3
In a world of increasing complexity how do we help managers and leaders?
2 Comments | Posted by Graham in Learning Design, Learning Tools & Resources
I’ve been reading and watching a lot of interesting stuff recently. For example there is a wonderful piece of an animated, annotated presentation from Dan Pink on motivation here: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc
There’s also a really interesting new leadership study from IBM here: http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/ceo/ceostudy2010/index.html
However while both give some examples of why what we’ve previously thought about motivation and leadership might be wrong, and tell us what we ought to be doing, neither give the L&D community much insight into HOW we help people get there. As an engineer by training I’m more interested in how to apply theories than the basic research of how they came to be ‘agreed’. While I reckon that some great individuals will be able to demonstrate the behaviours and skills described as ‘ideal’ , I also reckon that most of us need to learn new skills, unlearn old behaviours, and practise to get better. So how do we do that? What practise fields do people use to make sure these theories and concepts move from just being an understanding at an intellectual level to a level where they they are understood by heart as well as head, and demonstrably improve performance?
2 Comments for In a world of increasing complexity how do we help managers and leaders?
Tim Coburn | June 7, 2010 at 1:13 pm
John Thurlbeck | September 7, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Hi Geoff and Ann
Thanks so much for the link to the Dan Pink YouTube clip – absolutely brilliant! It has given me so much food for thought – I have gone on for years about PURPOSE to different people in different organisations and he explained it in 10 minutes – fantastic!
Kind regards
John
Hi Graham and Ann
Your recent post about Dan Pink’s work on intrinsic motivation and your question about putting intellectual understanding into practice encouraged me to reply…
Like Dan Pink, I’m very interested in the potential that intrinsic motivation brings to individual, team and corporate performance…. and like you, I’m equally interested in practical tools that enable busy leaders put good ideas into practice.
As an example, here is a checklist for team leaders that helps them discover and align motivation to performance. It’s used together with a leaders guide to holding conversations – there is one for each of the 12 steps in the checklist. (There is a similar checklist and guide for team members, too… together with a learning journal for keeping notes etc)
Although the guides are easy to follow, practise starts with a little bit of training but the process is very easy to self-manage, too.
Here’s the checklist:
Discover, Engage, Perform – 12 Steps to Success
I ask about what really interests the people in my team
I listen the story* of their life and discover what motivates and excites them
(* ’story’ refers to past, present and future aspirations/goals)
I clarify the ideas that inspire them and the goals they really want to achieve
I explain the landscape of opportunity and we explore it together
We connect and align aspirations with work that needs to be done
I challenge and help them create a plan to put their ideas into action
They have the support needed to implement plans that motivate and engage them
I take an interest in them personally and in the progress they are making
I ask very effective questions that keep them focused on achieving results
They start to get the results they want and others notice the progress they’re making
I appreciate them individually for adding value by pursuing their ideas and goals
Our team contribution is better because we put our passion into performance
If you would like to see the Leaders Guide, I’ll happily forward a copy
all the best
Tim