How People Talk Past Each Other

Team planning and objective-setting to get results.

Using information and computerization properly to solve problems.

Dynamism and drive so you fix it fast.

Reaching workable compromises by debating and negotiating positions.

Improving the fundamental understanding of the organization in its context in a way that enables significant change.

Assigning people with suitable capability to roles with well-defined accountability

Generating commitment and creativity via genuine relationships.

Q2: Nothing is more basic than action, but what does «action» mean to you?

Any activity that realizes agreed values and goals.

Something that flows from facing the facts.

Doing something now.

Whatever satisfies all parties and reduces conflict.

Triggering change via a strategic intervention.

Something that emerges naturally from holding a position and accords with priorities, rules and policies set at higher levels.

What enables the person to grow and the organization to thrive.

Q3: You want promotion and those in charge tell you to show «leadership qualities», but what are they expecting?

Champion a project by promoting and pursuing its values,
or
Show that you can handle a broader scope or time-scale of planning.

Develop your specialist knowledge and experience, and show you have the facts at your fingertips.

Energetic pursuit of given tasks or urgent priorities with quick successes.

Capacity to hold the ring, conciliating and arbitrating effectively and promptly.

Fully comprehending and explaining the potential of the organization and how it can be realized.

Use formal authority and procedures to run meetings smoothly and ensure everything that should be done is done.

Show charisma and inspire people to open up to you and follow your vision.

How should you specify «roles»?

Devise roles to align with particular objectives, and blur existing roles if they get in the way.

Define roles in terms of information needed and information handling.

Define in terms of action for results—i.e. what must be done now.

Design roles to be more representative and allocate status acceptably.

Design roles in terms of levels and contribution to organic evolution.

Design roles around enduring duties, authority and accountability.

Informally ensure roles fit personal abilities and meet needs.

Q5: «Communication» is said to be critical for organizations, but what does that really mean?

Explaining, listening and ensuring mutual understanding.

Sharing and exchanging useful data and valid knowledge.

Persuading and handling people so they will do what you want.

Sounding out individuals and consulting with spokesmen for affected groups.

Developing and using a common language.

Using a formalized process of team briefings and upward reporting.

Working with feelings and showing empathy, understanding and sensitivity to others.

Q6: All work must be guided by «priorities», but how?

The priority is a value that applies to any goal you pursue and to whatever task you are doing.

The priority is another urgent thing on your to-do list.

The priority needs to be scrutinized to see whether any competing group(s) might get an advantage as a side-effect.

Q7: Things are stagnating but the pressure is on you, so how do you «make progress».

Appeal to common values and agreed essential goals to get results.

Show hard evidence whose implications are unarguable.

Persuade, sell, manipulate, threaten, reward, pressure.

Bargain hard and negotiate intensely to get to YES.

Trigger a change that leads indirectly to the desired action being taken naturally.

Exert authority and evoke responsibility.

Express disquiet about the situation and concern for individuals involved.

Q8: «Meetings, meetings, meetings». Why have them? Who attends?

Groups make policies and plans—involving planners and people who will implement.

Organizing investigations or sharing data and interpreting useful information—as few people and as short as possible.

Making decisions—so everybody wants to be there. (Watch the size, agenda and duration progressively enlarge.)

Negotiating or sounding out views—so contains representatives.

Learning together from failures as well as successes.

Coordinating and controlling those with authority.

Building personal relationships that enable expression of inner feelings.

Q9: Organizations require a degree of «consensus»: but on what?

On principles, values and objectives.

On data and data analyses.

On practicality.

On the distribution of benefits.

An evolving picture of the organization in its context, from the perspective of enabling change.

On where responsibility lies.

On personal and group experiences related to organizational stresses or challenges.

Q10: What is «participation» based on?

On shared values and goals—to include as many as possible.

Access to information.

Expedience and organizational politics.

Group representation.

Improving learning together and ensuring completeness of modeling.

Procedure, protocol and position.