Visions In My Head

We all see the world in one way...our way. We convince ourselves we're seeing it the right way too.

Oh sure, we also claim to be open-minded, and willing to walk in other people's shoes too. Hahahaha...sure we do.

Lens? What Lens?
Here's my dilemma...despite my powerful self-talk machine that "tells me" I'm open-minded, I find myself wondering if that is actually true. 

Or, at least, true enough.

Think about that for a second. You've spent your entire career in HR proclaiming to be open-minded, and as it turns out you're just like everyone else. 

Your lens is firmly strapped on, and that is the way you see the world.

Time for the Humble Pie Buffet
How exactly does one figure out if their world view is much more limited than they previously believed? How much courage does it take to ask and find out?

Whoa! Not sure I'm ready for that.

But if I'm going to be effective, I need to be a lot more open to feedback from those that I trust. (see this post about your Personal Board of Directors to learn more.) 

What might we learn if we ask those closest to us for their honest take on who we are? Are we ready for that feedback? More importantly, are we prepared to make the changes necessary to align our talk and our actions?

Heavy stuff.

How About You
When was the last time you took a step back and critically evaluated your 'open mind?' 

Is that too scary; or, could it be a moment that leads you to new ways of thinking, working, and leading?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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It Matters Differently

I like to think of myself as an open minded leader who is able to appreciate the various points of view around me. In fact, I have convinced myself that this perspective is a strength for me; something I can rely on when others get too caught up in their own "stuff."

That also strikes me as a fairly dangerous assumption.

Finding Focus
Leaders are hired to bring their experience, energy, vision, and ability to execute strategy to their new organizations. It seems that in making that hire, current leadership is deferring some of their future direction to the lens, or bias, of that new leader. 

Could that be true? What about the other leaders who are already on the team, or those who will join the company in the future? How will all of these lenses coalesce into a common focus?

Recognizing Bias
One of the greatest challenges of any organization just might be the culture of the management team. Is there trust? Can they rely on each other when roadblocks get in the way? How do they communicate as a group? Are there smaller factions that find it necessary to stay connected because the larger group is not functioning as it should?
 
These are difficult questions to answer.

How About You
Seeing through personal or professional agendas, maneuvering outside of the normal communication flow, and accepting that we have our own biases in the workplace can be a challenging gauntlet to run. How do you see your world at work? 

Do you appreciate the other points of view, expertise, and experience of the leaders around you; or, have you convinced yourself that you have it all figured out and the others should simply be quiet and let you lead?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.






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Under Construction

How often do you examine your own leadership style? For me, it's not nearly enough. I try to involve the talented people around me in the decisions that need to be made; I reach out to experts outside my industry for help; and have even asked for very specific feedback from my team of direct reports. Once.

Tools, Tools and More Tools
Whether you use formal tools (coaching, training, 360, etc...); or focus on building relationships with your team and creating an environment where you can have relatively open and honest dialogue, it is up to those of us in leadership to take the first step. An important point here is not to get caught up in analyzing every option available for so long that you never actually get to the work that needs to be done. This is commonly referred to as analysis paralysis, and if affects leaders on just about every topic, particularly when critically evaluating their own style.

Get To Work

We regularly (read here => everyday) expect our employees to work hard, stay focused, improve over time, and make big contributions based on our guidance and leadership. But when do the leaders practice what they preach? Are we so all-knowing that we don't need to make sure we're evaluating our own performance and skills? Have we actually convinced ourselves that we've figured it all out and we just need a team of people to follow our lead?

Really? Good God I hope that is not the case for me.

How About You

How do keep working on your leadership style? Do you create an environment that is open to feedback; or, have you tested that path and heard exactly what you wanted to hear so there's no need to keep learning?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic courtesy of artsysf