and responsibility. Others have a drive to compete, be competent, strive to achieve a mission, or dedicate themselves to a certain belief. And, others may feel strong empathy, value interpersonal relations, dedicate themselves to the success of a team, or exhibit great courage in overcoming resistance. (p. 84-85) Buckingham breaks talents into three categories: striving talents, thinking talents, and relating talents.

• Striving talents explain the why of a person. They help you understand why a particular person cares deeply, and why they try a little harder than others in certain circumstances.
• Thinking talents explain the how of a person. They explain how a person analyzes situations, how decisions are reached, whether thinking is linear or intuitive process, or is the person systematic or creative.
• Relating talents explain the who of a person. They explain the relationships the person is likely to build, in whom will the person trust, the way the person will relate to strangers, and expose deep feelings about the way the person will manage interpersonal relationships. (p. 85)
  

Buckingham says that talents cannot be taught. If a person does not have a particular talent, there is very little a person can do to inject it into themselves or others. Talents are difficult (if not impossible) to transfer from one person to another.

If Buckingham is right, this creates an interesting situation for us in our role as leaders. It becomes essential to understand ourselves deeply; a process that takes dedicated self-examination.

Knowing our own skills, knowledge, and talents is the start. We can then develop ourselves through purposeful learning, receiving coaching, and reflection (making sense of our experiences). We can also make use of this self-knowledge to help us identify people who bring skills, knowledge, and talents to the organization or team that are complimentary to our own.

This self-development takes courage and the ability to admit that we may not have every attribute necessary to create success (or as Dr. Peter Koestenbaum would say, "Greatness").

Relying on others is easier for people who already have a strong relationship awareness skills, or what Buckingham calls "relating talents". (P. 252) It may be harder for people who tend to be autonomous thinkers. But, regardless of your personal talents, being able to bring the right people together at the right time is essential to the success of any endeavor.

If you are interested in doing some meaningful self-reflection, nothing beats having a great coach to guide you along the path. As one of my colleagues (and one of my unofficial coaches) Ray Patchett pointed out to me one day "Even Michael Jordan has a coach." No matter where you are in your career, the corporate hierarchy, or how good you think you are, there is no substitute for having someone who can help you take a realistic look at yourself.

In his article "Teaching Smart People How to Learn" (Harvard Business Review, May , 1991), Chris Argyris points out that professionals often find learning about themselves most difficult. Self-examination and questioning our own behavior is extremely difficult, particularly for those who have achieved some professional status. Having someone who can help you through the discovery process, who cares about your success, opens pathways to greatness that many never discover.

The more you understand about yourself the more you are going to be able to understand others. Also, the better you understand your own skills, knowledge, and talents, the better you can identify where to improve yourself, and when to bring others close to you to help fill in gaps.

The Ladder of Inference

The following was first presented to me by my good friend and mentor, Jim Boylan, PathFinders Consulting Alliance. Jim knows a great deal more about this than I do. So, if you are interested in the deeper implications of how the Ladder of Inference affects relationships, please contact Jim at jbpathfinders(at)roadrunner(dot)com, or click on the PathFinders Consulting Alliance tab at the top of the blog.

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How do you define Truth? What do you believe about human capability and motivation? What do you believe about human nature?

You probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about these questions. But, these definitions, beliefs, and assumptions about others are always acting, filtering, and coloring your response to what is going on around you.

Here's an example. You are driving down the road at a sedate 40 miles per hour in fairly heavy traffic. A small, beat up sedan comes up from behind you, zigzagging in and out of traffic, traveling far too fast for conditions. He cuts in front of you, almost taking off your front bumper. Hanging his head out the driver's side window, he shouts something at you, and speeds away, continuing to quickly weave through traffic.

Your first thoughts are probably "What an Idiot!" or something more forceful. Because of our culture most of us assume that it is inappropriate to flaunt traffic laws, or to endanger other drivers. You know from the kind of car the person was driving, and the way he was behaving, that this is clearly some deadbeat nut who shouldn't have a driver's license. In fact, you may feel this so strongly that you offer the fellow a parting disparaging salute as he drives away.

You have observed a situation, applied your filters and assumptions about proper highway etiquette and behavior, and have come to a conclusion about the character and motivation of that person, and you have acted on your conclusions.

You have just climbed the "Ladder of Inference". (To see if you climbed the correct ladder, read the last paragraph of this post.)

Here's how the Ladder of Inference works:

• I observe objectively - Observation by itself is not a biased activity. When I observe I see what happens, hear what was said, or experience a situation - no more and no less.
• I select data from what I observe - Here is where the filtering begins. I create assumptions about which parts of the event I have observed are important. This assumption about importance is based on how the things that have been observed affect me, or fit into my cultural experience. A person from one culture may not understand the significance of events that occur within another culture. Culture can be large (a country, religious group, political party, or shared language), or small (individual, family, or workgroup).
• I add meaning to what I have selected - At this point, I imply meaning using the norms of my culture, or experience.
• I make assumptions based on the meaning I have added - This process begins to fill in gaps in knowledge. Where I don't know something about the event, I naturally assume that the motivations, behaviors, wants, desires, likes and dislikes should match my own. These assumptions take the guesswork out of understanding the situation.
• I draw conclusions which prompt feelings - Now that I understand the situation, and have filled in the gaps with assumptions, I can draw conclusions about why the person is behaving that way. And, of course, I immediately begin to have feelings about these conclusions.
• I adopt beliefs about the world - Based on my conclusions, I can now see that there are things within the world that are out of alignment (or in the case of a positive conclusion, in alignment). I am having either negative or positive feelings about the situation. And, at this point, I believe some form of action, whether it is a physical act, spoken words, or other behavior on my part, is necessary.
• I take action based on my beliefs and feelings - I now fully understand the entire situation and take the necessary action: I give the departing driver a negative hand gesture. Or, in the case of a work situation, perhaps I say something that I believe to be appropriate based on my conclusions about the current situation. This is often an emotional, rather than a rational response.

This move up the Ladder of Inference takes milliseconds. It happens all day long. It happens when we interact with people, and when we read the news. It also affects how others see us as they climb their own Ladders of Inference.

There are a few things you can do to help cut down the number of times you run up the ladder:

• Make your thinking process visible to others by explaining your assumptions, interpretations, and conclusions. This is easier to do in the office where there are other people around to help you think through things than it is while you are alone, driving down the road. But, even when you are alone, you can take a moment to examine your journey up the ladder before deciding what action you will take.

• Invite others to test your assumptions and conclusions. When you have the opportunity to work with others, have them help you think things through.
• Use respectful inquiry to help others make their thought processes visible. Use open and nonjudgmental questions, rather than questions that exhibit a bias.
• Explore impasses, and don't agree to disagree too soon. This helps you avoid hidden or unspoken assumptions and conclusions that hide the journey up the Ladder of Inference.

Next time you find yourself having an emotional reaction to something, take the time to notice what triggered this feeling. Observe the events that have occurred. Examine the data you selected. Think about the filters you use to interpret information. Identify your assumptions and conclusions. Understand the root of your feelings. And then select the action you will take.
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By the way, in case you are curious, the fellow driving the beat up sedan was on the way to the hospital with his wife who was seven months pregnant. Her labor started unexpectedly while riding in the car. The hospital was only 2 blocks away. The life of both the mother and the baby were at risk. What he shouted out of his window was "I'm sorry, please excuse me."

What did you think he said?
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Here is a slide, provided by Jim Boylan, PathFinders Consulting Alliance, that can be used when talking through the Ladder of Inference with a group.

The Comfort of the Cage

There is an oft told story (perhaps apocryphal) about how to train an elephant to stay wherever its trainer wants it to be. As the story goes, when the elephant is first born, it is chained to a stake making it impossible for the elephant to move beyond the length of the chain. After a while, the elephant learns that its efforts to break the chain are futile. It gives up the effort and begins to live within the area defined by the chain. Later in life, the elephant's keeper no longer needs a heavy chain and stake to control the giant beast. The keeper simply ties a rope to the elephant's leg, and the elephant, knowing from prior experience that it cannot break the tether, allows the rope to limit its movement. It has become comfortable within an invisible cage.

"Comfortable" may not be the right word. Maybe "resigned" is more appropriate. But, the message is the same. We all are trained to live within limits that are defined for us by others. It begins when we are young, and continues while we are learning our craft, or practicing our profession. It happens in families, and in personal relationships.

These limits, rules and boundaries are part of the culture within which we exist. Edgar Schein, an expert on the subject or organizational culture, noted that "any group with a stable membership and a history of shared learning will have developed some level of culture." (Organizational Culture and Leadership, p. 15) This shared learning can be a good thing, preserving the group's ability to remain healthy and thrive, or a bad thing causing the group to continue practices that create limits and boundaries that serve no useful purpose.

Schein says that it is the "unique function of leadership" to identify dysfunctional cultural norms or values, to manage cultural evolution, and help groups survive in a changing environment.

Regardless of whether the cultural norms are positive or negative, these norms may have become so ingrained in the group's culture that they are now base assumptions; assumptions that have become so strongly held that any other way of thinking or behaving would be inconceivable, just like the elephant in the above story. (Organizational Culture and Leadership, p. 22) In fact, organizations often find that any attempt to examine these base assumptions is destabilizing.

However, if the culture includes assumptions, behaviors, and norms that are negative or do not contribute to the survival of the organization, it may be time for a change.

One way to go about examining these base assumptions is to use a technique known as double-loop learning, or frame breaking. This process, first described by Argyris and Schon, is based on the idea that underlying assumptions, norms, and limits should be questioned through a series of loops (each response is questioned again) that expose the layers upon which we build our cultures, actions, and systems.

This process is difficult and uncomfortable for any group. A leader that digs into the base assumptions will experience considerable push back from the members of the group. Schein says that "The human mind needs cognitive stability. Therefore, any challenge to or questioning of a basic assumption will release anxiety and defensiveness." (Organizational Culture and Leadership, p. 23) However, double-loop learning offers a way for an organization to understand the foundation upon which its culture is built, and to begin the change process when those base assumptions no longer serve the needs of the group.

If our elephant applied double-loop learning to its situation from time to time, it might find that the environment had changed, and new opportunities were available that had previously seemed unthinkable.

If our elephant applied double-loop learning I wonder where the elephant might be today.

A Leader's Power

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of leadership books on the market. The various authors tell stories of success, describe the attributes of great leaders, suggest how to discover your personal strengths, help you get in touch with your emotions, and teach the importance of creating a compelling vision. All of these are important messages about being a successful leader.

As you can probably tell from the past 30 (or more) blog posts, I believe that understanding what these authors have to say, learning about what it means to be a leader, and developing your own leadership mind is essential to becoming a successful leader. Everyone can learn a great deal from those who have studied leadership in its many forms, and have found meaning and wisdom in the examples of success.

Few, if any, of these authors suggest that a rote practice of the techniques found in their books will lead to success. Leadership is more than the simple repetition of acts performed by others.

So, what's the point of all of this learning? If copying the example of others is not a formula for success, what can a fledgling leader do to make a difference in an organization? What can a person do to move an organization in a certain direction? You might ask yourself, "How can I be the leader I want (or need) to be"?

Change the Language
First I suggest that "knowledge is power". All of the learning you have done about leadership, emotional intelligence, vision, ethics, courage, reality, and other concepts makes a profound change within you. This understanding of the roots of leadership lets you see the organization from a broader perspective.

A leader cannot successfully mandate that an organization become something that it is not over night. Meaningful, lasting, and sustainable change takes time. As Peter Senge says, change is organic, it grows from within.

This change often begins with one simple act; a change in the language used to describe the organization, the work, the people, the vision and goal, and the world within which the organization exists.

Lou Tice of the Pacific Institute teaches about the power of the words we use to describe ourselves, our organizations, and our world. People tend to move toward that which they think and talk about. Therefore, the words we choose when we describe our reality, our future, and ourselves are fateful.

I am not suggesting that you lie to yourself. Those of you who are acquainted with Dr. Peter Koestenbaum will understand the value of being well grounded in reality and truth. However, the leader has the power to inject into the conversation words, concepts, visions, and dreams that, over time, change the conversations going on in the hallways and offices of the organization.

When you change the language, you change the conversation.

As the conversation changes, you find that the beliefs, norms, values, visions, and attitudes of the organization begin to change. These define the culture of the organization.

As you change the conversation, you change the culture.

As the culture changes, the leader will find that those changes that could not be mandated at the beginning begin to grow and become part of the new fabric of the organization.

This is one of the few powers of the leader: the leader can change the language. When you change the language, you change the conversation. When you change the conversation, you change the culture.

Because of the knowledge you have gained by studying leadership, you are more likely to choose the right words.

Make Space
The second power a leader has is the ability to make space. One of the ways a leader can show what work is important is to allocate scarce resources to certain projects. When we think about the allocation of resources we usually think of money, equipment, and people.

We often feel the leaders job is done once money, equipment, and people have been assigned to a project. But, if we fail to give those people the time on their calendars, a way to work without being pulled back into other assignments, and a way to focus quality time on the important work, what we have done is create more work that is indistinguishable from the work that is already being done. We have not created space for success.

If you are a leader you can underline the importance of work by giving those who are allowed onto the team space to succeed: money, equipment, people, a place to work, and time.

Because of the knowledge you have gained by studying leadership, you are more likely to understand which are the important tasks that need space.

If you changes the language so that people begin to talk about what's important, and create space for important work, you have taken two huge steps toward becoming one of those leaders that the rest of us will study in the years to come.

The Seeds of Change

Just before the turn of the century (the 21^st century) a number of leadership-gurus started turning heads by talking about the organic nature of organizations, and how traditional theories of organizational change were proving to be wrong. One of these leaders was Margaret Wheatley who, in her book Leadership and the New Science, said:

The dominant world view of Western culture – the world as machine – doesn’t help us to live well in this world any longer. We have to see the world differently if we are to live in it more harmoniously. Leadership and the New Science, (p. 172), Margaret Wheatley, 1999

She went on to say that an organization’s “…behaviors don’t change just by announcing new values. We move only gradually into being able to act congruently with those values.” (p 130-131)

This view of organizations as something other than machines was also expressed by Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline and the Dance of Change.

In an article (Learning for a Change) published by Fast Company Magazine in May 1999, Senge brought his view of the organic nature of companies to the casual reader. He said:

We need to think less like managers and more like biologists. …Companies are actually living organisms, not machines. …Perhaps treating companies like machines keeps them from changing… We keep bringing in mechanics – when what we need are gardeners. We keep trying to drive change – when what we need to do is cultivate change.

If we approach our organizations as mechanical systems we develop high level leaders who drive change through formal, top-down change programs. If we approach our organizations as living systems we develop leaders at all levels who approach change as a natural part of the growth of the company.

Senge goes on to point out that in nature “nothing that grows starts large; it always starts small." In his view, in the natural world, “…no one is in charge making the growth occur. Instead, growth occurs as a result of the interplay of diverse forces.”

These forces are not under the control of any one person including the person at the top of the organizational structure, the “leader.” They are the natural forces that exist within every organization.

In Senge’s opinion, we often “use the word 'leader' to mean 'executive': The leader is the person at the top. That definition says that leadership is synonymous with a position. And if leadership is synonymous with a position, then it doesn’t matter what a leader does. All that matters is where a leader sits.”

Historically we have assigned to the leader the power to make organizational changes, to take an organization in a certain direction, or to know what changes are needed even when the people within the organization can’t see the need for change. The leader was seen as all-powerful and all-knowing. Change efforts were directed from the top, handed down from on-high and, more often than not, doomed to failure.

If all that matters is where a leader sits, there is little hope that strong leadership will be found at the line level, where leadership is most important.

The Wheatley and Senge research tells us a number of important things about organizations:

• We must view organizations as organic rather than mechanical structures.
• Change comes about through growth from inside the organization rather than through a mechanical repair of existing systems.
• To quote Senge, “Just as nothing in nature starts big; the way to start creating changes is with a pilot group – a growth seed.” Start small.
• For these seeds of change to survive and grow, organizations must have line leaders (people at the heart of the value-generating process – who design, produce, and sell products; who provide services; who talk to customers) who will nurture and care for the change efforts.
• Meaningful and lasting change comes from inside the organization.
  
• The planting of seeds in areas that are surrounded by gardeners in the form of committed and motivated people is much more likely to result in lasting change than programs that are the result of top down efforts.

Those of us who are trying to bring new ways of thinking into an organization will do well to bear in mind the organic nature of change. Whether your goal is to bring the Leadership Diamond into the decision making process of your organization, or to change a process or service that results in improved customer satisfaction and a better bottom line, every change effort should consider the value of planting seeds, and developing line leaders who act as gardeners.

The Truth As We Know It

Noted author and expert on organizational culture, Edgar Schein, points out that there are many ways to establish what is “true” for an organization, groups, or individuals within a group. These definitions range from the moralistic to the pragmatic (neither of which is meant to be a prejudicial term), from the more faith or belief based to the scientifically tested theories of truth. Schein lays out six types of truth that may be found within organizations or groups:

• Pure dogma, based on tradition and/or religion: It has always been done this way; it is God’s will; it is written in the Scriptures. 

• Revealed dogma, that is, wisdom based on trust in the authority of wise men, formal leaders, prophets, or kings; our president wants to do it this way; our consultants have recommended that we do it this way; she had the most experience, so we should do what she says. 

• Truth derived by a “rational-legal” process, as when we establish the guilt or innocence of an individual by means of a legal process that acknowledges from the outset that there is no absolute truth, only socially determined truth; this includes majority rule where things are decided by a vote 

• Truth as that which survives conflict and debate: We thrashed it out in three different committees, tested it on the sales force, and the idea is still sound, so we will do it 

• Truth as that which works, the purely pragmatic criterion: Let’s try it out this way and evaluate how we are doing. 

• Truth as established by the scientific method, which becomes, once again, a kind of dogma: Our research shows that this is the right way to do it; we’ve done three surveys and they all show the same thing, so let’s act on them.

(From page 102 – Organizational Culture and Leadership, Second Edition, copyright 1992)

So what is true? We all take it for granted that we know what is true. We express our opinions about truth every day in our behaviors, conversations, assumptions, dress, habits, in short every part of our daily life. We express what we believe to be true about ourselves, our employer, our families, our friends, our city, and our country through the acts of daily life.

We seem to know what is true.

But, if the truth is so easy to see and know, why are there so many arguments over what is true, or how people should live, or which culture should survive and which should cease to exist?

Gaining an understanding of how the organizations you work with, and the people you interact with, define their truth will help you understand where the root of many misunderstandings may lie.

In a recent address to the Alliance for Innovation (June 6, 2008 – Greenville, SC), highly regarded teacher, author and lecturer, Rafe Esquith, said that to be a successful teacher you must be able to approach issues from the perspective of the children you are trying to reach. You must first understand the truths of the world from the child’s perspective.

The same advice would be helpful to anyone trying to affect an organization, group or individual – To be a successful leader, first understand the truths of the world as seen from within your organization, group, or from the individual perspective.

Gaining Competence

Learning any new skill, or becoming competent in any new subject takes time an effort. And, it comes as no surprise that the same applies to learning to apply the concepts of leadership to your life at work and home.

One way to understand this is to use the metaphor of learning a new sport. For a moment, lets say you have never ridden a horse. As you move through the process of mastering the skills and techniques that will allow you and your mount to float effortlessly over even the highest jumps (or fences), you move through the four stages of competence:

1. Unconscious incompetence - At this stage you don't know what you don't know. You have no idea that there are muscles you have never used, or that there are signals you send to the horse through your seat, legs and hands. You have no concept of the depth of the knowledge you will need to master the sport.
2. Conscious incompetence - At this stage you become conscious of the vast amount of learning necessary to master the sport, and that you do not yet have the skills that will make you a successful rider. But, the good news is that the world of possibility has opened before you, and you are ready to take on the challenge.
3. Conscious competence - Now you have learned the skills, but each time you apply them it takes significant conscious effort to remember the correct position, command, sequence, and subtle nuisances of the relationship between your and your horse. After completing a ride, you are exhausted from the effort of having to think through every muscle movement, and correcting every error.
4. Unconscious competence - And finally, you have reached the stage where you have mastered the sport. You and your horse communicate without even having to think about commands or analyzing feedback. You flow together around the course as if you are one. No conscious effort is required to apply the skills that only a few months or years ago seemed so foreign and difficult.

It is the same with leadership. The concepts of leadership initially seem difficult and cumbersome. It is difficult to hold all that you have learned in your mind at the same time. And it is particularly hard to call on the concepts when you are under stress, or on a tight deadline, or the proverbial waste material has hit the rotating blades.

However, comfort comes with practice. Every time you apply the concepts of leadership you take a step toward unconscious competence. And, at some point in your future you will find that you are able to apply a leadership perspective to the challenges of life.