RADICAL EMPATHTY
While my instinct may be to turn away from someone who is a naysayer or recalcitrant or difficult, I try to remember to make sure their concerns are heard, give them responsibility, and talk to them at the break.
CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS
In working with teams, I think it’s important to understand that some challenges take time and require buy-in to resolve. The leadership gurus I worked with at Harvard, Ronnie Heifetz and Marty Linsky,[i] call these adaptive challenges.
A MISSION TO REMEMBER
I’ve been thinking about mission statements lately as I draft one with a board that I am on and remind myself to follow my own best advice.
Why it works to not work
With summer not far off, now seems like an appropriate time to talk about when and how to “not work.” Some of the best work that teams get done is accomplished together, but not in a meeting.
New excerpt
Share the Pie
Don’t you hate when you get stuck in a conversation with someone who hogs the “conversational pie”? Similarly with groups, members disengage when one person, or a few people, take up most of the air time.
The One-Text approach
It is fascinating how through this process, a general consensus will emerge. If there are still unresolved issues, park them by recommending further study or by noting in the text where agreement has not yet been reached. Invoke the Camp David Accords.
name the elephants in the room
Even with multiple “elephants,” I’ve found that it is more beneficial to surface the issues than ignore them. If identified and put in context, contentious issues can propel a group forward.
Go to the balcony
Stepping away from the heat of a meeting or interaction often presents new data and shifts perceptions and sometimes the work that needs to be done. In addition, I have tools to help entire teams “go to the balcony”.