Teams and companies hit trouble when the culture and practices of the organization work against the very nature of how humans are wired, psychologist and leadership coach Henry Cloud explains. In such situations, individuals have to act in dysfunctional ways in order to work in the system. "
When a company is designed and operates in ways that are aligned with how people are constructed, it will be like an airplane aligned with the laws of physics that govern force or torque," he writes on the
ChangeThis Manifesto site.
That means paying attention to four human needs:
To be connected
The most basic human need is to connect with others - to feel a sense of belonging. It appears at the earliest age, in babies. "The real rocket science in all of this is realizing that this need does not go away in childhood. Everything we know about performance in adult life, health and wellness, brain functioning, thriving in difficult environments, etc., tells us that the more connected people feel, the better they do. Their brains work differently, and better, when they are connected," he writes. So when you develop your next great plan or strategy, evaluate it in terms of connection. Does it connect all parts of the business better? At the individual and the team level, are things designed to foster connectedness or work against it? Hunt down and transform anything that fosters compartmentalization.
Autonomy and freedom
Once humans belong, they desire the opposite: A sense of their own autonomy and freedom. Individuals need to feel they are in control of themselves and that no one else is overstepping the boundaries into their circle, controlling what they should have control of themselves. That means your organization must have clear lines of autonomy and responsibility of individuals and functions.
Leaders need to start with themselves, asking the tough question: Where do I overstep my direct reports and their functions?
Beyond that, have you designed projects or strategies that confuse who is responsible for what? Do you allow boundary violators to trespass into the yard of others? Where is accountability so unclear that people can't be given responsibility freely and trusted to deliver the results that have been delegated to them?
To be imperfect in the service of ideals
We all fall short of "perfect" - even of "good." That doesn't mean we don't need standards, to spur us on.
But we also need the freedom to make mistakes and learn to get better.
"If mistakes are punished, shamed, condemned, attacked or have severe consequences, then we are not in a learning process.
"We are in a 'fear environment' that fosters covering up, blaming, excusing, political manoeuvring, and many other dynamics designed to protect ourselves."
He points to the leader who begins his meetings by telling staff the biggest mistake he made in the past week and what he learned from it.
To be competent
People need room to find and work within their true gifts, and grow more able over time.
"The formula is pretty clear: 1) have a way to discover strengths and talents; 2) have a place to practice those with strong models, mentors and coaches; 3) gain expertise in that arena; 4) as expertise is gained, give greater authority," he notes.
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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.
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