Your leadership style could be getting in your own way
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This document discusses leadership styles and how they can sometimes get in the way. It explores concepts like the "ladder of inference" and how people's espoused theories don't always match their actual behaviors. Leaders often use a "sandwich approach" to feedback where they start and end with positives, but inserting criticism in the middle can backfire by making the recipient distrustful. Understanding these concepts can help leaders gain insight into their own and others' behaviors in order to improve communication and outcomes.
Your leadership style could be getting in your own way
- 1. Your leadership style could be getting in your way? By: Rod Willis rod.willis@assentire.net AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 2. Your leadership style could be getting in your own way Date: Friday, 14 DecemberTime: 13.00 GMT For many organisations, a view of their business is captured by peoples understanding of the products and services they offer, the processes they manage, the enabling technology deployed and the organisational structure in place to support all of these variables. This is a complex set of variables indeed, however it is not all that is going on day-in, day-out. We hear all to often, it is the people that make the difference, if that is the case, then how come there is so little time invested in the domain of understanding people? The next challenge, to better understand others; you need to start with yourself first of all! This Webinar is deigned to share some key concepts that have been around for many years, and do not seem to be common knowledge. We will briefly explore “The Ladder of Inference” helping to explore why we do what we do, and that helps provide insight into why others do what they do. We then will explore how what we say we do, and actually do can often be quite different. This is known as Espoused-Theory and Theories-in- Action. We then will finish by bringing this into the organisational context, exploring core values, assumptions, strategies and the consequences (sometimes unintended). Through this Webinar, you may well start to understand more and see more regarding what is happening around you and why you and others behave as they do in the business context. So what, we might think? With more understanding you have more options and therefore you become more resourceful, that is the answer to the so what! Slides in support of Webinar
- 3. AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 4. Let’s explore People via The Ladder of Inference • What is it? By: Chris Argyris & Peter Senge 1 2 3 4 AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 5. POLL #1 Please let us know if you have heard of the “Ladder of Inference” before? Y/N Answer: 6 of the 30 participants replied with Y AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 6. The Ladder of Inference •What insights? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 7. The Ladder of Inference The Reflexive Loop AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 8. The Ladder of Inference The Filter AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 9. Understand What Guides your Behaviour • Espoused-Theory • This is what you say you do and why you do it. • e.g. “In this situation, I would ………. Because I believe that ……….” AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 10. Understand What Guides your Behaviour • Theories-in-Action (also know as Theory-in-Use) • This involves assumptions about ourselves, others, and the situation, and the causal connection between them and the consequences that result. • A Theory-in-action will take the form: If I’m in a situation “S” and I want to create consequences “C”, given assumptions a1…an, I should do “A” AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 11. The Ladder of Inference AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 12. Now to Business http://goo.gl/wDZUi Schwarz, R. (2006), Does your leadership reduce learning?. Leader to Leader, 2006: 40–47. doi: 10.1002/ltl.164 Have you ever been in a situation like this? You need to give someone some negative performance feedback and you are concerned that you might get a defensive reaction. To reduce this possibility, you begin by sharing some positive feedback, then give the negative feedback, and then finish with some more positive feedback. For example, you might begin by saying, “Joe, I think you’ve done a solid job addressing the difficult issues on the new project.” After a few sentences of praise, you might say something like, “But I’m concerned you haven’t taken steps to develop your team’s capacity; as a result your team isn’t producing as much as it should be.” After sharing your thoughts on this subject and perhaps developing a plan of action, you finish by saying something like, “Keep up the good work on the new project; the clients are really satisfied with the work.” AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 13. Now to Business http://goo.gl/wDZUi Schwarz, R. (2006), Does your leadership reduce learning?. Leader to Leader, 2006: 40–47. doi: 10.1002/ltl.164 Many leaders use this “sandwich” approach to feedback when they’re faced with a challenging conversation. (Even if you don’t use it, you’ve probably experienced it as a recipient.) The reasoning underlying the strategy is that starting off on a positive note makes the person more comfortable and more receptive to hearing negative feedback and less likely to challenge you; ending on a positive note maintains the person’s self-esteem and reduces the potential for anger. But the approach creates unintended consequences. People often discount the positive feedback and feel set up, which leads them to distrust you. By controlling the conversation to reduce the chance that someone will express concerns, you also reduce your chance to learn how differently your colleague may be thinking about the situation. Consequently, you may think you have commitment to change when you don’t. AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 14. POLL #2 Have you ever delivered or experienced the “sandwich” approach to feedback? Y/N Answer: All participants replied with Y AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 17. POLL #3 Is this type of insight helpful for YOUR Businesses? Y/N Answer: All participants replied with Y AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 18. Where to go next? • Download & review the paper already mentioned • http://goo.gl/wDZUi • Read “The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook” • If you are interested in a one day workshop on the material presented today, make contact rod.willis@assentire.net AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4
- 19. Thank you for your timeRod.Willis@assentire.net AMBA Slides Nov 2012 V4