BMTFed’Newsle,er’–No.’28 ’ Jan’2013 … · 2017-06-03 ·...
Transcript of BMTFed’Newsle,er’–No.’28 ’ Jan’2013 … · 2017-06-03 ·...
BMTFed Newsle,er – No. 28 www.bm5ed.com Jan 2013
page 1 © Copyright 2013 Hollin ConsulGng Ltd
BMTFedNewsletter
Is Leadership a Noun or a Verb?by John Austin, PhD
A famous leader asked me that ques1on three years ago, and I think I finally understand what he means. My iniGal reacGon was one of complete confusion, and I’m sure it showed. What kind of stupid quesGon is that, anyway? What I think he meant was that leadership is not merely informaGon. It’s acGon. It’s learned through doing, not merely through reading about it.
Uh-‐oh. Are courses and books useful? Of course they are. But, one should recognize that leadership educaGon is a journey, and these things really become useful when they advance you toward doing something be-er.
Maybe that means trying something new out and seeing how it works. Maybe it means thinking about things slightly differently, finding a new line or quote that you can share to inspire colleagues. Maybe it means revisiGng some old habits you once pracGsed but which have somehow faded over Gme.
Assuming you can fix a problem by sending people on a course is folly: courses and workshops are just more antecedents. You could as easily tell them what you want them to do differently, or send a memo and expect similar success. Courses, books, recordings, videos and the like should inspire you to try something new, and behaviorally sound courses have consequences built in to get some new behavior going from parGcipants.
Nouns indicate a stasis that isn’t present in verbs. Looking at leadership as a noun would suggest someone is or is not a good leader. Leadership as a verb is dynamic and constantly changing. In this case, each behavior or decision can represent either good or bad leadership.
The bo'om line. If leadership is a noun, it suggests thinking yourself into acGng differently. If leadership is a verb, it suggests acGng yourself into thinking differently. Behavioral science is pre,y clear on which one is generally more effecGve – if you want to change behavior, there’s no subsGtute for trying something new and experiencing the consequences yourself.
Behavioural Management Techniques (BMT) is a blend of applied behavioural science tools and project management skills. BMT is used to improve business and safety performance.
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The Smartest Person in the Roomby Allison Reynolds
I work with lots of smart people and I like to think I’m reasonably smart myself, but it’s taken me a while to recognise the smartest person in the room. I guess with anything in life, in order to spot something good, you need to know what good looks like. Here’s my list so far of the early warning signs that there is a promising leader in the room:
• They don’t say a great deal.
• They spend their Gme observing what’s actually happening.
• When they do say something they tend to ask a well Gmed quesGon to make a point or get the group back on track.
• When someone else has a good idea (since they have made space for that someone else to speak) they simply say something like “what a great idea”, without adding their opinion.
• People leave the room and make something good happen.
The smartest person in the room is, of course, not remotely concerned with looking smart, but creaGng the condiGons where the other people in the room can do great things.
BMTFed Newsle,er – No. 28 www.bm5ed.com Jan 2013
page 2 © Copyright 2013 Hollin ConsulGng Ltd
Music and Reinforcementby Howard Lees
My son David recently introduced us to a film called Moonrise Kingdom wriCen by a guy called Wes Anderson. The opening Gtles centre around a piece of music by Benjamin Bri,an called the ‘Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’ that my dad gave me for my 9th birthday. The film also closes with the whole overture, ending with a fugue wri,en by Henry Purcell. It blew my mind in 1961 and it sGll does to this day. Music has been a prominent part of my life since those early years.
Charles Handy makes many statements about music and leadership, and there are many great musical related Ted talks you can view on the Internet. Itay Talgam, in a Ted talk, described one famous conductor who just stood and smiled at the orchestra; that was all the leadership they required for them to produce beauGful music. It’s an excellent example of all the pre-‐concert preparaGon work delivering a great performance on the night. Yes, here we are again -‐ environment-‐driving behaviour.
Most forms of music can provide us with the opportunity to be creaGve; just listening to music is an opportunity -‐ we can join in, even if it’s just singing in the shower. Listening is an emoGonal experience. SomeGmes it moves us to joy or tears, and other Gmes it moves us to the dance floor. It is a very simple form of creaGvity, which can be a pleasurable experience. It is reinforcing; we take part in producing or listening to music for a large part of our lives. Music is played on radios, iPods, used as a foundaGon in films and TV, at sports matches, even in liks!
Music evokes memories; that first dance, that great concert. For me, seeing Jimi Hendrix play. My first date with Frances Hooker watching the film ‘The Graduate’, which was laced with the music of Simon & Garfunkel. Singing along with toddler David to Stevie Wonder’s ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ when Jean and baby Joanne came home, and again when baby Alison arrived. People like a posiGve emoGonal experience; it’s reinforcing and they remember it, forever.
BMTFedNewsletter
Living in the Presentby Richard Kazbour, PhD
“Most people live either in their memories of the past or their hopes for the future. Few live in the present.” I recently finished reading Maverick by Ricardo Semler and this quote really stuck with me because it rings true for so many people, including those closest to me. My friend’s father has owned and managed the same restaurant since 1987. Twenty six years later, at age 66, he just can’t stay away from his business. Nobody in his family has been successful at pulling him away from the kitchen or persuading him that he needs a break. Every year they try using his birthday as an opportunity to introduce him to a new hobby or new place to visit in an a,empt to keep him from worrying about the future and start living with them, in the present. Unfortunately, they haven’t been very successful yet. Is he generally happy with his decisions? Maybe so, but it has affected his personal relaGonships enough that his loved ones are acGvely trying to encourage change.
Many of us find ourselves working towards future goals with li,le consideraGon of how this affects our personal and business relaGonships in the present. It’s not a bad thing to reminisce about the past or even forecast for the future, but remember to also take some Gme to enjoy today. There is a phrase that my coworkers use that fits perfectly. They like to say: “These are the good old days”.
Tips for Resolving Difficult Relationshipsby Howard Lees
Many of the ‘unhappy at work’ people we encounter when we are doing courses are in similar states of distress. They are focused on (usually) one person at work who causes them misery, someGmes to the exclusion of everything else, and this unhappiness oken spills out into their private lives.
If you are dealing with an ‘out of control’ dominant ego it can feel very stressful. You can also feel ‘empty’ in their presence; helpless and, worst of all, uninspired.
What can you do about it? Well each situaGon will be different; some may be relaGvely easy to fix, some very hard. Others will simply require severing all Ges. In the vast number of relaGonal dysfuncGons I have encountered, I would say one thing is likely to have a strong effect and that’s feedback. A well shaped feedback plan can solve most ills, I believe.
Perhaps you could take some Gme out and:-‐
1. Think about your most consuming, stressful problem or person. 2. Get a piece of paper and write down an ambiGous result to achieve.3. See if you can write ten, even twenty, small pinpointed shaping
steps that might precede the massive result.4. Then revisit each step and sharpen each pinpoint (it will make their
actual delivery much more fun for you, especially if they work!)5. Once you are happy with each step, start the process you have
planned.6. If any step fails, don’t despair. Go back to the drawing board and
change the plan.7. Don’t give up, pleeeeeease, dooon’t give up.