Unleashing the Power of your Story-I

“When we know the facts about people, we know what they are. When we know their stories, we know who they are.” John Quincy Adams

Leadership, Systems, and Stories

One of the most powerful ways to understand your leadership, and the reasons you behave and lead as you do, is to understand your systemic story.

Out of my work over the past 25 years with individual executives, executive teams, and large organizational change projects–and from my work with David Kantor, one of the leading family systems therapists and systems consultants in the U.S.–I have developed a powerful leadership coaching process, Creating your Leadership Story. Story work helps leaders make major improvements in their performance in short periods of time. Clients report that, in 2-3 hours of coaching, they create significant positive changes that stay with them over the long haul.

Leaders who choose to do story work learn to see Events–how they respond to particularly difficult leadership challenges. They come to recognize their Patterns of behavior and implicit assumptions, both those that have helped them create desired results and those that have gotten in their way. And, they discover Structure–how Patterns are rooted in their systemic story, the story that reflects how they initially learned to operate in systems.

Many clients describe seeing the connection between their present day leadership and their deep story as transformational. They make a fundamental shift in how they view themselves in the world and as leaders. But the work does not stop there. They then create a new story that is aligned with the results they want to create and the kind of leader they want to be; they identify new behaviors and assumptions; and they practice their new approaches to produce quantum leaps in their leadership effectiveness.

This post is the first of a series in which I will discuss what I mean by “story”, why your deep story is central to how you lead, why seeing your deep story is a powerful way to make desired changes in your leadership, and how you can go about doing that. Also, I will review the broader context for our stories—the theory underlying story work; stories in the context of our life cycle; and our individual and cultural myths, where these mythic stories come from, why we tell them, and what we can learn about ourselves and our world by paying more attention to them.

Questions to Ponder

Have you ever been in the middle of a leadership situation and felt, “I’ve been here before”? The content of the situation may be new, but you still have an underlying “deja vu all over again” experience.

Have you ever experienced a tough, high-pressure situation that was important for you to deal with effectively, but you felt stuck? You may have experienced yourself trying the same things over and over again, each time trying a little harder, and each time feeling more stuck. As in the proverbial tar baby story, the harder you pushed, the more you got entangled.

Conversely, you have probably experienced leadership situations that came out wonderfully despite huge challenges; you were successful and felt great, you performed to the max, and your energy flowed naturally and organically. You may or may not have known why things went so well, but you knew that they did, and you knew you felt great.

Most often, these kinds of instances reflect your deep systemic story.

What is a Systemic Story?

Your systemic story is the story you have told yourself about your experience in systems, particularly the first system of which you were a part. It reflects how you learned to survive and operate in systems; for example, your deep story reflects how you learned to:

Relate to key players in your life
Be successful
Get noticed, or avoid getting noticed
Take risks, and protect yourself
Respond to authority, and exert your own authority
Give and receive love

At its core, your deep story is the internal narrative you have created about your experience of the human condition. As such, it is central to who you are as a human being and as a leader.

What you can do—a first step

If you want to learn to see your story and how it influences your present day leadership behavior, to learn how to keep the parts of your story that serve you well and change the parts that do not, start observing yourself. As a first step, “stand on your own shoulder”, or “on the balcony” and watch yourself doing what you do. Pay particular attention to how you handle the toughest leadership challenges. Notice your thoughts, your feelings, and your behavior. In our next post, you will start to learn what to do with the things you have observed. Eventually, you will learn how to unleash the power of your story and make your life as a leader more consistent with who you truly want to be and what you deeply yearn to accomplish.

To be continued…

================================================

If you have questions and would like more information about story work, feel free to contact me:

Steven P. Ober EdD

Office: 508.882.1025 Mobile: 978.590.4219
Steve@ChrysalisCoaching.org

June 29, 2010August 19, 2022

Ask Them and They Will Come

Man in Brown Suit Jacket sitting on a couch

This blog was written by guest writer Andy Horsnell.

While working for a nonprofit capacity building service, I had occasion to put together an “Executive Director Boot Camp” that would help EDs identify and begin addressing issues that were critical for their on-the-job effectiveness. Early in the development of this project, I almost had myself convinced that I knew enough, given my twenty years in capacity building, to just roll it out to the market. Almost. Instead, I invested in interviews and focus groups with about two dozen executive directors to see what I could learn.

I learned plenty. First, make it exclusively for executive directors; resist the temptation to open it up to other senior staff and board members. “We want to be free talk about our issues, without worrying about what our staff and board members might think.” Then they told me the issues what they wanted the session to address, and gave me specific input on the session format, timing, promotion and pricing. They said, “If you can pull this off as we’ve outlined, we’ll happily pay $400 for a two-day session.” This from a group of people who were known to complain about paying $20 for a lunch presentation by an expert on the latest ‘critical issue’.

We launched the program with the initial goal of thirty participants. The common wisdom around the office was, “We’ll be lucky to get twenty. I mean, how many EDs are there that will come up with $400?” Sixty-five, to be exact. And we could have taken another twenty, had we had the room to accommodate them.

In short, the program almost sold itself, because we had the audacity to give our paying customers what they actually wanted, instead of what we felt they needed. It’s a lesson I won’t forget quickly: don’t ever fool yourself into believing that you can think for your customers. It’s so much easier (and effective) to just ask them in the first place and, if you do, they’ll reward you for it.

—————-

Andy Horsnell is an accomplished social entrepreneur with deep roots in nonprofit management, consulting and training. He is the guide to the Social Enterprise section of the Free Management Library.

June 29, 2010February 22, 2023

The Luxury Brand Effect: Should BMW Sell Ketchup?

Top Brands in Trouble

Luxury brands the world over are continuing to struggle. Coach, a luxury leader in the leather handbag market, has experienced quarterly profit slumps exceeding 30%; Saks’ same-store sales down in excess of 23%; BMW’s U.S. sales taking a 28% nosedive; Well, you get it.

And consulting firm Bain & Company predicts that the 10% or greater drop in the overall luxury market won’t recover until 2012. Time magazine give us insightful new ideas:

Diversify – The Promise of Pleasure

“What can these brands do to battle this malaise? Maybe BMW should try selling ketchup or mayonnaise. It’s not as ridiculous as it sounds: according to a study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, recession-wracked shoppers are eager to embrace luxury brand names over a wide range of product categories, including those with little logical connection to the brand’s core item. The authors attribute this phenomenon to the “promise of pleasure” — a brand like, say, Cartier evokes strong, positive emotional responses in consumers, and those good feelings can be easily transferred to stuff like furniture, cheese and even, yes, ketchup.

Expand Luxury Brand Portfolios

“The message for luxury brand sellers is to expand their brand portfolios to small extravagances. The availability of Coach keychains or Gucci flip-flops allows consumers who are cutting back to re-experience the pleasure of consuming luxury without paying a fortune. During a downturn, it’s easier to pay $10 for a nice bottle of ketchup than $60,000 for a sedan (although the ketchup doesn’t handle as well).

Don’t Overdo Luxury Brand Extensions

“There’s a danger in overdoing it, though. Pierre Cardin is the poster child for bad brand extension, according to the Harvard Business Review. “By 1988, it had granted more than 800 licenses in 94 countries, generating a $1 billion annual revenue stream — and profits plummeted,” the authors wrote in a 2005 article called “How Not To Extend Your Luxury Brand.”

Thanks to Time Magazine for the original article.

Time.com in partnership with CNN; By Sean Gregory, Aug 05, 2009

For this article in its entirety, see Luxury Brand.

What diversification opportunities do smaller brands have in this economy?

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

. . ________ . .

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman: With offices in Nashville Tennessee, but working virtually with international clients, Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. As a Founder of iBrand Masters, a social media consulting firm, Lisa Chapman helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

June 29, 2010August 19, 2022

Coaching Tip – The 5 Minute Weekly Review

As I work with my coaching clients, I realize that most people do not routinely reflect or evaluate their progress – unless it is performance review time. I created this simple feedback tool called The 5 Minute Weekly Review to provide a structure for insight, learning and improving performance.

The 5 Minute Weekly Review

What went well?
What went poorly?
What would you have done differently?
Next week – what will you do more of? Less of?

As you try out this tool, what would you include in your weekly review?

For more resources, see the Library topic Personal and Professional Coaching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pam Solberg-Tapper MHSA, PCC – I spark savvy business leaders to fire up their cutting edge, be extraordinary and do great things for their world. How can I help you? Contact me at CoachPam@cpinternet.com ~ Linkedin ~ 218-340-3330

June 29, 2010August 19, 2022

Information Security as Crisis Prevention (video)

This is the first short educational video I’ve created on YouTube. I apparently spoke a bit too quickly and one word was omitted at the beginning, but otherwise I hope you find it to be an interesting introduction to this crisis management subject!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVar3MZbpaU

——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training.]

June 29, 2010April 27, 2022

GRANT SEEKING BY THE BOOK (PART 2 OF 2)

coleagues-excited-after-getting-a-grant.

The grant making process is highly subjective. The vast majority of private foundations are family foundations that show up in the research resources, but that select their grantees on the basis of personal preferences. Most do not even accept proposals. Their grants are akin to individual donations, and the fact that they are grants at all is merely a function of the IRS Code. It simply is more advantageous to the donor to create a foundation than to make gifts directly.

Even government agencies are prone to subjectivity. While funding guidelines are statutory, specific priorities often are determined by what’s currently hot in the area covered by the grant program. In some scientific disciplines, only a handful of individuals across the country may be qualified to evaluate grant proposals in their discipline, and it’s typical that they know each other’s work.

What does this mean for the grant seeker? Once a non-profit agency has decided to devote resources to grant seeking, its staff needs to follow a realistic approach. That includes following the steps outlined in (Part 1 of Grant Seeking By The Book) my previous posting, but they must be tempered with a focus on forming relationships with the funders, and not merely submitting proposals identified by their research.

Networking is one of the most important items in the grant seeker’s resource kit. Every effort should be made to establish a personal relationship with the funder. That includes making contact with government program officers and seeking out foundation trustees, especially those located in the applicant’s community.

Many times it’s not possible to do that, but submitting a cold proposal without prior discussion should be considered a last resort resulting from a strategic decision to incur that opportunity cost.

In grant seeking, as in most things, success leads to additional success. Often, the best resources can be found among the funders who have already made grants to an organization. The professional grant seeker should not be bashful in networking among his/her current grantors to open new opportunities. They need to make the subjectivity of the grants process work for them, not against them.

We’re taking a break, not blogging over the long July 4 weekend. Be back on July 6 with Part 2 of “Another Reason Why I Object to Feasibility Studies.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Have a question about starting or expanding your grants program? Email me at Andrew@GrantServices.com..

June 28, 2010March 22, 2023

Welcome to the Library’s Blogs!

Development is hard pressed to interface with operations. Yet it is extremely important that this interface be workable because developments are not relevant until they find their way into operations. This is the “reason for being” of development; to have new systems and adaptive processes and structures integrated, in the long run, to foster organizational performance and adaptation.

What’s The Difference?

An operation is charted to preserve the status quo, the current thinking and methods. Operations assumes this status quo as a “given” and works within current procedures to improve them and “operationalize” them with a high degree of efficiency. In most operations the problem is clear and solutions are knowable. Fast response is an overriding value in executing a “fix” and getting the operation back on-line.

Development, on the other hand is a constructive conspiracy. It is the development function, who’s job it is to replace the current ways of doing things, with new tools and assumptions more in line with changing business and organizational conditions. Development is rife with ambiguity; it is a searching and learning process. The overriding value is gaining commitment to change.

Innovation and Development is fragile, complex and conceptual. Nothing kills it faster than premature exploitation- rushing to capitalize on it too soon. Development is not charted but it is navagatable, it is a learned activity in action where hunches are tested and theory is developed in the process of action. The context of development is uncertainty. Operations on the other hand, works to reduce uncertainty to a program, an operational term.

Learning It While Doing It

Operations are based in control. Developments emerge and are always subject to un- intended consequences in action as development is moved toward its purpose. One of the themes of these essays is that developments are realized through the process of development, it is in effect learned in the process of doing it.

Usually there is not a great deal of organizational understanding and support for doing this. An often operation does not see the need or understand the purpose of the development itself. For this reason, development needs protection at a certain stage. Protection and understanding go hand in hand. As the development is understood the protection can be loosened which is necessary to gain the institutional support for prioritizing the resources for more disciplined development.

Boundary management means the protection and support of a differentiated development culture and the managed change of this culture when appropriate. Boundary management is a continual effort of judgment and balance because technical organizations optimize performance and their activities are always influenced by demands and feedback from a variety of sources in the global environment. Establishing and managing boundaries is both necessary and problematic.

—————————

For more resources, see the Library topics Consulting and Organizational Development.

Jim Smith has over 40 years of organization development experience in a wide range of organizations. He can be reached at ChangeAgents@gmail.com

June 28, 2010May 18, 2022

5 Tips to help teams perform under pressure

So far this year I’ve spent more hours than I care to remember trying to calm the nerves of fraught conference organisers. Often days before the event has even started.

A great team performing under the pressure of live TV

The other day I spent the afternoon on the set of a live TV show. With just two hours to air the production team managed to deal with numerous unforeseen crises calmly and confidently.

Much has been written about stress and its impact on individuals but this afternoon’s experience got me thinking about team stress.

It’s surprising how often we allow anxiety to build from within our teams, limiting productivity, stifling creativity and eradicating the fun from work.

The TV production team demonstrated excellent performance under pressure by following these 5 simple rules: Continue reading “5 Tips to help teams perform under pressure”

June 27, 2010August 17, 2022

CYA- It all depends on Perspective

How many of you work in a CYA environment? I’m guessing many of you are nodding yes. Well – it all depends on perspective. What if CYA didn’t mean ‘Cover Your Ass’ but rather ‘Choose Your Attitude’. How different would your workplace be if people really got it that they alone are responsible for how their day goes. Everyone gets a chance to choose their attitude from the minute they walk into work, to the staff meetings they sit through, to the way they talk to their co-workers. Here’s a little insider information – You create your world from the inside out. Choosing your attitude is the first step.

What do I mean by creating your world from the inside out? Your attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, judgments shape your words and deeds. When you truly understand you have the power to choose your attitudes (and I’m including here your beliefs, thoughts, judgments), you are the master of your world*. Your inner dialogue shapes how your outer world unfolds. When was the last time someone pushed a hot button of yours? Guess what – you can’t determine what others do, but you can determine how your respond. Choosing your attitude is an empowering approach to your work. You control your mental and emotional state, rather than giving your control away to someone else.

There are only two responses you can give in any moment– acts of love or acts of fear. Cover Your Ass is a fear-based response. Choose Your Attitude helps you remember you can choose a loving response instead.

We always get a chance to choose our attitude, in the small and large ways. Pay attention to how you respond to things this week. Do you respond from a place of love or fear? Affirm that you are able to respond with loving kindness to others, no matter what they do. You’ll move more easefully through your day if you do.

Here’s an affirmation to help you this week:

I know I am whole, balanced and supported by staying true to my Source of Love. I know that everyone is doing the best they can in any moment. Let me enhance this moment with my compassionate understanding and loving kindness. I will stay true to my inner knowing that I am Love regardless of what goes on around me. As such I will choose the most loving thought, word or deed I can offer in the moment.

* My second book,” Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand”, shares more information about Personal Mastery. To see the 1st chapter and a video overview of the book, go to- http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=2089 If you feel so moved, please vote for me as the Next Top Author before 11:59 pm tomorrow (Mon. June 28).

*******************

For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

——————

June 27, 2010August 17, 2022

Internal or External Coach? How to Decide?

Business professionals having a conversation about internal and external coaches

My coaching clients often ask, what is the difference with working with an internal coach (an employee) or an external coach (an independent contractor)? Here are a couple considerations to keep in mind as you make the decision to hire a coach.

1. Clients tend to talk more freely with an external coach than with someone within the organization. An external is “unbiased” while an internal may be influenced by the goals, politics and culture of the organization. For example, it is very common for senior management to “open up” only to an external coach due to the sensitivity of issues they are working on. No matter how well self managed the internal coach may be, if the focus of the coaching is on strategic issues, executives may not feel free to discuss them.

2. Be sure to have a clear agreement upon how coaching information will be exchanged among the client and sponsor. For purposes of identification, the International Coach Federation defines these roles as follows:

Client: The “client” is the person(s) being coached.
Sponsor: The “sponsor” is the entity (including its representatives) paying for and/or arranging for coaching services to be provided.

3. An internal coach may have access to organizational resources that could enhance the coaching. They may also be more available between coaching sessions for extra support.

4. The external coach may have broader range of experience as they often work with many different organizations.

5. This does not have to be an either/or situation. Many progressive organizations choose to use both internal coaches and external coaches in order to provide best match of coach for the client as well as the objectives of the coaching engagement.

What do you think?

For more resources, see the Library topic Personal and Professional Coaching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~