Increasing New Leaders Flexibility

I hate to break it to you, but your brain is lopsided.  Most people are in a similar predicament, with one side of their brain (the left or the right) being utilized more than the other.  However, if you’re charged with the task of leading and managing others, you need the flexibility that comes with both sides of your brain working in balance.  An ideal leader has a wide range of behaviors and knows when to use each one.  If you’re charged with the task of mentoring a new manager, you can encourage growth by determining where they are on a continuum, then methodically strengthening the qualities on the opposite end of the continuum.

 Left-brain oriented – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – — – - – - – - – - – Right-brain oriented 

We can assume that the left-brain oriented newbies are visual and systematic.

The right-brain oriented managers are kinesthetic with a wide range of behaviors.

The more the manager is left-brain and visually oriented, the more quickly they will develop systematic routines.

• Computers folders and files are in an orderly fashion. There is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
• Completed forms and requests follow protocol and turned in on time.
• Records are systematic and easy to access.
• Cabinet folders are color-coordinated and filed vertically in a filing cabinet.
• Goals, targets and plans are organized delivered on time.
• Personnel management is objective, consistent, and fair.
• Work area is orderly and uncluttered.

The more the manager is right-brain and kinesthetic oriented, the more active the manager will be in adding new possibilities to their wide range of behaviors. 

• These managers know they have something pertinent in their computer but can’t remember where it is. Bulletin boards and walls are plastered with students’ papers, and there are unusual things hanging from the ceiling.
• Right-brain leaders and managers are “pilers” not “filers” and can’t allow anyone to touch the files because although they may look chaotic, the piles are actually horizontally organized.
• Goals, targets and plans are written after the time period.
• People will know these managers will be late on forms, usually because they can’t find them.
• Personnel management is subjective, personal, and individualised.
• Work area is full of stuff; there is never enough space for everything. 

As mentors of leaders, we work with the left-brain managers to help them become more flexible and we work with the right-brain managers to help them become more consistent.  This ensures that they will have all the necessary skills to manage a diverse group of people. However, these changes don’t happen overnight.  On average, it takes five years to create balance.

Michael will be presenting his Group Dynamics program in Perth on 14 and 15 March, 2013. He is also available for in-house corporate programs from March 11 to 13.

Find out more about Michael Grinder’s Group Dynamics Program here.

It’s always a pleasure to receive a glowing testimonial, especially when it comes from someone I admire and respect as much as Barrick Gold’s General Manager at the Granny Smith mines.

Julie is also Telstra’s Businesswoman of the Year for WA. 

We wish her all the best for winning the national title, and in the running for the national title, soon to be announced.  

Not too long ago, I presented to a group of medical doctors about communicating with the family of the deceased regarding their approval to honour the dying person’s wish to donate organs. This particular group of doctors was a group of cats: independent and motivated, with feelings of superiority.  If a group perceives us as not being equal with them, we have the option of acknowledging their superiority.

1.  Prepare for know-it-all ‘cats’ by asking yourself two questions:

Q. What do they have that they think you do not have?

Possibilities include: gender, age, experience, money, rank, university degrees, etc.

Q. The group has two or three collectively highly held values. You have something that they need but they don’t realize they need what you offer.

Which of their values will be better satisfied by what you are offering?

2.  With the above information you are ready to acknowledge the cat group. Acknowledge their superiority within the first minute of your presentation.  For example, open your program/presentation this way:

• “Thank you for coming. [Say the first sentence while looking at the group.]
• Our topic is…” [Say the second sentence while looking at the flip chart with the information written on it.]
• Then with your eyes down, walk to another area at the front of the room. Walk while saying something like, “Before we begin…”
• Once you are in this new location, look up and gesture towards the group with one forearm (hold it still–keep your hand out– toward the group, palm up) as you say something like this:

                  “You would know best…”

With the other arm, you will look and gesture towards the presentation spot as you finish the sentence:

                  “…which aspects of the presentation you can use.” [As you gesture toward the presentation spot with the other hand, keep your palm down.]

Pause, keeping your eyes on presentation spot to the count of three.  A comfortable pause conveys to cats that you know they won’t like it all and you are just fine with that.

• Follow this pause by starting to move back towards the presentation spot with your eyes down. When you take your first step simultaneously drop both extended arms.
• When you are half way back to the presentation spot suddenly stop and do a more specific acknowledgment. Casually turn towards the audience and with a curious voice say, “It is obvious that I don’t have your (mention the answer to the first Question). [Pause, then continue with…] At the same time, your commitment to (mentioned the answer to second Question) is also obvious. [Pause, then continue with…] It will be interesting to see which aspects of this program [as you say “program” look and gesture back towards the presentation spot] you decide to incorporate.”
• Pause again. Then continue your walk with eyes down back to the presentation spot. With the first step drop all gestures.

Once back at the presentation spot begin the program with amnesia…pretend you never acknowledged their perceived superiority. When interacting with a group such as that group of doctors, think about whether it is likely to consist of several cat personalities.  Then, plan accordingly.  If a group feels that they are superior, acknowledging that superiority in the beginning can allow your audience to fully engage with your presentation. 

Michael will be presenting his Group Dynamics program in Perth on 14 and 15 March, 2013. He is also available for in-house corporate programs from March 11 to 13.

Find out more about Michael Grinder’s Group Dynamics Program here.

This is the next in our series of guest blogs from leading business communicator and educator, Michael Grinder.  

Stress Has a Name – NED

Think of where you would be if nothing in your life ever changed.  Change is inevitable, both in our personal lives and at work. While it can be stressful, it is ultimately necessary for growth and progress. When a person experiences something that is New for them, or Emotional for them, or Difficult for them – the experience is labelled a NED.

During a NED the person breathes high or shallow. They don’t have enough oxygen to the brain to “think.” They are limited to default behaviours. These knee-jerk behaviours are often rigid. Their inflexibility prevents them from seeing options and possibilities.

Example: People being required to switch to a new software program that they find confusing.

When two people interact with each other and one person experiences a NED and the other person is not bothered by the situation – the second person is available to assist the NED person. If the NED person perceives the second person as being the cause of the NED then the second person doesn’t have permission to assist.

Example: The person required to take the training in the software may associate their frustrations with the instructor. 

If both parties have the same NED, then their behaviours towards each other compound the situation.

Example: The attendee learning the new software is frustrated. The software instructor has a NED of not wanting to disappoint people. When the two interact with each other, they reinforce their frustrations. The more the learner is irritated with the instructor, the more the instructor feels guilty. And feeling guilty doesn’t allow the instructor to breathe low enough to be flexible helping the student. The student, not being helped, becomes more frustrated and takes it out on the instructor. 

When we are with a person experiencing a NED, we want to be sensitive and offer to assist.  The more we separate in the NED person’s mind the problem from us the more likely the person will give us permission to assist. By looking at the computer when they describe the “software problem”, the darn equipment is separated from us as instructor.

If we have permission to intervene, here are some axioms that will assist us:

As someone begins to go into a NED, and we intervene, the easier it is to facilitate the person. The longer the person has been in a NED the harder it is to reach them.

By developing a relationship to potential NED learners ahead of time, we increase our permission when problems arise.

Humour – is the fastest way to increase a NEW person’s intake of oxygen.

A NED experience is temporary and our ability to assist can be crucial to maintaining a functional team.  In business, the greatest benefits come when each member is flexible and able to intake information and come up with new ideas.  Maximize the amount of time your team members spend in this state of mind by minimizing the impact of NED experiences.  Change happens, but if you use these strategies, it will never get the best of you and your team.

Michael will be presenting his Group Dynamics program in Perth on 14 and 15 March, 2013. He is also available for in-house corporate programs from March 11 to 13.

Find out more about Michael Grinder’s Group Dynamics Program here.

In this photo (L to R): Clare McMath, MLC Principal Rebecca Cody, Margot Halbert, Nulsen CEO Gordon Trewern, Alex Rough, Samantha Schrauth and MLC Head of Year 10 Lucy Brookes-Kenworthy.

Michael will be presenting his Group Dynamics program in Perth on 14 and 15 March, 2013. Michael is also available for in-house corporate programs from March 11 to 13.   

Managing a Bully

When you hear the word “bully,” what image pops into your mind?  I think back to Year 4 and picture one particular classmate who spent most of her time teasing, taunting, and shoving other kids.  I remember thinking how happy I would be to grow up and not have to deal with bullies any more. 

Eventually, I discovered that bullying doesn’t just happen on the playground.  We encounter bullies throughout our lives, even when we’re given the task of leading a group. The presence of one or more bullies in a group increases the probability that the group will become dysfunctional, so what can we do to help the group maintain functionality? Consider the following:

1.   If possible, remove or fire the bully.

2.   Remember to appear fair to the group. You don’t have to appear fair to the bully.

3.   When managing a bully, the more intelligent and congruent you are, the more likely the bully will respond favorably.

4.   If you can’t remove the bully, then use Ignoring (and Management) techniques.

Ignoring Techniques

A.  Model Ignoring. When the bully talks:

·     Breathe in a relaxed manner.

·     Move your body or shuffle papers.

·     Avoid eye contact.  

B.  Indirect Response: When you respond to the bully, do so without eye contact. As you are scanning the room, you have three ways to avoid eye contact with the bully:

·     Look over the bully, at the row behind the bully.

·     Look in front of the bully, at the row in front of the bully.

·     Look at the bully’s row, but as your eyes come to the bully do a long blink. Only reopen your eyes when your vision has moved to the person past the bully.

C. Spike with Voice-Over: When you are talking and the bully starts to interrupt, spike the volume of your voice as the bully says her first three syllables. This will shock the individual as well as the group. As the bully stops talking, immediately drop your voice to a whisper.

D. Preempt Bully’s Rejection: The bully often selects when she wants to be attentive. If you are concerned that the bully’s non-attentive behavior might disrupt others’ concentration, do the following.

1.   Sit next to the bully and talk past her. Look past the bully at someone on the bully’s far side.

2.   Continue doing this indirect response (no eye contact), but add a hand gesture that moves back and forth between the bully and yourself.

3.   Once you have ignored the bully by not making eye contact, switch to brief eye contact with the bully and whisper, “You are not going to like this!” and immediately go back to looking at other people. 

Just like it was on the playground, we often can’t stop the bully, but we can manage their behaviour through ignoring techniques. If the group knows that we (the person-in-charge) know how the group sees the bully, the group feels sane. Sometimes our task isn’t to fix the bully but to confirm the sanity of the group.  

Find out more about Michael Grinder’s Group Dynamics Program here.

Read the full edition of LeaderSpeak lifts off here.

Margot Halbert from Women Who Lead and Amanda Butt from Rio Tinto at the Women In Mining Conference held in Perth on 14 September 2012.

Find out more about Women Who Lead here

QF32- A wonderful insight into the benefits of leadership and teamwork.

The book QF32 by Richard De Crespigny is an enthralling read about how experience, training and teamwork contributed to averting a world air disaster. At risk were 469 lives after an on-board explosion 7 minutes into take-off of an A 380 out of Singapore in November 2010.

Richard De Crespigny was the highly experienced and trained captain of QF32. He had 15000 hours of flying in the Australian air force and with Qantas an airline renowned for its safety standards and the training of its air crew. This is his story told in detail.

While everything in his past had prepared him for this near disaster nothing could prepare him for the startling reality. Despite all his experience and training he had spent more time in the simulator of the A380 than real time flying.

Richard De Crespigny describes in his compelling story how the A380 was one of the most sophisticated aircraft ever to have flown and a true delight for any pilot to be in control of. Yet on that November 2010 day the unthinkable was about to occur.

Fortunately for all concerned on board QF32 on that November day not only did they have the leadership and experience of De Crispigny, but there were also not three, but five, very senior and experienced Qantas pilots in the cockpit. Despite his experience and training the quality standards at Qantas still required De Crespigny to pass check flights (just like every other captain and pilot). This was one of those flights and the reason for 5 senior pilots on board that particular day.

The riveting story unfolds of how leadership and teamwork combined to save the aircraft its crew and passengers after an explosion 7 minutes and at 7400 feet into the take- off.  Hundreds of pieces of shrapnel ripped through the fuselage and wing crippling the aircraft.  With many of the 250,000 sensors sending warning sounds and messages sometimes incorrect to the flight deck  and with one engine failed and two degraded nothing short of remarkable skills, combined experience and courage under pressure was required to get over 440 tonne of aircraft back to Singapore.

In the book Richard De Crespigny is clear. He could not have achieved this remarkable feat without the crew and its combined efforts. He poignantly states “Teamwork is everything.”  Of course, he talks little about leadership because he is typical of the many selfless leaders he accepts responsibility for very little of the success in saving the aircraft. In my opinion however, this is, by it’s very nature, a story of remarkable leadership.  

If you want to understand why leadership and teamwork can combine to deliver amazing results, QF32 is a compelling read.

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