Improvisational Photography: Just Letting the World Happen

For my first job out of college, I worked for two years as an editor for a book publishing company.  Every day when I walked into my cubicle, I had to pinch myself as a reminder that, yes, I was actually getting paid for reading books! (And even though the salary wasn’t that substantial, I have to say in retrospect that my psychological paycheck was huge.)

Since those editorial days, my career path has taken a long and winding road to my current point on the journey. I’ve loved some of my way stations (such as my current one) and regarded others as nothing more than a (hard) learning experience. Yet, through it all, that first job has always called out to me, waving from the distant starting line.

Prompted by my ever-present nostalgic streak, I recently took a detour from a planned trip and traveled back to the site of that first job – a place I hadn’t visited since I punched out for the last time many years before. I had brought along my good camera so that I could snap a picture of the part of the building where my cube was located. As I drove down the street that bordered the building, I intended to stop my car by the roadside, adjust my camera, carefully frame the shot, and capture the view for posterity.

But as I approached the building, I realized that there was no good place to pull over. Feeling pressed by the traffic bearing down on me from behind, at the last minute I grabbed my cell phone, stuck it out the driver’s side window with my left hand, and (keeping my eyes fixed on the road ahead) took a Hail Mary shot that I hoped would capture at least some of the building.

Given my schedule, I knew that I couldn’t double back to try again. So I headed back to the main highway, kicking myself for blowing my only chance and preparing myself to see a fuzzy picture of a ditch by the side of the road.

So imagine my surprise the next day when I saw the following image in my phone:

There it was: A perfectly centered, in-focus shot – with the sun forming a halo effect directly over the part of the building where my cube used to be located.

I can’t say that I found any cosmic significance in the image that resulted from my point-and-click moment. No, the message for me was a bit more down-to-earth: That sometimes just letting things take their course can result in even more amazing outcomes than we could bring forth if we tried to plan and control everything in advance.

Hmm, on second thought, maybe that is a pretty cosmic message.

REFLECTIONS FOR THE YES! LEADER

One of the hallmarks of an effective improviser is the ability to give up the need to plan and control what happens next in a performance. This requires improvisers to trust their fellow performers and to trust that great things will emerge from the collaborative process.

Here are some questions to consider in your own practice of YES! Leadership:

·         To what extent do you try to control every outcome – including the actions of the people who might generate those outcomes?

·         What would happen if you just “let go” and lived with some discomfort for a bit while things (and people) took their natural course?

·         When things don’t go according to plan, do you anticipate the worst? Or do you keep yourself open to the possibility that things might work out even better than you could have planned?

Don't Lose Your Head! Protecting Your Personal Brand

What comes to mind when you think of the word Disney?  If you’re like most people, you probably would answer with words like “fun,” “family-friendly,” “entertaining,” and even “magical.”

Such is the power of branding. A brand can be defined as a set of perceptions developed in people’s minds based on many experiences and touch-points over time. If each of those contacts (either personally or via word-of-mouth) is positive, the company’s brand is reinforced accordingly. People then trust that future interactions with the company will result in a similarly positive experience.

But what would happen if you went to Disney World and saw the Mickey Mouse character reclining in the grass with his “head” lying next to him? For most people, this would likely shoot their whole image of Disney as a place to suspend disbelief and escape the “real world” for a while. (In fact, when I mentioned this image in a recent session, a participant immediately exclaimed “Oh, no!” – as if the mere suggestion were enough to burst her bubble.)

                                                                                   

Disney is of course a famous company brand. But can a person have a brand? Can you have a brand? Of course – as becomes clear when you apply the above definition of a “brand” to yourself.

Other people form perceptions of you via the actions you take over a period of time. These “touch-points” they experience leave a certain impression of you in their minds. If the impression is strong enough, they’re likely to mention it to others, who will very likely form that same impression (even if they’ve never met you). In their subsequent contact with you, each of these people then carries a set of expectations (either positive or negative, depending on their experience) of how you will act.

And, as in the case of Mickey Mouse lounging next to his head, it can take only one strongly negative experience – one “Oh, no!” reaction – for your brand image to be destroyed.

REFLECTIONS FOR THE YES! LEADER

Improv performers know that it’s the small things – timing, gestures, stage presence – that make a big difference in the success of their performance. Two performers might come up with equally creative lines, but if one says them confidently and “on the beat” while another consistently stumbles over the words and speaks to the floor, there’s no question of who will leave the better impression with the audience.

Similarly, the YES! Leader's personal brand can be negatively impacted by small yet chronic actions that always hit just the wrong note. While (as with the Mickey Mouse head) one big action can sabotage your brand, more often it’s a series of those little off-key actions that can slowly erode your positive image in others’ minds.

Take a look at the following sample list. Which of these might describe a chronic off-key action of yours?

·         Making sarcastic comments at others’ expense.

·         Exhibiting a cynical attitude about anything and everything.

·         Overpromising and not quite delivering.

·         Using Idea Killers to stop discussions in their tracks.

·         Dominating discussions and acting as a know-it-all.

(And if you don’t think you ever engage in any chronic off-key actions, I challenge you to actively seek honest feedback from those around you. You might be surprised at what you hear.)

The Power of Positive Standards

OK, it’s YES! Leader Pop Quiz Time!

You’re sitting in your office when an employee of yours named Chris marches in and launches into the following rant about another of your employees named Ed:

“You won’t believe what Ed just did! I thought we said the whole team had to agree before taking on any new work. But now I hear that Ed promised Chandra in Accounting that we’d create some new reports for her by the end of the week! So we all have to bust our behinds while Ed comes off looking like a hero! What kind of guy would pull a rotten stunt like that??!! I’ve just about had it with him!!”

Which of the following would be the best thing to say to Chris?

(a) “Wow, that was a pretty rotten thing to do!”

(b) “OK, OK, just calm down. Let’s do some problem-solving here.”

(c) “I know how you feel.”

(d) None of the above.

You probably know not to select Option (a). Besides not having the full story, you don’t want to be seen as taking sides in the issue. Otherwise, Ed may feel as if you’re ganging up on him, which could poison your (and Chris’s) subsequent relationship with him.

At first glance, Option (b) may sound good, as a way to get past Chris’s emotion and tackle the issue in a coolly rational way. However, ignoring emotions won’t make them go away, and in fact may aggravate the issue if Chris feels that you’re patronizing him and dismissing his concerns. And no matter how much you tell him to “calm down,” he’s still likely to be under the influence of his emotions – and thus won’t be in a problem-solving frame of mind anyway.

So if we don’t want to take sides or ignore Chris’s emotions, then Option (c) might seem to be a good choice. Unfortunately, it also risks running afoul of the downsides of either (a) or (b). Chris might react (at least internally) in one of two ways:

·         “If you know how I feel, then you’re agreeing that I’m justified in feeling that way” – which means he thinks you’re taking his side.

·         “You don’t know how I feel! Nobody could know how I feel right now!” – which means he thinks you’re patronizing him.

So that leaves Option (d) as the best answer – which still doesn’t tell the YES! Leader what to do. To supply the answer, I'll suggest the following four-step process:

(1) Check for Understanding. “You say Ed made a commitment without consulting the team.”

(2) Name the Emotion. “This is about as angry as I’ve ever seen you.”

(3) State a Positive Standard. “We need to make sure we’re all working together as a team.”

(4) Test for Coaching Readiness. “What’s most important for you right now?”

This approach has the following benefits:

(1) Check for Understanding. This lets you validate your understanding of the facts of the issue and shows Chris that you’re truly listening.

(2) Name the Emotion. This lets you test whether you’ve grasped Chris’s emotions of the moment and shows that you care as much about the impact on him as the impact on the team’s work.

(3) State a Positive Standard. This lets you establish the standard that any resolution of the issue will need to meet – regardless of what the “true facts” of the matter turn out to be. By stating this, you maintain your neutrality while also subtly reminding Chris that he might also have contributed to undermining the teamwork principle (by, say, leaping to conclusions about Ed’s behavior rather than working things out with Ed directly).

(4) Test for Coaching Readiness. By asking what’s most important for him right now, you’re essentially testing Chris’s readiness to put his emotion aside and start focusing on a solution. If he’s open to problem-solving, you can then engage him in coaching so he can devise an appropriate course of action. If he’s still in the grip of his emotions, you may find you can best serve him by just acting as a sounding board and letting him vent. (That may be all he wants to do anyway.)

REFLECTIONS FOR THE YES! LEADER

Notice the connection between the Positive Standard concept and the “position-interest” distinction I described in my previous article.  Basically, a Positive Standard represents an attempt to get Chris and Ed past their conflicting positions by framing a common interest that can serve as the basis of a mutually acceptable agreement. As long as each holds to his position (Chris: “Ed’s actions were rotten!”; Ed: “I was helping another group!”), the two will never reach a satisfying resolution.

A Positive Standard can also be thought of as a norm, i.e., a shared principle that guides the group members in their interactions. What are your team’s norms? What would happen if you individually asked your team members to identify the team norms? How much agreement would there be? What would happen if you then conducted a full team discussion and attempted to reach consensus on the key norms of your team?

How to Engage in Positive Disagreement

I’ve pointed out a number of times how taking a Yes, And approach can help the YES! Leader maintain a positive, collaborative atmosphere.  I’ve also mentioned that saying Yes, And doesn’t necessarily mean Agreeing with another’s Position, but it does mean:

·         Accepting the Person;

·         Acknowledging the Possibilities in what he says; and

·         Advancing with Positive Purpose.

But it still seems as if we have a paradox here: What does it mean to say “Yes” to someone while disagreeing with his position?

A classic example can help illustrate this point. Let’s say that I’m scripting a scene involving two people (whom I’ll cleverly call Person A and Person B) who are eagerly eyeing an orange sitting in a bowl on a table. Imagine that I begin writing dialogue that goes something like this:

PERSON A: I want the orange!

PERSON B: No, I want the orange!

PERSON A: I want the orange!

PERSON B: No, I want the orange!

PERSON A: I want the orange!

PERSON B: No, I want the orange!

OK, this scene is going nowhere fast. I’ll wad up that attempt and try again:

PERSON A: I want the orange!

PERSON B: No, I want the orange!

PERSON A: OK, you say you want the orange – but why?

PERSON B: I want to make juice.

PERSON A: Well, I want to make marmalade.

PERSON B: In that case, here’s an idea: Why don’t I take the inside of the orange …

PERSON A: … and I’ll take the rind!

PERSON A & B (together): Brilliant!

Ah, yes, that’s much better – and let’s see why.

In Version 1, the two characters had fallen victim to what’s called Getting Stuck on a Position. As long as each character presents his “want” in terms of acquiring the only available orange, there’s no way to satisfy them both. The result is impasse and stalemate – and a complete block to further progress.

However, in Version 2, Person A decided to get unstuck from his position. He chose to Advance with Positive Purpose by exploring what interests lay behind Person B’s position. By asking that key question – Why? – he was able to find common ground with B and thereby discovered that the availability of only one orange was not a barrier to both of their interests being met.

This is how you can disagree with someone else’s position while still saying “Yes”! You don’t have to look for agreement only at the “position” level. By asking “Why?” you open yourself (and the other) to the possibilities for saying “Yes” at the “interest” level.

REFLECTIONS FOR THE YES! LEADER

Have you ever been in a business meeting where two or more participants engaged in dialogue that sounded like Version 1? Where they just repeatedly batted the same position back and forth, with maybe a few word variations but basically the same message? Was it about as productive – and as interesting – as Version 1? What would have happened if one of the participants had asked “Why?” And – shades of picking up trash in the forest – what was stopping you from asking “Why?”

Steady in the Wind: The Benefits of Consistency

In recent articles, I’ve been dealing with the question: Is it better for a leader to be flexible or to be consistent?

I think the answer is: There’s a time and a place for each. A simple answer on paper, of course, but not so simple in practice.

I’ve described some of the reasons why flexibility is a hallmark of the practice of leadership for the YES! Leader. I’ve also noted some of boundaries that must be placed on the YES! Leader’s flexibility. Today I’d like to address the question: What are some of the benefits of consistency?

I think there are at least three areas in which consistent behavior by a leader is not only beneficial but essential:

1) Predictability and Safety. Each of us has probably worked for someone with an erratic personality. He might come through the door in a calm, laid-back mood one day, screaming and yelling the next.  He may respond to a critical situation in a level-headed manner, then be set off by a small issue. You never know exactly “who” this person will be at any given time. This kind of leader creates an unsafe environment which often causes people to withhold or parcel out information for fear of the reaction it might provoke.  A leader must keep control of his emotions and reactions in order to maintain a consistent demeanor upon which others can rely.

2) Trust. In order to build trust with others, a leader needs to send a consistent message. If she communicates conflicting opinions and factual characterizations to different people at different times, or if she fails to follow through on what she says she will do, then she will quickly undermine her credibility.

Of course, consistency isn’t a matter of saying “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it” – no matter what. There may be times when she recognizes the need to vary from a previous message – say, because she learns new information that indicates the need for a course change.  In that case, she must openly and honestly acknowledge the variance, explain the reasons behind the change, and admit to any mistakes on her part.

3) Decision-Making. An effective leader must have a reliable internal compass – a sense of True North, as the author Bill George puts it – in order to provide an underlying coherence to his decisions and actions. If he seems to bend with the prevailing winds when it comes to making decisions or forming opinions (a syndrome known in the political world as “flip-flopping”), then people will quickly question whether he can be depended upon to keep a steady hand on the wheel. (And - to carry the metaphor one step further – they may well ask: Can his actions and decisions provide calm in any storm that might be encountered?)

Consistency doesn’t mean rigidly applying a set of simple rules in a black-and-white manner. Instead, it means possessing (and living) a firm set of values and principles that serve as a guideline to dealing with the sometimes gray areas of life.

REFLECTIONS FOR THE YES! LEADER

I’ve observed the ways in which flexibility is important for the YES! Leader. But consider the following:

·         Are you so flexible that you keep people off guard, not quite sure from minute to minute “who” you are – or how they should interact with you?

·         Do you sense that people are being less than totally open with you for fear of how you’ll react?

·         Are you trying so hard to be everything to everybody that nobody can take what you say at face value?

·         Can you point to a set of personal core values that guide your day-to-day (and even moment-to-moment) decisions and actions?