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Effective Change Management: Deliberate, Decisive, Directed

Whether you’re overseeing the adoption of a new platform or conducting a full-scale merger, effective change management will be critical to the success or failure of the project. A few years ago, Jonathan Clark and I assisted in the implementation of a large-scale Information Technology (IT) project. This project influenced almost all aspects of the broader organization’s finance, sub-projects, customer data, product information, operations, manufacturing capabilities, retail centers, and more. Prior to this project, we were involved in numerous technology-based projects within the Military, as both deliverers and users. Our experiences have uncovered a number of significant recurring themes and lessons which we wanted to take the opportunity to share with those who had the time to listen.

Effective Change Management Is Not An Afterthought

Change management is not a joke. It is not the responsibility of a single agency or individual to promote change within an organization. It requires significant investment and analysis at all levels of an organization.  For effective change management on a large scale, you need to provide leadership, champions, preparation, and context. We have seen many instances of organizations that want to implement a change but are not willing to invest anything in order to achieve it. Worse yet, no one understands why the change is necessary or how it will occur.

Related Reading: Myths of Change Management (VIDEO)

Change within organizations too often starts with the word just. We’re just replacing capability A with B. We just want to absorb another organization. We just need to transition Team A into Role D.

There is no “just” when it comes to effective change management. That type of approach all but guarantees a waste of money, time, and resources, up to and including a full regression or undoing of the change efforts. Depending on the scale of the effort, it could literally destroy an organization.

 

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Systems And Technology Alone Will Not Save You

During our years as change management consultants, we have observed an overreliance on technology. It is a common misconception that new digital systems will fix poor processes. But they never have, and they never will. There is no doubt that technology can enhance an organization’s productivity, capabilities, and efficiencies. But part of effective change management is making sure you have the right people to implement and align the technology to a strategic direction. If those people do not understand the strategic direction of the company, the technology they implement may only send you further off course.

Related Reading: How NOT To Collect Data for Business

In many instances, organizations will implement a new platform or technology because they want to appear innovative and modern. But changing a system comes at a cost in time as well as money. Before you decide to implement a new system, make sure you determine the specific issue this change is going to address and the projected return on investment. It also may be worth considering non-technological alternatives. You will have no hope of effective change management if you’re trying to solve a process- or people-based issue by trying to cover it up with a computer program.

Leadership Is Not A Scary Word

You can change software interfaces and technologies, but unless you have user buy-in and ownership, you will have a fight on your hands every step of the way. If there is no leadership to explain the context, facilitate the time for acceptance, or provide a buffer for mistakes, then users will never see the need to make it work.

The Eighth Mile has had the privilege of working with some truly amazing leaders across multiple industries including military, government, and commercial enterprises. We often hear blasé comments about the differences between leadership and management, but when we ask people if they consider themselves to be a leader, they balk at the last minute and describe themselves as a good manager. Do not do that. If you want to be a leader, then be one. Do not shy away from the responsibilities associated with it. It is a role that offers the privilege of providing a purpose to those around you, sometimes through effective change management, and sometimes simply by working with them to achieve your objectives.

Change Is Inevitable

“Change is inevitable; Progress is a choice”

Dean Lindsay 

Organizations will experience change, either voluntarily or due to the environments they operate in. A business that doesn’t change or evolve with its industry will eventually be left behind. As a result of this many businesses, appear to make reactive and impulsive changes instead of deliberate changes that propel them forward. A lack of careful planning and evaluation can increase costs. Many times, these same organizations don’t align their goals with realistic and achievable timelines, opting instead to rush the change and hope for the best.

For the most effective change management, our experiences at The Eighth Mile prompt us to suggest the following guidelines:

  • Determine the direction of the organization. Any change you make must align with your overall strategy, mission, and goals.
  • Analyze the problem you are trying to fix. How many ways can you think of to solve it?
  • Analyze what is not required to change. This will prevent enacting unnecessary efforts that will only drain your resources.
  • Once a decision is made, communicate the information early and openly to your staff
  • Champion the decision and enforce leadership at all levels.
  • Plan and sequence the change
  • Enact the change
  • Provide ongoing support to ensure success.

Truly effective change management provides a host of benefits, including lower resource costs and higher employee satisfaction, to say nothing of resolving the core issue that necessitated the change in the first place. The risk of getting it wrong, however, can be monumental. Large-scale changes, especially when it comes to implementing new technology, will not work without support from all levels within an organization. Do not assume the problem will go away with wishful thinking. Some change are necessary, and you must manage them effectively if you want your organization to not only survive but excel.

Nervous about effective change management? The Eighth Mile can help. We provide full-service change management consulting and guidance for organizations across multiple industries. Visit our Change Management Services page to find out more, or contact us directly to speak with our consultants.

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Myths of Change Management

There are a number of areas that affect the success rate of change management projects. In fact, research from McKinsey and Co shows that 70% of all transformations fail. Ultimately, change is not optional, but it is a choice. It is the job of a leader to create the conditions that support change and promote the choice to embrace it.

In this 50-minute video, Peter Keith and Jonathan Clark touch on some of the common myths of change management that leaders buy into–often to their own detriment.  They will also explain how to avoid these pitfalls during your own change management project and outline the five pre-conditions for contentedness in an organization as a way to understand how employees may perceive change. 

Presenters

Jonathan Clark & Peter Keith, The Eighth Mile Consulting

Length of Video

51 minutes

Video Highlights

0:00 – Myths of Change Management #1: “Change Management Comes Down to the Manager”

0:25 – Industry Example: Making Policy Change

1:18 – Individual Ideals vs Organizational Values

2:16 – How Change Management is Like Driving a Car

4:10 – Myths of Change Management #2: “If the Change Is Good Enough, People Will Accept It”

4:30 – Using Wants, Needs, and Knowledge to Overcome Fear and Resistance to Change

8:36 – Myths of Change Management #3: “Leadership Isn’t Essential In Change Management”

10:01 – Leadership vs Management

10:58 – Listening-Based Communication

13:34 – Leadership Doesn’t Need a Title

15:40 – Defining and Communicating Values As a Leader

18:20 – Provide Systems and Processes to Create Effective Leaders

20:47 – Myths of Change Management #4: “Change is Optional”

21:28 – The Concept of “Burning The Ships”

22:22 – The SCARF Model (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness) for Contentedness

25:11 – Change is a Choice

30:19 – Myths of Change Management #5: “Change Management is a Small Team Responsibility”

30:58 – Scapegoating a Team Prevents Learning From Mistakes

32:39 – Expectation Management

34:40 – Change Must Be Linked to Overall Business Strategy

36:13 – The Role of External Parties

37:15 – Question to the Attendees: What is Your Experience with Change Management?

45:29 – Wrap-Up

47:37 – Storytime: Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Company Overview

Eighth Mile Consulting is a leadership training and consulting agency focused on creating and supporting better leaders in all industries. If you are seeking to develop yourself professionally, we have created an online leadership course to help you become better, more resilient leaders for your team.

For more helpful videos to help you grow your people and your organization, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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What Is Change Management?

Change management is more than a term to describe the process of making adjustments within a company. When done well, it is a process that can lead to outstanding results, lower risk, and better outcomes for companies. It doesn’t have to be complicated. However, it must be done in such a way as to ensure the best full view of the problem and the best solution. So, what is change management?

What Is Change Management in Business?

Change management is the overseeing and facilitating of significant change within an organization. The management team must decide how to properly address and plan for change, developing a comprehensive process for doing so. They then implement that process and manage it from start to completion, assuring success and adjusting to challenges.

When Does a Company Need Change Management?

There are two common scenarios in which change management is a necessary, beneficial investment.

1) A New Project or Process

One of the most common instances in which change management is necessary occurs when the company plans to implement a new project or process into current operations. In doing so, they want all employees and stakeholders on board with the change. This could include massive changes in operations or more minor procedural changes. The key is that the adjustments will impact business operations. Most businesses will go through this process at least once.

2) Acquisition or Mergers

A merger or acquisition changes the game for most companies. This is often a very significant adjustment for all stakeholders and employees. What is change management able to do in this case? Typically, this type of adjustment carries tension and stress with it. Integrating two workforces can mean that many jobs must adjust to new procedures and expectations. Managing this process properly may help to preserve top talent, outline organizational expectations, and help the company move through this process with less strife.

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How Do You Know You Need Change Management?

It’s not always simple to know when to invest in specialized change management support and when to make a few new rules and hope your team follows. Consider the following questions when deciding:

  • What is changing?
  • Why is that changing?
  • What are the implications if the change does not succeed?
  • What is the impact on the employees when this change occurs?
  • What is the impact on the day-to-day operations of the business due to the change?
  • Is the business set up to manage a change of this size, or could it cause frustrations within the workforce?

In many organizations, the goal goes further than implementing rules or changes. They want to explain, educate, and support the people from upper management down who will have some type of impact as a result of this adjustment.

Many people have an aversion to change. Just changing their habits can be a challenge. It’s easier to keep doing things as usual. That occurs whether they get a new manager or the company sells to an investor. By creating the right change mindset from the start, it’s possible to circumvent the negative and achieve more of the desired outcome without as many risks.

Consider the forces for change within your organization that can create stress that may make the investment in change management wise:

  • Government changes are typically critical, as not following these could lead to costly fines or other risks.
  • Social or political events within the organization or from outside the organization that impact the employees of the company can warrant a more delicate process of change.
  • New technology or procedures that require new training or new employee expectations are often best managed with a more hands-on approach.
  • Capturing market opportunities and organizational growth can be essential for a company to continue to operate, making overseeing the transition critical.
  • There are other pain points that could impact the employees, management, or leadership that must receive sensitive handling.

How Does Change Management Start?

Every situation requires a carefully created plan to address the underlying concerns and to create a roadmap for following through. There are often several core components of this process:

  1. Prepare the organization and team for the change. Communicate the details of what may occur and when.
  2. Create a vision for the ideal outcome and make a plan for putting it in place.
  3. Implement the changes and monitor conditions.
  4. Embed changes within the culture and practices of the organization to support the ongoing changes and adjustments.
  5. Review the progress over time and adjust as needed.

A leader’s attitude affects everyone. To ensure the best long-term outcome, ensure your leadership team has the strategies in place to facilitate success.

Find the Help You Need to Facilitate a Better Outcome

Without a doubt, change management often impacts the bottom line and long-term success of companies. Getting it right matters to most organizations. As a result, it’s best to hire a team who can guide and support you through that process. Contact The Eighth Mile Consulting today to discuss your options and to support your growth through these changes.

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How to Apply Rupture and Repair Therapy as a Leader

The concept of “rupture and repair” is widely used in the fields of social work and community services. It has origins in attachment theory founded by John Bowlby (1958) and is well known in therapeutic disciplines such as psychology, psychiatry, and contemporary trauma-informed practice disciplines such as neurobiology. It is also something you can adapt to your leadership practice with great benefit.

In simple terms, “rupture and repair” is about breaking, fixing, and improving relationships. Specifically, it is about a breach or disconnect in a relationship followed by the restoration and positive continuation of that relationship.

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My experience with rupture and repair comes from my work with children and young people with trauma/abuse histories. The majority of this population has been betrayed by their loved ones, and as a result, they have ongoing trouble forming attachments and building trust. By using the rupture and repair approach as a way to promote healthy conflict resolution, we could assist in their healing by showing them that they are safe and appropriate people in the world with whom they can communicate openly.

From a leadership perspective, this approach can be invaluable. Conflict in the workplace is inevitable. If a leader reaches across the divide to help reconnect their employees after a conflict, it can improve and strengthen relationships across the team.

How Professional Relationships Can Break Down

Let’s say you have received an email from a staff member. They are unhappy with a work policy and demand to know what you plan to do about it. Imagine that the employee’s tone is blunt to the point of aggression and very accusatory, attacking your abilities and competence as a leader. 

You may be tempted to match the employee’s tone by going on the defensive, matching their aggression with your own in an attempt to shut them down or “be right.” If you are experiencing additional stress in other areas (such as a looming deadline or a sick family member), that might further fuel your ire. The moment you hit Send, however, you have created a rupture in that professional relationship.

Repairing Professional Relationships as a Leader

Regardless of who is “right,” it is your responsibility as a leader to fix the situation.

To start the repairing process, take the following action:

  1. Reach out to your employee and apologize. Do not make excuses or try to justify your actions. What matters is that your poor communication caused the rupture. Ideally, you should do this as soon as possible after the rupture. However, make sure you fully acknowledge and accept your responsibility for the situation before you reach out. If there’s a chance you will return to a defensive posture, it might be better to wait.
  2. Let them know how much you value their contributions. This whole thing started because this employee was trying to bring a potentially problematic issue to your attention. That kind of proactiveness and concern is what makes them a great team member.
  3. Listen. Whether they need to vent further about the initial problem or they want to talk about how the rupture has made them feel, give them plenty of space to speak freely. They may say some things that are hard for you to hear, but hear them you must. It is your job as a leader to accept those critiques instead of thinking up ways to defend your behavior.
  4. Assure them that you will address their initial concern as soon as possible. You might even consider asking them to assist you, giving them an even greater sense of ownership and input over the resolution.
  5. Follow through. If you’ve told them you would have an answer for them by the end of the day, do it.

By addressing ruptures quickly with a desire to fix what is broken (instead of a need to win), you are more likely to come out of the situation with a stronger professional relationship than you had before the rupture. 

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Learning From Ruptures

At  Eighth Mile Consulting, we believe that mistakes are opportunities for reflection and improvement. Next time you experience a rupture, spend the extra ten minutes repairing things regardless of who you think was at fault. More than likely, you will both come away with a greater sense of trust and support. This could translate into improved performance and productivity down the road.

We also know that accountability and accepting critique doesn’t always come naturally–it takes training. If you’re looking for a straightforward lesson on how to face your mistakes head-on, explore our 8-week online personal development and leadership program or contact us for personalized coaching.

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How You Know You’re Ready For Leadership

Our experiences over the last decade, specifically transitioning from the military into the corporate world, have given me and David Neal a unique perspective on characterizing leadership. One of the questions we hear the most is, “Am I ready for leadership?”

Well, you’re the only one who can answer this. Are you ready for leadership? How do you know?

One of the signs you are ready for a leadership role is understanding and preparing for the challenges ahead. It isn’t just a matter of stepping up to the plate. You have to be ready to swing.

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Am I Ready for Leadership?

Asking the question is the first step, but not the last. In a nutshell, you’ll know you are ready for leadership when:

  • You can give great feedback. Anyone can tell someone about their horrible performance. It takes a leader to look at that performance from an objective standpoint. Offering serious, analytical feedback that’s also positive is an art. You must be constructive, while still providing accurate assessment and direction to help them along their career journey. If you often offer fellow teammates advice or constructive direction, and those teammates not only find it helpful but grab that productivity baton as if the starting pistol was just fired — congratulations. That’s a sign you are ready for leadership.
  • You’re calm, decisive, and can say no when the situation calls for it. Do your superiors and teammates often tell you how well you perform under pressure? Or maybe they give you compliments on how your decision-making skills seem to sharpen the crazier things get? These abilities are definitely prerequisites and good signs you are ready for leadership. Knowing when to say no to favors and additional projects when you honestly don’t have the time is an art.
  • Your team likes you. If you’re well-liked, you are ready for leadership. The idea that leaders have to be rough, crass, and overly demanding to maintain control is simply not true. And how many movies have proven this? Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) in The Devil Wears Prada or John Milton (Al Pacino) in The Devil’s Advocate — sensing a trend here? If you’re not well-liked, you don’t stand much chance of leading the team.
  • You hold your team in high esteem — but you also hold them accountable. From the moment you assume a leadership role, you also assume responsibility for every teammate who reports to you. You are ready for leadership if you share in their mistakes as much as their successes. Working and growing together is now on your shoulders, and that is probably the most important aspect of what it means to be a leader.

If this sounds doable to you, you might be ready to take that step into a leadership position. If you’re still not sure, here are some more questions to help you assess your leadership readiness.

Are You Ready for Constant Growing Pains?

Leadership isn’t a “nine-to-five” job. It requires constant evolution to remain relevant. The leader you were when you began the journey isn’t the leader you should be today. The lessons from failure and success shape your leadership style and effectiveness. When you shift roles, projects, and teams, the dynamic and the personalities change. Therefore, your approach must change. Can you adapt? You need to be able to constantly evolve.

Are You Ready to Take the Hits?

Poor leadership blames others for mediocre performance or unmotivated teams. Subject matter experts may be involved in planning and preparation, and tech experts may execute the practical and technical delivery, but the leader owns the outcome. As a leader, you need to accept responsibility for the performance of your team and provide a means to isolate them from unnecessary business friction and white noise so they can do their best work.

Are You Ready to Abandon Self-Interest?

Your co-workers are more important than you. If you genuinely care about your people, open yourself up to professional feedback on your performance from them. After all, they will influence your projects when you’re not present. By building rapport and loyalty, your team will protect your interests (aka, the team’s interests).  For example, strong leaders fight for raises for their staff, not themselves.

The team’s outputs will determine whether a leader is deserving of progression. Never take for granted those who surged, stayed late, and put their own needs aside to deliver on a goal that ultimately reflects favorably on you.

Are You Ready To Be 100% Accountable?

Team decisions are your decisions. Own them and deliver the outcomes. If something fails, it is your failure. Learn from it, and evolve. You may benefit from the team’s success in the long term, but your personal recognition cannot be your primary focus.

So…Are You Ready for Leadership?

These are our observations, and in no way are they a sequenced road map to succeeding. That is your responsibility as a leader to find and shape. David and I are passionate about leadership and investing in teams. We believe that people make a team, and teams make an organization.

If you have answered “no” to many of the above questions, then leadership may not be a good fit for you. In that case, you have three options:

  1. Make way for management to find a better leader.
  2. Become a better leader.
  3. Choose and mentor a better leader.

A useful explanation can be found in this article on change management.

On the other hand, if you have evaluated yourself honestly, believe you have what it takes to be an accountable and respectful leader for your team, and you are ready for leadership, then we want to help. We believe that a good leader can lead anyone, and knows how to be led. The Eighth Mile offers leadership courses and an 8-week personal development leadership program. To learn more, contact us today.

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Workplace Resilience After A Setback

There is a difference between positive stress and toxic stress. Problem-solving and coping skills are examples of positive stress we can exercise for our benefit. However, long-term exposure to stress can have significant impacts on our health. In this presentation, Samantha Pickering moderates a discussion with Peter Keith on the science behind resilience in the workplace. He begins by decoding the four main chemicals that affect behavior and mood, which have an enormous impact on our workplace resilience. He continues to examine the subconscious speech patterns that are limiting our own experience, as well as the five areas that can serve as a source of resilience and strength when applied correctly.

By the end of the video, viewers should be able to make simple but positive changes as a precursor to leading their teams through times of uncertainty and managing ambiguity with decisiveness and clarity. 

Presenters

Peter Keith
Samantha Pickering

Length of Video

60 minutes

The Science of Workplace Resilence: Video Highlights

0:00 – Introductions

1:45 – Who Should Watch This Video

3:02 – What is Resilience?

4:07 – The Four Chemicals That Affect Behaviors and Mood (Using Language to Access the Positive Chemicals and Limit the Negative Ones)

10:00 – Self-Talk and The Subconscious Voice

14:45 – Resilience Reflective Questions

18:20 – “SAVES” Workplace Resilience Checks: Social Connections, Attitude, Values, Emotional Acceptance, Sense of Humor

39:42 – Examples of Resilience

46:38 – How the Subjectivity of Experience Affects Resiliency

49:18 – Choosing To Be a Victim or a Survivor

56:55 – Storytime: “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten”

Company Overview

Eighth Mile Consulting is a leadership training and consulting agency focused on creating and supporting better leaders in all industries. If you are seeking to develop yourself professionally, we have created an online leadership course to help you become better, more resilient leaders for your team.

For more helpful videos to help you grow your people and your organization, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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How to Hire the Best Leaders

When determining how to hire the best leaders, let’s take a step back and start with a more basic question:

What does it mean to be “fit”? 

If I had to guess, I’d say you’re probably picturing someone lean, muscular, and athletic. Someone who is likely to excel at any sport they attempt. But what if that sport was sumo wrestling?

A side-by-side comparison of a UFC wrestler and a sumo wrestler to demonstrate fitness is purpose-specific.

The ideal sumo wrestler looks nothing like the Western ideal of “fit.” They strive to be as large as possible, and in doing so, are idolized as sporting gods.

The term “fitness” will always be relative to a given scenario. This is especially true when determining how to hire the best leaders. No matter how strong a leader appears to be on paper, do their skills and style suit the requirements of that role?

Are they “fit”?

A Bad Leader? Or a Bad Fit?

We often works with organizations in developing their leadership and project capabilities. In doing so, we have learned that different tasks, environments, and strategies play a big role in determining how to hire the best leaders. By taking these all into account, you can determine which leadership style will be the best fit.

Fitness based on leadership style is a crucial point that is largely overlooked in the hiring process. When figuring out how to hire the best leaders, interviewers tend to focus on the “Previous Experience” section of a candidate’s resume when that has the least relevance in relation to your company’s needs.

Another common reason for choosing a candidate is because they are “really intelligent.” But having an IQ of 170 doesn’t automatically make one qualified to lead. In fact, there have been many studies on the correlation between IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient). While the results varied in their specifics, the general conclusion is that most people tend to be strong in one or the other, but not both. Therefore, a candidate with a high level of traditional intelligence may actually be at a disadvantage for emotional intelligence, making it more difficult for them to communicate, cooperate and, in short, lead.

Leading The Blind

When determining how to hire the best leader for your company, ask yourself:

  • Do you have a thorough understanding of the organizational issues this leader will need to address?
  • Can you communicate the expectations for this role in its entirety?
  • Do you know how do the position’s goals play into the company’s larger plan?
  • If you are hiring a replacement, have you considered exploring a new style of leadership in this role?

If you’ve answered “no” to any of these questions, don’t put up that Help Wanted sign just yet.

Many organizations try to hire for leadership without first knowing where they want to be led. All too often those choices are put off “until we find the right candidate.” This attitude makes the hiring process like trying to hit a bullseye blindfolded. You can keep throwing darts, but without knowing what to aim at, you’ll be lucky to hit anything at all.

The future of your company is not a game of darts, and neither are your employee’s careers. It is unfair to fire a leader who has been hamstrung by limited resources and nebulous expectations, and yet this is exactly what will happen. Eventually, you will have to let them go because they “aren’t a good fit”–a fact you would have known if you’d determined what a good fit was in the first place. 

How to Hire The Best Leaders

To avoid any questions about how to hire the best leaders for the open position, make sure you do the following prep work.

Understand The Problem and the Need

When determining how to hire the best leaders, you must first figure out where the company wants to be led to (or away from).

  • What is the issue you are trying to solve?
  • Is this a people, processes, product, or profile problem?
  • What are the expectations of the leader in terms of time, cost, and quality outputs?

Know Your Desired Outcomes

Based on what you know about the position, what strengths and styles are needed most?

  • Someone who focuses on the details? Or someone who keeps the larger goal in sight?
  • Someone who has a high level of technical, governance, and/or risk experience?
  • Someone who will gel with other members of the team?
  • Someone who is not afraid to challenge the way you do things? Or someone who will operate in a similar way to the person in the role previously?

Finally, of the traits mentioned above, which one is most important?

Same Conditions = Same Results

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

-Albert Einstein

If the reason you looking into how to hire the best leaders is that your last one was unsuccessful, think twice before hiring someone with a similar style–especially if that style involved not rocking the boat. If there’s a potential problem within senior management (such as limited resources or lack of direction), hiring a candidate that will push back could be an asset.

Hiring Is Only The Beginning

Just because you’ve figured out how to hire the best leader doesn’t mean your work is done. Evaluating the company’s strategy and goals in relation to your new hire must continue even after they come on board.

Commit to Continuing Education

Even the best leaders have room for improvement. But if you’ve hired someone fit for purpose, then you should be able to develop them appropriately, especially in areas where the team needs them to be stronger.

New Software Won’t Fix Bad Management

Many organizations mistake a personnel issue for a technical problem. What looks like a failure with one of your systems may in fact be a communication issue between sub-organizations or individuals. Companies can spend millions of dollars trying to implement software solutions whilst avoiding the actual people-based problem.

In Conclusion

There’s a saying in the military: “Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.” The same mentality can be applied when figuring out how to hire the best leaders for your company. By taking a methodical approach to identifying what the problem is and finding the most appropriate solution, you will be more assured of finding the right leader for you. Otherwise, you may end up with a slalom skier when what you need is a sumo wrestler.

When it comes to hiring leaders, it may be beneficial for you to experience what good leadership looks like firsthand. The Eighth Mile Consulting offers an 8-week self-paced online leadership course perfect for those looking to improve their skills through honest self-evaluation and disciplined dedication. To understand what “good” leadership really looks like, visit our course page or contact us for more information.

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‘I am not a pessimist; I am a realist’

We have all heard someone say, “I am not a pessimist; I am a realist.” It is a phrase that has many different layers to it, and it is definitely a topic worth discussing.

There are many that would argue that the world is a terrible and chaotic place characterised by suffering, confusion, and destruction. In many ways they are right. It is not hard to find mediums depicting the destruction and degradation of our societies. If one were actively looking it would take them less than 10 seconds and would probably be as easy as turning on the news. These people often self-characterised as ‘realists’ would reasonably argue that there is no point in burying one’s head in the sand, and that we should deal in facts, however uncomfortable that might be.

On the other side of the coin there exists a group of people, often called ‘optimists’ who seemingly do not care about the impending doom approaching them, and it would appear to external observers that they are living in blissful ignorance. These people are often characterised as blasé and Laissez-Faire. Some look at these people and become frustrated at their lack of involvement or seriousness in the situations around them. They can even come across as non-committal or immature. What adds salt to a realist’s wounds is that these people often live up to 12-15 percent longer than our aforementioned group.

Friction occurs between these two groups because they are often speaking a different language. Conversations become disjointed as both parties are approaching the detail from different existential viewpoints. Add to the mix people’s ego and pride and we have the perfect concoction for an impassable roadblock.

Like most things in life, finding commonality requires a genuine willingness to listen and learn. It must also be nested alongside an admission that every interaction is an opportunity for growth.

You will find what you are looking for (“confirmation bias”)

Earlier we identified that it would not be difficult to find examples of the world in disrepair if someone were actively looking, and this is true. But what if we chose to actively look for the positive things as well? What if we accepted that the world is one of a balancing act between good and bad things simultaneously?

It is not difficult to find evil things. It is much harder to find positive and admirable things. But, does it have to be? Or is that a choice we make? Is it actually harder, or do we make it harder by releasing ourselves of our ownership of how we react to what happens around us that affects us?

“Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values.” – Wikipedia

We are all guilty of confirmation bias and it takes a significant amount of discipline and self-awareness to consider that our brains are often seeking to validate our already existing belief structures. This is not good when you are seeking to find commonality with others.

We must enter every discussion with an understanding that we likely have something to learn.

 

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Re-framing and empathy

We find commonality with others when we genuinely seek to learn their perspective. What we often find is that both parties are simultaneously right and wrong at the same time, and the distinguishing feature was context and perspective. For example, challenging questions to an optimist:

  1. What challenges do you think you might encounter which could slow your progress toward your goals?
  2. Have you encountered other challenges in the past that you had to overcome, and how did you do it?
  3. Do you have a set of tools in your tool kit to deal with those challenges, to help you overcome them?
  4. Who could you partner with to help you overcome your challenges?

Challenging questions to a realist:

  1. Do you know anyone else who has had this or a similar problem and has overcome it?
  2. Do you know if this has ever been done before?
  3. What do you think is different between the example that was successful, and your situation which you believe cannot be?
  4. Do you believe it is worth it for you to try to overcome this challenge?

It takes a level of discipline to pull yourself out of your own narrative and forcibly see the world through another lens. Your perceptions of other groups run a risky prospect of categorising everything they say as silly, irrelevant, or wrong.

One question we might all ask ourselves: Which is more likely?

Option 1: That they are completely wrong, and I am completely right.

OR

Option 2: We are both partially right and have different pieces of information drawn from different contexts and experiences.

If you are brave enough, you might ask the next question: Am I trying to be right or correct?

Nobody wins a binary argument

The wiser someone gets the more they realise that the world is a complex place. Problems are almost invariably multi-layered and faceted. The temptation is to assume that there is a right answer to every problem, wherein reality it can sometimes be the choice between two or more terrible options. Quite simply we must on occasion, pick the lesser of two evils.

There is a movie starring Harrison Ford from 1994 called “Clear & Present Danger”, in which Harrison Ford plays Jack Ryan (based on Tom Clancy’s series of books.) Jack Ryan is at earlier points in his career quite the do-gooder (and mostly stays that throughout), and in this book, and as reflected in the movie, comes up against Deputy Director CIA Ritter, who is quite the opposite. It’s very much a black-and-white set of characters, and when they finally clash, you have this great scene that details good vs. bad, positive vs. negative, black vs. white, or yin vs. yang…and it’s this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKsDjpKr2Mk

Ritter explains simply, “Grey. The world is grey, Jack.”

Moving Forward

It is incredibly easy in the short-term to discard people’s opinions by categorising them as a type (pessimist vs optimist), but it rarely bares fruit in the long-term. Moreover, it speaks to an unwillingness to learn new things due to the risks it might have on our existing belief structures.

What is incredibly important to note is that everyone is winging their way through life. In doing so we are all choosing the schema that we think will best support us at that time. What this means in practical terms is that some people are most likely protecting themselves by choosing to frame the world through a ‘realistic’ (or pessimistic) lens, whilst others are trying to find the positives in a world that can otherwise be quite confusing, depressing, and chaotic.

The moment we realise that our choices lead us through problem-solving and onto solutions, then we also realise that there is a choice to learn something from everyone. In doing so, we might end up one step closer to a more refined and balanced opinion.

The moment inevitably comes in our lives when we realize that we have it within our control to choose, if not the problems we face, then at least the tools we make to deal with them. It is then, at those times, that we truly start growing into our most refined and balanced selves. Particularly, when we use the right tools, make robust and informed choices, and begin directing our own path through the chaos of life.

I am not a pessimist; I am a realist- Co-authored: David Neal & David Reed

 

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Managing Up – The Art of Influence

In this 60-minute workshop, we discuss techniques for presenting ideas that gain buy-in.

TOPICS WE DISCUSSED IN THIS WORKSHOP

  •  Understanding your manager
  •  Nesting your ideas within existing objectives
  •  Micro Skilling
  •  Matrix Teams
  •  Managing Obstructionists
  •  Using yours and your team’s values to support the cause

INFLUENCE REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING

Successfully presenting new ideas requires you to do the background research and set the stage for change. Take a look at what may be affecting your coworkers and how your idea will impact them. Forbes research shows that 70% of all organisational change efforts fail. Have you done the analysis that will enable you to achieve a break in with your idea?

There is an art to preparing information in such a way that it encourages transformation within your business.  If you present your ideas with no strategy you may experience push back.  The Eighth Mile Consulting offers executive coaching for individuals looking to develop their understanding of the motivating factors that determine the outcomes in their workplace. Developing self-awareness and social awareness can give you the edge that drives your career forward.

For more helpful videos to help you grow your people and your organisation subscribe to our YouTube channel.

What are your thoughts or learnings when it comes to presenting new ideas? Are you seeing positive results from investing time in your own self-development? Let us know in the comments below!

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How do your projects link to your people and your overarching strategy?

David Neal and Jonathan Clark from The Eighth Mile Consulting explain how projects link to people and the overarching strategy.

At our recent Aligned Leaders Summit, we had a number of conversations with our attendees during the lunch break that brought to the surface the question of what it is that’s stopping most projects from moving forward and what we see being the largest issues when it comes to managing projects.

Many projects that we have encountered, and do encounter on a daily basis, do not consider these three main areas, which we explain further in this short presentation:

  1. Strategy
  2. Projects
  3. People

In this video, we explain exactly how your projects link to your people and your overarching strategy.

For more helpful videos to help you grow your people and your organisation subscribe to our YouTube channel.

What are your thoughts or learnings when it comes to managing projects in your organisation? Let us know in the comments below!

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