THE LEADERS JOURNEY AGILE PROGRAM
Thomas Bookhamer
DIRECTING TO
CONNECTING
THE LEADERS JOURNEY AGILE PROGRAM
DIRECTING To CONNECTING
Seven Mindset Shifts from Directing to Connecting
My intention in this ebook is to provide a new awareness while encouraging you to think into the results you may be experiencing through the management practice of directing people.
The mindset shift from directing to connecting is one of the most valuable and effective shifts you will ever make as a leader!
The results of connecting are the opposite of directing:
- Higher commitment
- Greater buy-in
- Higher energy and effort
- Ownership of results
INNOVATION
The mindset shift to connecting is counter intuitive. It is far easier to just tell people what to do!
Have you ever stopped to consider the level of effort people are willing to give when they are told what to do?
People buy into you, then your vision!
Even if this is not the intention… your org-chart may be set up to support a directive work culture instead of a leadership culture of innovation.
THE LEADERS JOURNEY AGILE PROGRAM
Let's recognize that many of our organizations are set up to be directed from the top down. Expectations are set up by a structure or pattern of rules, titles, policies, and authority. Titles are given and expectations are established through an authority structure. Are you investing the time and effort to step out of the org chart and connect with your people?
Directing others seems very natural for most of us. Allow me to be clear here, I want you to hear my heart. I am not saying as leaders we should never give people direction. It is important to agree on guidelines, instructions, processes, and expectations.
The question becomes, are you allowing your team to take ownership of the value they provide every day? Are you creating a culture of innovation and influence or one of authority?
You will know this by looking at their results. Are they contributing new innovative ideas and ways to reduce waste, improve quality, and reduce cost? Are you providing a work culture of innovation?
I ask you, do you want to be followed because you have the authority or because you have influence? Connecting increases your influence, moving you away from a management culture of authority.
How then do we establish a work culture of innovation, accountability, and ownership?
How do we shift to a new paradigm – A mindset Shift
Remember coaching is NOT giving advice, NOT directive…
Case Study: DIRECTING TO CONNECTING
During one of my recent onsite client contracts, I intentionally identified a few manager level individuals who exhibited the following: Awareness > Desire > Intentional Action > and Commitment to an evolution of their career that better aligned with the future state of organizational leadership. They intentionally started on their Leaders Journey!
THE LEADERS JOURNEY AGILE PROGRAM
The desire was to move their career from directing to connecting; to evolve from managing to coaching (leading).
We accomplished this following the 4 Values of The Leaders Journey and through shared experience, leadership training, and coaching training.
The real joy for me was to see how these managers’ professional engagement came ALIVE! As a result, EVERYONE was growing!
This is a much bigger conversation, and we will need to talk more about this. For now, you tell me. Is there value in this awareness? Is your awareness changing? Is this a Mindset Shift for you? There are many, many, benefits to this evolution. I’m happy to deep dive into them with you. Connect with me anytime.
I want to recognize the potential $$ SAVINGS in evolving managers into agile coaches or leaders. Agile Coaches are typically expensive contractors! I know, I have been one for better than 20 years. What would the benefit be if we were to evolve managers to coaches? For those of you not interested in agile, please note this evolution is not specific to agile. We are evolving from directing to connecting ... from authority to influence. This is the Leaders Journey.
It is my belief that future management practices will look more like coaching skills. Understanding that most agile coaches are highly paid contractors, consider the financial savings to your organization if you were to achieve this evolution.
Connecting!
First, let's recognize that connecting takes energy. Connecting with people takes commitment and requires that you believe in them! This is often why connecting is skipped in the first place. It's much easier to just tell someone what to do. It's easier to find a way that works and create a policy or process than revisit the results and look for a better way.
THE LEADERS JOURNEY AGILE PROGRAM
Key attributes of connecting:
- Common ground
- Believing in others
- Questions
- Listening to understand
Listening to understand is likely the most powerful and effective way to connect. Notice I did not say, listening to hear. I intentionally said, listen to understand! When you do, people will know that you care.
Create a listening environment by creating opportunities to listen:
- Retrospectives
- Reflections on a recent effort
- Failure meetings
- Establish permission to fail by encouraging people to try new ideas. The value here is in the evaluation of the result. What did you try, what did you LEARN! What outcome were you expecting and what results did you get?
- You have a voice
- Intentionally provide a safe place and even an anonymous opportunity for your team to express their ideas, wants, needs, must-haves, etc. Give them a voice!
- Create a visible backlog of their requests. Take ownership, prioritize them, and demonstrate how you are serving their success!
You will be amazed by what others may teach you if you will listen to understand.
Too many leaders lead by assumption. They assume they know where their people are without ever asking them. Asking questions is an amazing way to connect. Let’s look at the contrast between these two styles.