Social Science – Leaders Protocol

Nurturing Human Resilience: The Cornerstone of Organisational Success

Peter — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:34:55 +0000

To our forward-thinking business leaders – at every level, innovative HR professionals, vocational academics, and the curious minds of tomorrow – this is for you. Understanding those with whom we work is becoming ever more relevant and important. Here’s why ….

In the fast-paced world of today, organisations are often compared to living organisms, pulsating with life, adapting, and evolving. But like any organism, the core strength lies in its individual cells. In organisations, these “cells” are us – the individuals. The heart of an organisation’s resilience beats within each one of us.

You’ve probably felt it. That unmistakable grit and tenacity that humans bring forth in the face of challenges. It’s our innate resilience. But here’s a truth I’ve come to believe over years of experience and recent research: nurturing individual resilience is the linchpin to creating a thriving, resilient organisation.

Decades of studies, including ones led by brilliant minds such as Deci and Ryan, Reeve, Maslow, Edmondson, Clarke, and many others, highlight the foundational importance of understanding basic psychological needs, personal motivation, and the concept of psychological safety. However, these aren’t just theories discussed in academia. They’re real, tangible aspects that influence our day-to-day work lives. Dive a little deeper, and it becomes evident that this isn’t merely about ensuring your team feels good; it’s about unlocking unparalleled innovation, efficiency, and adaptability.

Patrick Lencioni brilliantly contrasts the difference between a “smart” organisation and a “healthy” one. While being smart is about strategy, marketing, and finance, being healthy is about minimal politics, clarity of communication, minimal confusion, high morale, high productivity, and low turnover. It’s clear which one we’d all prefer to be part of, isn’t it? And why? In large part because our personal basic needs are being tended to; we (sometimes sub-consciously) feel more resilient and are inevitably more effective – not only in our work but across our unique and complex lives as the social species we are.

Yet, how often do we pause and consider the state of our basic psychological needs those deeply personal internal factors that have such a bearing on our resilience? How frequently do we reflect on our motivations or the quality of psychological safety within our teams? The honest answer is more often than not – not enough.

Have you ever wondered why some organisations can weather any storm, while others crumble at the slightest challenge? It’s tempting to credit robust financial strategies or cutting-edge technology. However, time and again, I’ve been drawn back to a more fundamental truth, one rooted in the very fabric of our humanity: individual resilience.

Every organisation is a vibrant tapestry of individuals, each bringing their own strengths, vulnerabilities, and unique perspectives. By recognising and nurturing the resilience within each person, we don’t just support individual growth; we lay the foundation for organisational resilience. And here’s the exciting part: it’s a journey that can only be embarked on together.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Change. It’s inevitable and constant. Kubler-Ross’s change curve tells us that humans go through a series of emotions during times of change – from shock and denial to acceptance and integration. Underpinning the entire journey, we call on our resilience. Leadership plays a pivotal role during such times, ensuring that their teams’ resilience batteries are kept charged. Whether it’s the servant leader who nurtures, the transformational leader who inspires, or the pragmatic leader who strategically aligns resources, the essence remains the same: leaders are the stewards of resilience.

These are not just leadership strategies but a call to embrace our shared human experience and address our those needs that make us distinct in the animal kingdom and that have evolved with us over hundreds of thousands of years. They simply cannot be ignored.

However, here’s the catch. The journey towards cultivating resilience isn’t linear. It’s an intricate dance, oscillating between the individual’s internal world and the organisation’s external environment. Our workplaces aren’t just sites of task execution; they’re arenas where basic psychological needs, motivations, and the critical aspect of psychological safety play out daily.

So, to you, the inspiring leaders, dedicated HR professionals, and curious academics reading this, here’s my passionate plea and offer of assistance. Recognise and understand the symbiotic relationship between individual and organisational resilience. In a post-pandemic world where business resilience is one of the most common strategic challenges for businesses from sole traders to multi-national enterprises, resilience starts and ends as a profoundly personal construct within each and every individual. So, dive deeper into the complexities of human behavior, motivation, and needs, and weave them into your organisational tapestry.

And if you ever feel lost or overwhelmed, remember that you’re not alone. The constituency is huge and applies to us all – the more we turn to each other, the more we will understand. Through workshops, research collaborations, and a plethora of resources, there are so many who can be your partners in this journey.

As we gaze into a future where artificial intelligence and automation are set to revolutionise workplaces, the need to invest in human resilience becomes even more crucial. We’re not just preparing for a technological transformation but ensuring we have a workforce equipped, both mentally and emotionally, to navigate the uncharted waters ahead. The things that only humans can do will become less. Those things will be characterised by the unique, wonderful, complex qualities that make us who we are.

Bain & Co – “At the Top, It’s All about Teamwork”: Some Reflections

Peter — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 18:07:17 +0000

Identifying the intersection of the team and each individual within it may be a holy grail for senior leaders and social scientists alike. But is it relevant and if so why?

Bain’s compelling recent article poses an intriguing observation: teams indeed outperform individual leaders. This mirrors the oft-cited idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But for this hypothesis to truly be valid, it’s not just about collective dynamism. It’s about the health and vitality of each and every individual within that team. As the world evolves, particularly with the rise of AI, our context of being a “smart” organisation will undeniably shift as we focus on that which only humans can do. We’ve excelled at gauging and measuring smartness, but perhaps, we’re more likely to sidestep the crucial aspect of health. As roles evolve, demanding uniquely human capabilities, our mental and emotional health will hold paramount importance. So, while teams undeniably surpass individual efforts, there’s an inescapable need to tune into each member’s resilience, especially in top-performing squads.

Bain outlines five commendable traits that effective top teams exhibit: Direction, Dynamism, Discipline, Drive, and Collaboration. Each trait is indeed pivotal in its own right. But there’s a foundational element that seems to be lurking in the shadows: the individual’s level of resilience – their state of being and which they bring to the team collective. For instance, for a team to truly “win together through trust and inclusion,” each member must feel they belong. They must be secure in their position, approved by their peers, and have some semblance of control over their tasks and responsibilities. This individual resilience, rooted in Approval, Belonging, Security, and Control, cannot be overstated. Moreover, as teams embrace change (Dynamism), it’s the individual’s psychological safety that becomes the bedrock for taking risks and innovating. Vulnerability-based trust and a culture of care and challenge are indispensable, yet these are either touched upon lightly or entirely overlooked in the discourse.

That said, the article’s insights are undeniably sharp and as one would expect from Bain & Co reflect a deep understanding of team dynamics. The importance of aligning around the company vision, embracing changes, working effectively with clarity, persevering through challenges, and fostering trust and inclusion can’t be stressed enough. These practices are indeed the hallmark of effective teams, and Bain’s articulation offers a poignant reminder of the same.

While we applaud and readily welcome the practices highlighted in the article, it’s crucial to underscore the individual’s context. As leaders, as buddies, as organisations, let’s ensure that each member’s resilience is nurtured. This starts with recognising and addressing their inherent needs for Approval, Belonging, Security, and Control. By fostering an environment where Psychological Safety is a given, where care and challenge are the norm, we not only equip individuals to contribute meaningfully but also set the stage for a truly cohesive, high-performing team. After all, only when each team member thrives can we genuinely claim that the collective whole has outdone the individual parts.

Leader’s Protocol Methodology: Phase 0: Being a High Performing Team

Peter — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:50:08 +0000

Where it all begins - you as an individual and group of people you work with. Becoming a team is a collective demonstrable choice, actions, and sustained behaviours, underpinned by shared collective values. Focus on that and you'll be unstoppable

The Team – that which underpins everything else

Ever since our ancient ancestors first banded together to hunt game, raise families, and defend their communities, the notion of a team has been evident. Human history is largely a story of people working together in groups to explore, achieve, and conquer. More recently, we’ve refined our view by saying for example, “People are our greatest asset”. And in relation to teams it’s also frequently claimed that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. So how do we better understand and then harness this most valuable asset and create the greatest capability it can produce.

Let’s first define a team. It’s worthwhile doing this to be clear who should be included in any activity and know why they are there! A team can be defined as two or more individuals who socially or virtually interact; possess one or more common goals; come together to perform organisationally relevant tasks; exhibit interdependencies; have different roles and responsibilities; and are embedded in an organisational system (Kozlowski et al, 2006).

Team effectiveness is based on the logic of an input–process–output (I-P-O) heuristic. Working together with other people to get the “O” as strong as possible, means the “I” needs attention. It turns out that we tend to leap straight to the “O” without understanding the relevance and importance of the “I”. In short, leaders need to know each other’s ways of working, preferences, and even more personal information as fundamental input to get the best collective results between themselves and from their teams.

All teams have an operating state sometimes referred to as the team climate. A team’s “Collective Climate” relates to the performance, team member satisfaction, and team effectiveness. Whilst climate is affected by “stuff” that is imposed on the team, informal social interaction between the team’s members has a disproportionate influence on how the team collectively responds. We need to understand how teams react so that we know how best to adapt and evolve in our ever changing environment.

Of course, we all do this everyday in our subconscious. Investing in developing people and teams means we just consciously take time to work through it and what it means for us. For example, team mental models and team transactive memory are cognitive structures that team members use all the time to organise and acquire information. Mental models are knowledge structures or information the team holds in common, and transactive memory refers to knowledge of information, who knows what about what, or who! Whilst these concepts may sound like academic mumbo jumbo, they’re very practical stuff that if leaders appreciate, can go a long way to helping develop their team, making it more cohesive, with far greater efficacy.

But of course it’s not all about sunlit uplands – every team has rough patches and that needs to be explored too. Team Affect, Mood, and Emotion all involve good or bad feelings, and differ in the responses they evoke, the cause of the situation, and the duration they last. We can all deal with a minor hiccup but if we have underlying problems that keep surfacing then they need to be fixed or conflict emerges.

Conflict and divisiveness are common in teams and organisations. Left to fester, conflict becomes an unhealthy contributor to a team dynamic, discussion, and can be present in the most placid topics of conversation. Conflict can wreck cohesion and have a major impact on efficacy. Nonetheless, it is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, as we’ll go on to see its actually essential.

Underpinning my methodology is the foundation stone of the team being able and willing to work together. Being constructive, humble, open to differing opinions, and a sense of vulnerability are generally pre-requisites for the exercise to be successful. In order to frame Phase 0, Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a key point of reference. A tale of organisational woe, its chapters will resonate for any leader and can be applied to any team.

Depending on the team characteristics, we can choose from a number of applied exercises. There is no “Tripod building using only drinking straws to balance a house brick” type games. I am sure they have a value, but I do not see it in a leadership development setting. There are real problems to be solved, so let’s focus on them and them alone. In my experience we can cover all of them focusing on the following topics as a means to get us there:

Establishing Trust
Embracing Conflict
Cementing Commitment
Being Accountable
Relentless focus on results

These team based exercises are vital to develop the collective horsepower a group of people can create. However, the very notion of a team comprises individuals – sometimes people who may have paid less attention than necessary to themselves as leaders. Therefore prior to any team event, individual sessions are recommended. This is a very focused intervention session centred on running a comprehensive assessment using the Hogan tool. This provides the delegate with some key data points that are always useful not only for the upcoming team event but even more so for their own ongoing development. Whilst less concerned with identity, Hogan focuses uniquely on two aspects vital to a leadership role and leadership behaviour. First the reputation you create as a leader and second shining a light on your likely de-railers or in other words, how you’re likely to respond under pressure or stress.

Coupled with a focused and intense (yet fun at the same time), team event, Phase 0 provides the personal and team tool kit to ensure Phase 1 to 3 can be executed to maximum effectiveness by all in the room.

Gossip and Why You Should Pay Attention To It

Peter — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:46:15 +0000

Your organisation is riddled with gossip - along with every other one in the world! The giving and receiving of information about others is something that defines us as humans. It turns out that it's not all bad too, despite the connotations the term tends to conjure. Read on for more ...

The Tapestry of Talk: Gossip’s Role in Shaping Organisations’ Ability to Perform

The chatter of gossip, often dismissed as trivial, runs like an undercurrent through the rivers of organisational communication – all organisations, all communications (convince me otherwise!). In this blog I take a peek into the enigmatic world of gossip, illuminating its complex role in shaping both individual and corporate reputations within an organisation. As humans we are unique in our ability to gossip with the intent of learning or sharing something about someone.

Defining Gossip in the Organisational Context:

For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll define gossip as the exchange of information between two or more people (most often it turns out to be just two), typically face to face, sharing information, observations, and judgments about named third parties not present.

The two Faces of Gossip:

Gossip’s influence within organizations is a matter of balance: it has the potential to build bridges or walls, to create or destroy, to uplift or undermine. One thing for sure – ignore it at your peril as a leader. It can help you or write you off and you can and do influence that probably on a daily basis. Structured properly you may even want some gossip to help mould and shape company narratives and personas, inform culture, recognise behavioural norms, and even catalyse change.

Why do we gossip?

Gossip is a universal human behaviour, one deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. Whilst the great apes do not gossip, they spend a significant amount of their waking hours observing and learning about their social groups which tells them a lot about their social situation – gossip without language? People gossip for several reasons. Firstly, gossip is a tool for social bonding. Sharing information about others can foster connections and build trust between the gossipers. If we gossip with a colleague, we are endowed them with what we probably believe is valuable. Whether it is or not is a whole different story, but often we want to give and gossiping is one way to do this.

Secondly, it can also serve as a form of indirect aggression, a way to harm others’ reputations without direct confrontation. Whilst this is increasingly high risk in today’s multimedia, digitally social and complex world, our desire for direct human to human communication is unlikely to be that affected despite many assertions to the contrary. The advent of the printing press was alleged to be the thing to destroy communication as has every communication development since – but we still like to gossip!

Thirdly, gossiping can elevate an individual’s social status by demonstrating access to valuable information (Emler, 1994). Sharing “valuable” information whether personal, private, commercially valuable, or even state secrets all feed our desire to have value and be liked.

Lastly, it serves as an informal learning mechanism, where people can learn about social norms, expectations, and consequences of behaviours without directly experiencing them. Often people want to understand something about someone and would rather ask a thord party than the person directly. Despite its potential drawbacks, gossip serves essential social and psychological functions, helping individuals navigate complex social environments within organisations.

Positive Impacts of Gossip:

Fosters Connection and Cohesion: Gossip can act as the invisible thread that binds individuals together, creating a sense of shared identity and group cohesion (Robbins and Karan, 2018).

Promotes Informal Learning: As an informal yet vital channel for sharing information, gossip facilitates “underground” organisational learning, providing insights into the cultural and political dynamics of the workplace (Begemann et al., 2018).

Regulates Behaviour: Gossip, when harnessed effectively, can deter negative behaviour and promote organisational norms. Fear of negative reputational outcomes can keep individuals’ actions in check (Emler, 1994).

Negative Impacts of Gossip:

Breeds Mistrust: Gossip has the potential to create an environment of suspicion, potentially damaging relationships and fostering a culture of uncertainty.

Instigates Conflict: Negative or controversial gossip can ignite disputes within teams or between individuals (Greenslade-Yates, 2017).

Poses Reputational Risk: Damaging gossip can have a lasting impact on a person’s or an organisation’s reputation (Cruz, 2012). Misinformation can lead to lasting negative perceptions that are hard to rectify.

Gossip and the Weaving of Organisational “Stories”:

Gossip serves as a storytelling mechanism, circulating tales of triumph, downfall, scandal, and redemption that collectively form an organisation’s narrative. This narrative, shaped significantly by gossip, can define the reputation of an organisation in the eyes of both its internal and external stakeholders (Waddington, 2015).

Gossip’s Impact on Reputations:

Reputation, built on the shared beliefs and evaluations about an entity’s character, can be profoundly influenced by gossip. Gossip is arguably the single biggest influence in building and destroying reputations. Your reputation is in large part made up by what people say about you when you’re not around – so its worth paying attention to. Gossip plays a crucial role in either reinforcing or reshaping beliefs, thus contributing significantly to reputation management.

Case Study – The Power of Gossip:

Consider the case of a successful business I have worked with, where a rumour circulated about the CEO’s impending resignation and pregnancy. This gossip, originating from a private conversation between two employees, spread quickly through the organisation – typically being embellished each time it was passed on. Soon, the rumour had grown arms and legs and was totally out of control.

As anxiety grew, the CEO decided to address the gossip directly. In an open forum, she acknowledged the rumour, clarified that she was not resigning (or pregnant), and used the occasion to praise her team’s dedication and reiterate her commitment to the company’s mission. It also opened discussions about succession planning and aired several other topics known to the subject of gossip.

In this case, the gossip, initially destabilising, was turned into a positive rallying point for the organisation, reaffirming shared goals and strengthening team cohesion.

Gossip, often ignored or derided, is a force to be reckoned with in organisational dynamics. When properly managed, it can foster cohesion, facilitate learning, and serve as an effective tool in reputation management. Left unchecked, however, it can create an environment of mistrust, conflict, and reputational risk.

It is imperative for organisational leaders, especially CEOs, COOs, and HR Directors, to recognise and understand the influence of gossip. They can then strategically leverage its positive potential while curtailing its potential harm, transforming this seemingly insignificant aspect of communication into a powerful tool for shaping stronger, more resilient organisations. Any leader who says “I do not listen to gossip” is probably underestimating its role, power, and their position to understand the organisation they lead.

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Peter — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:51:27 +0000

Effective feedback unlocks so much capability in any team. Sometimes a misunderstood concept, it's well worth getting to grips with

The Art and Science of Giving and Receiving Feedback in the Workplace

Feedback plays a crucial role in the work environment. It acts as the steering wheel for personal and professional growth, helping individuals align their efforts with organisational objectives. This article explores the art and science of giving and receiving feedback effectively in the workplace, with insights gleaned from a wide range of podcasts, books, articles, and case studies.

Feedback as a Tool for Growth

The value of feedback in the workplace cannot be overstated. Constructive feedback helps individuals identify their strengths and areas for improvement, fostering a culture of continuous learning. In his podcast “WorkLife”, Adam Grant emphasises how feedback, when utilized correctly, can enhance job performance and satisfaction.

Balancing Positivity and Constructivity

The art of giving feedback lies in balancing positive reinforcement with constructive criticism. It is a delicate process that, when executed effectively, can significantly enhance individual and team performance. “The Feedback Fallacy”, an article by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall in the Harvard Business Review, provides compelling insights on this balance.

Creating a Safe Space for Feedback

The creation of a psychologically safe environment is paramount to facilitate the effective exchange of feedback. When team members feel safe, they are more likely to share and receive feedback constructively. Amy Edmondson’s work, particularly her book The Fearless Organization, highlights the role of psychological safety in organisational learning and success.

Emotional Intelligence in Feedback

Emotional intelligence (EI) is an essential element in both giving and receiving feedback. EI allows individuals to handle emotions effectively, foster empathy, and maintain productive communication, even in challenging situations. Daniel Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence demonstrates how EI can enhance feedback processes in the workplace.

Encouraging a Feedback Culture

Fostering a culture that encourages the regular exchange of feedback can be a transformative move for organisations. Ed Batista’s article “Learning to Take Feedback Well”, published in HBR, sheds light on the importance of creating an organisational culture that encourages feedback.

The Power of Active Listening

Active listening plays a crucial role when receiving feedback. Listening attentively ensures understanding and respect for the feedback giver’s perspective. Julian Treasure’s TED Talk, “5 ways to listen better”, underscores the transformative power of active listening.

Giving and receiving feedback effectively is both an art and a science, requiring emotional intelligence, active listening skills, the creation of a safe space, and the establishment of a feedback culture. When these elements align, feedback becomes a powerful catalyst for personal development and organisational growth.

In essence, feedback is more than a mere exchange of views—it’s a means of bridging gaps, fostering understanding, and driving progress. By mastering the art and science of feedback, leaders can create an environment where growth is not just an aspiration, but a way of life.

Want more? I’d recommend …

Book: “Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well” by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen.

Article: “The Art and Science of Giving and Receiving Criticism at Work” by Harvard Business Review.

Video: “How to give and receive feedback at work” by LeeAnn Renninger.

Podcast: “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott. This podcast, inspired by the book of the same name, explores the idea of caring personally and challenging directly.

Psychological Safety: Sometimes Hard To Describe, But You Know It When You Have It!

Peter — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 18:08:34 +0000

Psychological Safety seems to be an increasingly accepted "thing", and at the same time often attracts many interpretations and lots of criticism for "getting in the way". I couldn't disagree more and here I try to explain why

Psychological Safety: The Foundation for Innovative & Confident Teams

In the current volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment, innovation has emerged as a survival strategy for many organisations. In the quest to develop innovation and innovative practice, an often-overlooked element is psychological safety. Coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, psychological safety refers to “a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up.” (Edmondson, 1999). This article explores the role of psychological safety in driving innovative teams and offers suggestions to enhance it in your organisation.

The Importance of Psychological Safety

In the face of relentless competition and disruptive technologies, innovation is crucial. However, innovation is not merely a product of intelligent minds or technologically advanced tools but is a by-product of psychological safety, which forms the foundation for open communication, creative risk-taking, and learning from failures.

In a climate of psychological safety, individuals feel comfortable voicing their ideas and concerns without fear of punishment or rejection. This kind of environment is fertile ground for innovation because it encourages the free exchange of ideas and promotes a willingness to take risks, both of which are integral to the innovative process.

Psychological Safety and Innovation: The Evidence

Consider the case of Pixar Animation Studios, known for blockbuster hits like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Inside Out. According to Catmull (2014), the company’s president, psychological safety plays a vital role in the company’s innovation strategy. He posited that Pixar’s Braintrust, a group of creative leaders who candidly discuss ongoing projects, is effective due to the psychologically safe space it provides for open dialogue and constructive criticism. This has fuelled Pixar’s remarkable string of successes.

A study by Nembhard and Edmondson on 51 work teams from 10 manufacturing companies found that psychological safety positively affects team learning behaviour and team performance, which are important for innovation. The authors argue that psychological safety facilitates information sharing and helps members believe they can take risks and experiment without fear, which can lead to process improvements and innovative solutions.

In another example, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly recognised that innovation is largely dependent on psychologically safe environments. To create these, the company developed a program focusing on promoting the right behaviors for creativity, including openness, collaboration, and respect. This shift toward psychological safety helped the company spur innovation and get ahead in the highly competitive pharmaceutical market.

Balancing Psychological Safety and Accountability

While psychological safety promotes a non-threatening environment, some critics argue it may lead to a lack of accountability or diminished performance expectations. However, it’s essential to clarify that psychological safety is not about complacency or ‘being nice’ – it’s about encouraging open dialogue, learning, and experimentation. It’s arguable that being able to speak up, offer suggestions, say “The wrong thing” and not be either criticised or mocked for it takes guts and is anything but the “soft and fluffy” label it has been known to attract.

According to Edmondson, organisations can balance psychological safety and accountability by setting high performance standards while also cultivating an environment where employees feel safe to take intellectual risks. This allows organisations to maintain a focus on excellence and innovation simultaneously.

Creating Psychological Safety in Your Organisation

Lead by Example: Leaders play a critical role in establishing psychological safety. They can do this by modelling behaviours such as openness to feedback, acknowledging their limitations, and showing curiosity and humility.

Encourage Voice: Foster an environment where all team members feel valued and heard. This can be done by encouraging dialogue, asking for input, and valuing diverse perspectives.

Frame Work as Learning: Consider framing work as a constant learning process, emphasising that failure and mistakes are opportunities for growth and innovation.

Respond Productively to Voice: When team members do speak up, ensure their ideas are received positively. This doesn’t mean implementing every suggestion but rather acknowledging the contribution and providing constructive feedback.

The role of psychological safety in fostering innovation cannot be overstated. By cultivating a psychologically safe environment, organisations can stimulate open dialogue, promote risk-taking, and ultimately drive innovation. Remember, in the race for innovation, the speed of trust and psychological safety can often overtake the speed of technology and intelligence.

While the focus here has been primarily on the team and organisational level, psychological safety also has implications at the societal level. Societies that encourage open dialogue, learning from failure, and intellectual risk-taking could be more innovative and resilient in the face of challenges.

What steps can you take to enhance psychological safety in your team or organisation? How can you balance psychological safety with performance accountability? How might an increased focus on psychological safety impact innovation in your context?

Remember, as Amy Edmondson points out, psychological safety is not an ‘expensive’ commodity that only wealthy organisations can afford. It’s more about leadership and interaction styles – making it accessible to any team, in any organisation, regardless of its resources.

Want more? I’d recommend …

Book: “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth” by Amy Edmondson

Article: “High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety. Here’s How to Create It” by Harvard Business Review

Video: “Building a psychologically safe workplace” TED Talk by Amy Edmondson

Podcast: “WorkLife with Adam Grant”

References:

Catmull, E. (2014). Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. Random House.

Duhigg, C. (2016). What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team. The New York Times Magazine.

Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692-724.

Kramer, R., & Cook, K. (2004). Trust and distrust in organizations: Dilemmas and approaches. Russell Sage Foundation.

Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: The effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(7), 941-966

Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2017). Psychological safety: A systematic review of the literature. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 521-535

Books I’ve read that I think may be helpful for leaders wanting to evolve

Peter — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 09:59:04 +0000

Everyone is busy and sometimes a book is either a burden too far or a luxury that time does not afford. Sometimes a novel is a way better idea too. Self development and thought provoking content may also be a help sometimes. Here's some suggestions that have captured me.

Patrick Lencioni – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

What it’s about: overview – This is a must-read. The book uses a relatable fable to explore and tell a story of common team dysfunctions – lack of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. Lencioni offers practical solutions to overcome these challenges and build a high-performing team.

Amy Edmonson – The Fearless Organisation

What it’s about: overview – Psychological safety is all about creating an environment where everyone feels confident to pitch in with their ideas. Amy explains why people often don’t do this and what leaders can do to engender a healthier organisation and access untapped talents, introducing us to real-life examples and practical tools for fostering a fearless culture that inspires innovation, collaboration, and growth.

Why it made me think – All too often we see Psychological safety as one of those “soft” things. I was once told that it’s just an easy way out by “Being fluffy and nice to everyone so as not to hurt their feelings”.

Nothing could be further from the truth in my opinion. An organisation or team that exudes Psychological Safety, sometimes very explicitly, is likely to avoid errors, work faster, and make more progress because people KNOW they can speak up, disagree, argue, challenge, be wrong, make mistakes, and still be valued by their colleagues because its a safe place to be. It’s actually the very opposite of being the easy way out but to embrace it and benefit from it can be hard. I admire and salute any team that’s cracked it.

Daniel Kahneman – Thinking, fast and slow

What it’s about: overview – Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman takes us on a fascinating journey exploring our minds. With a friendly, easy-to-follow style, he introduces us to two imaginary characters – System 1 and System 2 – who represent the quick, instinctive side and the slow, logical side of our thinking. As he writes, we learn the importance of balancing these two styles in business leadership, making better decisions and inspiring our teams. This enjoyable read will have you nodding in agreement, chuckling at relatable examples, and eager to put newfound wisdom into action.

Why it made me think – When working out what needs to be done, why, and how, maybe it’s not such a great thing to think fast. Our brain’s instinct to jump to conclusions, apply bias, selectively choose data, and dive as fast as possible towards a perceived solution is entirely understandable; we’re pretty much programmed to do just that, taking the perceived path of least resistance to find an answer.

Just it turns out that by slowing our thought process with some critical thinking and forcing our brains to have to work just a little a bit harder and longer, we can uncover all sorts of often much better solutions. Put a whole team together and do the same thing and the results can be awesome. So what don’t we at least usually do that then?

Because we convince ourselves we have the answers (via the shortest route possible, and then, spoiler … some of us are gullible enough to believe ourselves. I’m convinced that a structured approach to working out what needs to be done can be exciting, liberating, and a great team experience. It certainly doesn’t need to take forever to do, nor does it have to cost the earth. It also doesn’t mean it’s always easy, but it sure can be simple, have breakthrough effects, and equip a team with a capability that is so valuable to each member, to the team, and to the business.

Chris McChesney – The Four Disciplines of Execution

Chris McChesney is an engaging guide to achieving your team’s most important goals. With a clear, concise writing style, he offers four practical disciplines: focusing on the what’s important, acting on lead measures, keeping a compelling scoreboard, and creating a cadence of accountability. This inspiring read offers real-life examples and actionable tips to help leaders drive results and maintain momentum. It’s a must for line managers and senior leaders alike.

Ed Catmull – Creativity Inc

What it’s about: overview – A light, humorous read that takes us behind the scenes at Pixar Animation Studios, revealing how they foster a culture of creativity and innovation. Ed shares invaluable lessons on leadership, collaboration, and embracing failure as part of the creative process. It’s perfect for anyone looking to spark their imagination and build a more innovative team.

Patrick Lencioni – The Advantage

What it’s about: overview – A delightful gem that helps uncover a secret ingredient to business success, organisational health, which Lencioni defines as the ultimate competitive edge. This fun, captivating read takes us on a journey to discover the four crucial steps: building a cohesive team, creating clarity, over communicating clarity, and reinforcing clarity. Citing lots of relatable examples and practical advice, this book will have you chuckling, nodding, and keen to experiment with some ideas.

Tim Clark – The Four Stages of Psychological safety

Tim’s insightful contribution, “The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety.” is not an everyday business book, it’s a guide to nurturing a culture where folks feel safe to take interpersonal risks.

Starting with ‘Inclusion Safety,’ Clark points out that everyone in the team needs to feel accepted and included. Sounds pretty straightforward, but it’s fundamental and we so often overlook it, even if completely unintentionally.

Next up, ‘Learner Safety.’ This is about fostering an environment where it’s okay to admit you don’t know everything and it’s okay to ask questions. It’s about nurturing curiosity, not punishing it.

Stage three, ‘Contributor Safety,’ allows individuals to put their learning into practice. It’s about encouraging team members to apply their knowledge and skills without fear of criticism.

Lastly, ‘Challenger Safety’ enables folks to challenge the status quo without fear of retribution. It’s about innovation and improvement, really shaking things up.

Building these capabilities into your company culture is immensely powerful. It leads to higher engagement, increased creativity, and better overall performance. It’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s a need-to-have. Clark’s book is a roadmap to creating a fearless, thriving organisation.

John Doerr – Measure what Matters

John Doerr reveals the power of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in achieving business success. Clearly written, Doerr shares captivating stories and lessons from influential leaders and organizations, demonstrating how OKRs can transform a company’s culture and performance. He offers practical tools to help leaders align their teams, prioritize goals, and drive results, unlock potential, boost productivity, and elevate leadership capability.

Sue Knight – NLP at Work

A powerhouse in the world of NLP, Sue Knight offers a compelling read that unlocks the potential of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in the business world. With a writing style that is clear, informative, and emphasises understanding, Sue demonstrates how NLP can help leaders communicate effectively, build rapport, and lead their teams.She provides many relatable examples and practical tools to enhance personal and professional development.

Ray Dalio – Principles

This ¨big” book offers valuable insights into creating a successful life and career by following a set of unique principles. Dalio shares his journey and the lessons he learned, emphasizing the importance of radical transparency, thoughtful decision-making, and continuous learning. This in depth read is applicable for anyone seeking to develop their leadership skills, build effective teams, and achieve personal and professional goals.

Malcolm Gladwell – Blink

This book delves into the power of intuition and rapid decision-making and compares and contrasts Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow. Gladwell uses engaging stories to illustrate how our “thin-slicing” ability allows us to make accurate judgments in the blink of an eye, emphasizing the importance of trusting our instincts and fine-tuning our intuitive skills.

Eric Berne – Games People Play

Great for anyone wanting to know more about facing interpersonal challenges. Eric delves into the complexities of human interactions by exploring the “games” we unconsciously play in our relationships. His engaging and easy-to-understand writing style helps readers identify these patterns and develop healthier communication strategies. A concise read, its perfect for those seeking to enhance personal and professional relationships, foster better teamwork, and navigate the social intricacies of the workplace.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Flow

Anyone seeking to enhance their work experiences may benefit from this one. This book introduces the concept of “flow,” a state of complete absorption and enjoyment in an activity. Mihaly’s insights explain how to achieve this optimal state of mind, leading to increased productivity, creativity, and personal satisfaction. Tackling a very deep concept but in an easy-to-access style, “Flow” provides practical guidance for overcoming challenges and embracing a fulfilling, balanced life.

Daniel Pink – Drive

Pink talks about the key factors that motivate us, focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The book challenges traditional reward-based systems and shares insights on how to truly engage with people. It’s a game-changer for understanding what drives us to perform at our best. If you’re looking to boost engagement at work, its worth a read.

Stephen Denning – The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling

Denning emphasises the power of storytelling in leadership, helping us connect, inspire, and build trust with our teams. The book offers easy-to-understand techniques for crafting compelling stories that resonate with your audience. It’s perfect for anyone looking to improve their communication skills and lead more effectively using well-told stories.

Ben Horowitz – What you do is who you are

Ben shares insights on how to create a strong company culture by focusing on actions rather than words. The book is filled with fascinating stories from history and modern business, showing how effective leaders have built lasting cultures. It’s perfect for anyone looking to strengthen their organisation’s identity and create a thriving work environment.

Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” is a gem of a book. Sinek offers a simple, but profound idea. He argues that the most successful organisations are the ones that start by asking “why” they do what they do, before moving onto the “how” and “what”. The “why” here isn’t about making money – that’s a result, not a reason. It’s about your purpose, your belief, your cause – and I’m a big believer in asking about what you’re trying to cause rather than do.

The practical beauty of it? When you start with “why”, you inspire others. You attract customers, employees, and partners who believe in your “why” – they’re buying into you as a person and leader – they’re buying into your cause. They’re loyal and that’s good business.

Sinek’s concept is a must for any leader or business – it’s the secret sauce that differentiates the great from the merely good. Figuring out your why may take some time, but it’ll be a cathartic moment when you find it.

Stanley McChrystal – Team of Teams

Gen McChrystal explores how organisations can adapt and thrive in complex, fast-paced environments, drawing on his experience leading complex military and civilian government agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. McChrystal shares lessons from his military experience, emphasising the importance of scaling the empowerment practice in small teams into large teams and fostering a culture of trust and collaboration.

Richard Rumelt – Good strategy, bad strategy

Richard demystifies the concept and complexity associated with strategy, differentiating between good and bad approaches. Its practical with real-life examples, illustrating how effective strategies are built on diagnosis, guiding policy, and coherent actions.

Peter Senge – The Fifth discipline

It’s a hefty one is this! Senge introduces the concept of the “learning organisation,” which encourages continuous growth, adaptation, and improvement. The book covers five disciplines: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning. He argues that companies can only succeed if they change the way in which they deal with problems. In his view, a reactive approach no longer works. Instead, businesses need to adopt what he calls a systems thinking method to identify underlying patterns and generate innovative solutions drawing on an engaged and informed workforce.

James Collins – Good to Great

Collins researched public companies that had achieved enduring success after years of mediocre performance and isolated the factors which differentiated those companies from their lacklustre competitors. These factors have been distilled into key concepts regarding leadership, culture and strategic management, conceptualised as Level 5 leadership, the Hedgehog Principle, and the Flywheel Effect.

Khurshed Dehnugara – 100 Mindsets of Challenger Leaders

The book offers 100 unique perspectives to challenge conventional leadership wisdom and inspire innovative thinking. Khurshed’s insights encourage us to question the status quo, embrace change, and become more resilient, adaptive leaders.

John Cutler

John is a LinkedIn commentator who constantly provides insightful, thought provoking content about organisational life and getting stuff done. Always relatable, constructive, and easy to digest.

“I make decisions making based on the facts and the data”. Do you, really?

Peter — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:57:22 +0000

Rational decision making is usually claimed as a well honed skill by most leaders, and probably to an extent, many are pretty good at it. But how often are we swayed by our sub-conscious, by influences we maybe aren't really noticing, by habits, people, or maybe just the prevailing environment? Turns out that may be a lot of the time unless we guard against it

The Science of Decision Making: Cognitive Biases in Leadership and How to Overcome Them

Making decisions is a fundamental part of leadership. However, decision-making is not always as objective as we would like to believe. Cognitive biases, the systematic errors in our thinking that affect the decisions and judgments we make, can heavily impact leadership decisions. But what exactly are these biases, and how can leaders mitigate their influence?

Understanding Cognitive Biases

Cognitive biases are essentially mental shortcuts or patterns of thought that are based on our observations and experiences. While these biases can sometimes help us make quick decisions, they often lead to faulty reasoning. Some common cognitive biases that affect leadership decisions include confirmation bias, overconfidence bias, and groupthink.

Case Study: Bridgewater Associates

Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, is renowned for its distinctive culture that seeks to mitigate cognitive biases in decision-making. Ray Dalio, the founder, firmly believes that for any organisation to be successful, it must confront these biases head-on.

Dalio has implemented an unusual and innovative company culture based on what he calls “radical transparency,” intending to eliminate cognitive biases. In this system, every meeting is recorded, everyone can criticise anyone, and any employee can question the decision-making of another. This radical approach aims to make cognitive biases visible and challengeable, which, although it can be uncomfortable, supports more objective and effective decision-making.

In his book, “Principles,” (a hefty read, but very insightful, at least worth a Blinkest scan), Dalio explains how creating algorithms based on decision-making criteria can aid in combating cognitive biases. By encoding the company’s decision-making process into algorithms, the company can ensure decisions are made consistently and objectively, reducing the impact of cognitive bias.

The approach of Bridgewater Associates to combating cognitive bias is indeed radical, and it may not be the right fit for every organisation. However, it serves as a potent illustration of the lengths one can go to recognise and reduce cognitive biases at the workplace.

Counter-arguments

Cognitive biases are deeply rooted in human nature, and some argue they cannot be entirely eliminated. It’s true that we can never entirely remove our biases, but being aware of them and actively working to mitigate their impact can significantly improve our decision-making process.

Questions to maybe ponder

How often do you consciously identify and challenge your biases when making decisions?
Are there mechanisms in place in your organisation to prevent groupthink and promote diverse opinions?
How can you create a culture that encourages critical thinking and challenges cognitive biases?

Practical Steps to Overcome Cognitive Biases

Cultivate Awareness: The first step to overcome cognitive biases is to acknowledge their existence. Regularly review the common types of cognitive biases and consider how they might be influencing your decisions.

Promote Diversity: Encourage diversity of thought in your team. Different perspectives can help to challenge existing biases and promote more balanced decision-making.

Promote a Culture of Critical Thinking: Encourage your team to question assumptions and to think critically. A culture that values curiosity and skepticism can help to keep cognitive biases in check.

Seek External Perspectives: Sometimes, being too close to a situation can amplify cognitive biases. Seek an outside perspective to provide a fresh look at the problem.

Key Takeaways

Cognitive biases can significantly influence leadership decisions. By cultivating awareness of these biases, promoting diversity, and fostering a culture of critical thinking, leaders can mitigate their impact and make more balanced, objective decisions.

Want more? I’d recommend …

Book: “Thinking, Fast and Slow” Daniel Kahneman

Article: “Cognitive Biases: What They Are and How They Affect People” Kendra Cherry

Video: “The Science of Cognitive Biases” David Dylan Thomas

Podcast: “You Are Not So Smart: Cognitive Biases”

To Empower or Offer Accountability: Engaging teams for mutual benefit

Peter — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 17:15:21 +0000

Much has been said about empowerment and its value in the workplace. Often it assumes silently that accountability runs alongside it. If leaders want either, then understanding them may be very relevant. Here's my thoughts on both constructs and why I value accountability

Empowering Employees or Embracing Accountability: Leadership Strategies to Encourage Active People Engagement

In the pantheon of leadership strategies, two prominent concepts often appear: employee empowerment and accountability. Employee empowerment focuses on granting employees autonomy, encouraging them to take initiative and make decisions. On the other hand, accountability emphasises holding individuals responsible for their actions and outcomes.

While both these concepts play critical roles in leadership, it’s essential to delve deeper into their dynamics, explore their interplay, and understand their impact on people engagement. In this blog, we critically examine these constructs, leveraging insights from acclaimed books such as The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. We’ll also present thought-provoking questions, real-world examples, and practical recommendations to drive active people engagement.

Empowerment: A Double-Edged Sword?

Employee empowerment, on the surface, appears to be an attractive leadership approach. After all, it taps into the human yearning for autonomy and self-determination. However, it’s a double-edged sword. While empowerment can foster creativity, engagement, and job satisfaction, it can also lead to confusion, inconsistency, and a lack of alignment if not managed correctly. It’s also predicated on the employee accepting the empowerment offered and if they don’t want it, then they just reject it – and that’s totally fair enough in this context, in my opinion!

Consider a common scenario: A leader empowers their team members to make decisions in their roles. While this can increase employees’ sense of ownership and engagement, it may also lead to misaligned efforts if the team doesn’t have a clear understanding of the organisation’s strategy and objectives. This can result in wasted resources, duplicated efforts, and unmet targets. Some team members embrace empowerment, others say “no thanks”. It’s awkward!

Accountability: The Preferred Construct?

In contrast, embracing accountability as a leadership construct offers a more structured approach to achieving organisational goals. Accountability involves setting clear expectations, establishing measurable goals, providing consistent feedback, and holding people responsible for the results of their actions. The difference is that it’s not being offered, it’s culturally expected of them to own their goals and it’s implicit that they can act (in an empowered way) to make sure they’re achieved. Accountability is an obligation, not a choice. Is that overly harsh? I don’t think so. In general, employees are expecting more from their employers than ever; it seems reasonable to hold them to account for what they are expected to deliver. But, and its a big but, this perspective cannot exist in isolation. A broad palette of leadership values and behaviours has to underlie the expectations of employees.

According to McChesney, Covey, and Huling in The Four Disciplines of Execution, a robust accountability system involves focusing on the wildly important, acting on lead measures, keeping a compelling scoreboard, and creating a cadence of accountability. These disciplines ensure that everyone in the team understands what they need to do, why they are doing it, and what success looks like.

Let’s consider a case study of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a leading science services company. In their quest for operational excellence, they implemented accountability-based systems. They identified critical goals, developed leading and lagging measures to track progress, and held regular WIG (Wildly Important Goals) sessions, as recommended in The Four Disciplines of Execution. This helped create a culture of accountability, leading to increased engagement and performance.

Empowerment vs. Accountability: A False Dichotomy?

While this blog argues for the importance of accountability over empowerment, it’s crucial to acknowledge that these constructs aren’t mutually exclusive. They can—and should—coexist in a well-led organisation.

A closer look at Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team gives us a hint of this interplay. Lencioni argues that the ultimate goal for a cohesive team is achieving results. But to get there, teams need to cultivate trust, master conflict, achieve commitment, and—importantly—embrace accountability. Therefore, an environment that empowers employees to take actions must also hold them accountable for those actions.

Let’s take the example of Netflix, which has become renowned for its culture that combines high levels of accountability with employee empowerment. Netflix’s “Freedom and Responsibility” culture gives employees vast amounts of discretion—freedom—on the understanding they will act in the company’s best interests. But with this freedom comes high accountability—Netflix expects employees to make wise decisions and holds them responsible for outcomes. This balance has fuelled Netflix’s innovation and success.

Finding the Balance in Your Organisation

How, then, can leaders find the balance between empowerment and accountability in their organisations? Here are a few recommendations:

Create Clarity and Alignment: Whether you’re empowering employees or holding them accountable, clarity is critical. Ensure everyone understands the organisation’s strategic goals and their role in achieving them.
Establish Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate what you expect from each team member. This involves outlining their responsibilities, defining success, and setting performance metrics.
Provide Regular Feedback: Regular feedback keeps everyone on track and allows you to address any issues promptly. It helps employees understand how they are performing and what they need to improve.
Promote and Role Model a Safe Environment: Employees should feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. This requires building a culture of trust and psychological safety.
Reward and Recognise: Recognition and rewards are excellent tools for reinforcing accountability. Celebrate successes, acknowledge efforts, and show appreciation for a job well done.

As we examine empowerment and accountability, it’s essential to remember that the ultimate goal is to foster active people engagement. We shouldn’t view empowerment and accountability as a binary choice but as complementary elements that, when well-balanced, lead to high-performing and engaged teams.

While empowerment can foster creativity and engagement, it should be coupled with accountability to provide structure and alignment. By embracing accountability, leaders can create clarity, improve performance, and drive active people engagement, ultimately leading to organisational success. How will you strike the balance in your leadership strategy?

Want more? I’d recommend …

Empowerment

Book: “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink

Article: “The Power of Empowering Employees” by Forbes

Video: “The Puzzle of Motivation” TED Talk by Daniel Pink

Podcast: “WorkLife with Adam Grant”

Accountability

Book: “The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability” by Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman.

Article:”Building a Culture of Accountability” by Melissa Gratias.

Video: “Accountability in the Workplace” by Jennifer Bridges.

Podcast:: “WorkLife with Adam Grant: A World Without Bosses”

Unleashing Your Leadership Potential with Hogan Assessments

Peter — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 10:20:02 +0000

Navigating the complex world of leadership can be challenging, but understanding your personality, inherent leadership style, and behaviour patterns is a transformative step in the journey. That's where I come in, offering a unique, bespoke approach to Hogan Assessments.

Hogan Assessments are renowned tools with over three decades of validation and reliability in the realm of organisational psychology. Hogan is different because it provides you with a prediction of your reputation when at your best and when under pressure. Yet, the real value is not just in the tool itself, but how the results are interpreted, understood, and applied.

I provide much more than just an assessment. You’ll have a tailored experience built around your unique situation. My 30+ years practical leadership experience, combined with a deep academic understanding of organisational psychology and sociology, help me to analyse your Hogan results in a way that is uniquely valuable.

In your comprehensive Hogan package, you’ll receive the full Hogan assessment, a 90-minute debrief session, and a detailed written follow-up that supplements the system generated reports. But the support doesn’t stop there. Three months later, we reconvene to review any actions taken and continue your development journey.

So, what can you expect from this process?

Past clients have found clarity about their leadership abilities and reputation in the workplace, uncovering how their personality can shape their responses to stress and pressure. Armed with these insights, they’ve reported better relationships with colleagues, a deeper understanding of their development needs, and a newfound comfort in their leadership identity.

This isn’t just about data and reports. It’s about making a real difference in your leadership journey. My approach is informal and approachable, combining credibility and subject matter authority with compassion and care. Your leadership development is not just a professional endeavour, but a personal one too, and I’m here to guide you through it.

In essence, this package isn’t merely an assessment—it’s a valuable, stand-alone experience that can have a transformative effect on your leadership ability.