Book review: Our Iceberg is Melting – Changing and succeeding under any conditions

Authors: John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber, 2005

An eight step model that is explained through a fable about an emperor penguin colony in Antarctica and how they deal with problems and change. I recommend reading and passing on this book. It’s fun, easy, informative, and thought provoking. What character or style do I identify with? How do I/do we try and bring about change? and more. The eight-step model to change is divided into four sections. I will briefly mention the sections and steps. For the real meat you’ll have to read the book, like many leaders and complete groups of employees have done.

Set the stage

Step 1: Reduce complacency and increase the sense of urgency. Help others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately.

Step 2: Pull together a team to guide the needed change. Make sure it is a powerful group, one with leadership skills, credibility, communications ability, authority, analytical skills and a sense of urgency.

Decide what to do

Step 3: Create a vision of a new future, a change vision and strategy. Clarify how the future will be different from the past, and how you can make that future a reality.

Make it happen

Step 4: Communicate the new vision in many different ways and repeatedly – communicate for understanding and buy-in. Make sure as many others as possible understand and accept the vision and the strategy.

Step 5: Empower others to act. Remove as many barriers as possible so that those who want to make the vision a reality can do so.

Step 6: Produce short-term wins. Create some invisible, unambiguous successes as soon as possible.

Step 7: Don’t let up. Press harder and faster after the first successes. Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision is reality.

Make it Stick

Step 8: Create a new culture. Hold on the new ways of behaving and make sure they succeed until they become strong enough to replace old traditions.

This is a very brief description of Kotter’s eight step model, but it provides you with the main idea on his model for bringing about change. Also highlighted in this book: The role of thinking and feeling:

Thinking differently can help change behavior and lead to better results.

-       Collect data, analyze it.

-       Present the information logically to change people’s thinking.

-       Changed thinking, in turn, can change behavior.

Feeling differently can change behavior more and lead to even better results.

-       Create surprising, compelling, and if possible visual experiences.

-       The experiences change how people feel about a situation.  

-       A change in feelings can lead to a significant change in behavior.

The question you may ask yourself after reading the book or this summary: “What is my ‘iceberg’ and how can I use what I discover in this story?”.

Let’s Play

Play is often thought of as the domain of children and animals. Playing is good when you’re young, but in our fast-paced, rapidly developing, over-competitive world play is often considered a waste of time. In addition, many think it’s foolish to play and fool around. You just don’t do that. Well, that’s a real waste of precious activity. Because play is crucial to our lives, our health, our liveliness, our resilience and innovation and so much more. And play is so much. It’s joking, rough-housing, playing sports, playing with the dog, board games, music, theater… You get the picture.

Inspired by a May 2011 lecture on play at the University of Minnesota by Stuart Brown, I am  happy to list some characteristics and benefits of play. For more reading I refer you to Brown’s book “Play – How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul”.  

Play

Ingredient for creativity and innovation, tool to rejuvenate, and a way to let go and have fun.

Play

Is a state of mind, rather than an activity. Sometimes running is play, sometimes it’s not, like when you’re afraid and running to escape, or when you’re running away angrily.

Play

A great way to stumble upon new behaviors, thoughts, strategies, movements, or ways of being.

Play

Frees you from established patterns.

Play

Teaches you to make sound judgments.

Play

Lets you learn about the environment and the rules of engagement with friend and foe.

Play

Lets you imagine and experience situations you have never encountered before and learn from them.

Play

Lets you create possibilities that have never existed but may in the future. You make new cognitive connections that find their way into your everyday life.

Play

Creates an arena for social interaction and learning. It allows you to learn lessons and skills without being directly at risk.

Play

Has you create imaginative new cognitive combinations and in creating those novel combinations you find what works.

Play

Creates new neural connections and tests them.

As Stuart Brown states so clearly: “If we stop playing, we share the fate of all animals that grow out of play. Our behavior becomes fixed. We are not interested in new and different things. We find fewer opportunities to take pleasure in the world around us. My family and I love to play, in many different ways. I hope you do too, and otherwise: you’re never too old to start something new.

The Questions We Ask Ourselves and Others

The importance and power of questions – I like to think, talk, and write about this relevant topic because asking the right questions is in many situations more important than finding the right answers. What kind of questions do you tend to ask yourself and others? Look at the examples below and reflect on your questions. What kind of assumptions and line of thinking are they based on? What kind of dialogue are your questions really meant to elicit? What is the added value of the conversation that stems from your questions? Below you will find two types of questions that are related to accountability:

Do you tend to ask …	Or do you tend to ask …
Why is this happening to me? à	What part did I possibly play in it all?
Who dropped the ball? à	How can I contribute to a solution?
Why don’t they get it? à	What else do I need to share, explain etc.?
Why do we have to go through all this change? à	How can I better adapt to this ever changing world?
What’s wrong with these people? à	What could I be doing differently?
When will I finally be supported? à	What first steps can I take to get support?
When will department X fix this problem?	What can I start doing to solve the problem

Which questions get you furthest? Which questions empower you? 
Which questions promote your creativity? Which questions inspire others? 
Which questions present you with new perspectives and with energy to act?

Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People

A book by Rich de Vos, 2008

Underlying theme of this book: Inspire others to use their talents and fulfill their potential.

As we all realize, a positive frame of mind changes how you think, it changes you, and it enables you to lift up other people. De Vos suggests everyone should develop the habit of looking for good in others and that a simple line can change a person’s life. A powerful phrase like “I’m proud of you” or “I believe in you” can have a huge impact on others.

The Ten Powerful Phrases by de Vos with a question from me at the end of each phrase:

1.   I'm wrong – This is generally the hardest of the phrases to say according to de Vos. It’s meaningless unless it comes from the heart, not your lips, so you need to accept the very human fact that you can be wrong. Even if that admission hurts, you need to realize it’s simply human nature and that everyone makes mistakes. De Vos states that anyone can have a profound impact on others when they admit they are wrong. In conclusion: Wrongs are inevitable and denying their existence only creates arrogance and strife. We are not perfect, nor are we intended to be. Now that’s a relief. My question to you: In what kind of situations or circumstances is it most difficult for you to admit you’re wrong?

2.   I’m sorry – This goes along with admitting that you’re wrong, they are companions. Most politicians, many leaders, many people in general are more geared towards using words that defend their position than saying “I’m sorry”. Defending positions, using words to cover up rather than to enlighten, blaming the other guy, and avoiding responsibility can all occur when you choose a negative course instead of making a decision to be positive. The ability to say “I’m sorry” shows that you are able to see the other’s point of view, that you want to maintain a relationship, and that your ego is not too big to apologize. My question to you: When was the last time you said “I’m sorry” in a meaningful situation and what made it hard or easy?

3.   You can do it – This line should be adopted as everyone’s philosophy de Vos asserts. Reinforce the lessons of faith, optimism, and hard work. You will never discover how far you can go if you don’t start “doing it”. Even if you do it and fail, you have the strength and the courage to know how far you did get so that you’re going to try again, or do it differently next time, or take on a new job with greater confidence, de Vos argues. He advocates thinking big! Too many never try to do anything because they are afraid. Afraid of failure, that someone might criticize them or laugh at them or that they don’t have enough training or expertise. My question to you: Do you create and use opportunities to reinforce your own and others confidence with “You can do it”? and if not, what’s lacking or what’s blocking you?

4.   I believe in you – Being a believer is being an achiever (Norman Vincent Peale’s book The Power of Positive Living). Why not you, why not now, de Vos challenges his readers. You can show people you believe in them when you support their endeavors or causes. The same goes for yourself: You never know what you can accomplish until you test your beliefs by trying. Try or cry. My question to you: Can you think of three easy ways to reinforce your belief in yourself?

5.   I’m proud of you – Humans have the need to be recognized and acknowledged by those who mean the most to them. We want to feel that others are proud of us. And its most powerful when verbalized in public de Vos asserts. My question to you: Do you use the opportunity to recognize others to its fullest?”

6.   Thank you – It’s an acknowledgement of the other person’s generosity, it’s a demonstration of your gratitude when you say “Thank you”. Just feeling thankful isn’t enough, verbalizing it makes it real for the receiver. The question is not to be or not be, but to thank and to be thankful. We are often too slow to give thanks and too quick to complain according to de Vos. I agree. And therefore my question to you: “How do you score on the scale of gratitude and thankfulness?”

7.   I need you – You’ve heard it before, there is no “I” in the word “Team”. We need people for anything we do and for anything we are. We all share a responsibility for encouraging each other by acknowledging everyone’s contributions at every opportunity. “I need you” is an important message for leaders to convey. It inspires, motivates, and strengthens the sense of belonging, so crucial to humans. My question to you: “Are you a team player, do you show your appreciation of everyone’s value and contribution? What improvements can you make in this area?”

8.   I trust you – Trust is a key quality of leadership, in business and in private life. Can others (employees, customers, children, students) trust what we say is true and that we live our lives on the right path? Trust is developed through experience and it’s essential in friendship. As de Vos states it: Trust means we deliver as promised. My question to you: “Do you know how people rate you on trust? Do you easily trust or mistrust people?” What do you do when you doubt whether you trust someone?”

9.   I respect you – de Vos asserts that you earn respect by showing respect, which makes respect reciprocal. The all too important and often dangerously present ego is part of the game here: When you enter a room, do you convey: “Hey, here I am”, or “Ah, there you are?”  De Vos advices to ask questions if you don’t know what to talk about. Showing interest in everyone we meet is the highest form of respect, provided it is true interest from the heart I’d like to add, and not some trick to gain respect, attention etc. De Vos closes his arguments for this powerful phrase with the statement that we also need to show respect for the personal decisions and feelings of others, even when (or: especially when) those decisions may be contrary to what we believe is in our best interest. My question to you: “How do you deal with people with opposing styles and approaches?” “Do you feel you are getting the respect you deserve and what factors are at play?”

10.  I love you – This one encompasses all the previous phrases and speaks for itself.

How about your messages to loved ones, friends, co-workers, customers? What phrases do you use? Do they empower you? Do they empower the people around you? Which phrases can you use more and which ones that you presently use do you want to utter less? 

The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, translated by Thomas Cleary

This post is not a summary nor a comprehensive review of the book. I merely highlight some of the beliefs and principles from the book, omitting more than I’m putting down in this post.

The Book of Five Rings is an important text on conflict and strategy from the Japanese warrior culture, written in 1643 by Miyamoto Musashi who was an undefeated dueler, a masterless samurai, and an independent teacher. He abandoned ordinary life to exemplify and hand on two essential elements of ancient martial and strategic traditions:

1.Keeping inwardly calm and clear even in the midst of violent chaos.

2. Not forgetting about the possibility of disorder in times of order.

Some of the beliefs and skills described in the book and that I perceive to be well worth reflecting on:

-       Learn to see and use the art of the advantage. For success and excellence: let the teacher be the needle, let the student be the thread, and practice unremittingly.

-       Matters on the mind of the master leaders: efficiency and smooth progress, prudence in all matters, recognizing true courage, recognizing different levels of morale, instilling confidence, and realizing what can and cannot be reasonably expected. What can you improve on?

-       Observe reflectively, with overall awareness of the large picture as well as precise attention to small details. How do you handle this polarity?

-       Rhythm is something that exists in everything. There are rhythms of rising to the office and rhythms of stepping down, there are rhythms of fulfillment and rhythms of disappointment. What rhythm are you in?

-       Harmony and disharmony in rhythm occur in every walk of life at any time. Your attitude guides your approach to whatever occurs. How is your attitude affecting your day?

-       Understand the harm and benefit in everything and become aware of what is not obvious. Are you open-minded and observant enough to see the non-obvious?

-       A specialty of martial arts: to see that which is far away closely and to see that which is nearby from a distance. How well do you climb into that helicopter?

-       Fixation is the way to death, fluidity is the way to life.

-       If you are in a deadlock it’s essential to change your approach, determine how to win by means of a very different tactic. Who have you consulted in times of challenge? People with similar or different beliefs and approaches?

-       There is infection in everything, not just in yawning. What are you infecting others with?

-       The opportunity of the moment, of now, of here. Are you fully present in the moment?

-       Concentrate on seizing the initiative and getting the jump on others.

There is so much more to the book. Go read it for yourself!

The Power of Personal Accountability

Book Review  “The Question Behind the Question – practicing personal accountability at work and in life”, 2001, John G Miller

What to really ask yourself to eliminate blame, complaining, and procrastination. 

Miller vibrantly and succinctly discusses a crucial leadership topic and a skill needed at any level, in any position, as much in business as in private life. The topic at hand is the much debated personal accountability.

What makes this book worth recommending and reading?

-       It’s many ideas to move from blaming, complaining, and procrastinating to taking personal action. Ideas that can easily be implemented since they are focused on the kind of questions we ask ourselves and others and therefore the choices we make.  

-       The book is brief and written in a style that reads easily and quickly. If you are anywhere near as busy as many people, you will like this quick read.

-       The examples provided are clear and diverse, easily applicable to many types of situations.

-       It’s an upbeat book that at the same time makes you seriously think and rethink your beliefs, your questions, your choices, your actions, and your results.

-       The book is about questions and their power, which is one of my favorite topics, but apart from that, it’s one of the most powerful as well as one of the most misused communication tools.

My conclusion: this book is worth your attention. Following the line of thinking and the suggestions in this book we will make this a more constructive world, one person at a time and one step at a time.

Miller asserts that the lack of personal accountability is a problem that has resulted in an epidemic of blame, complaining, and procrastination. The trouble that plagues organizations cannot be solved by pointing fingers and blaming others. Negative, inappropriate questions like “Why are they doing this to us?” or “Why do we have to go through all this change?” and “Who dropped the ball?” represent a lack of personal accountability according to Miller. The better questions are: “How can I help solve the problem?”

It’s not my fault, it’s not my problem, it’s not my job, that’s her department, when are they finally going to train us, why don’t they communicate better … are questions, or rather, complaints that fill the air time too often. When most of us are faced with a frustration or challenge of some kind, our first reaction tends to be negative and defensive, and the first questions that occur to us are what Miller calls “incorrect questions”. He continues with the belief that you can choose to ask more accountable questions. Rather than “When are we going to get more help around here?” you can ask “What can I do to make a difference and contribute to the solution?” This is making better choices in the moment by asking better questions.

Sometimes people think they have no choice. They will say things like “I have to” or “I Can’t”. But we always have a choice. Always. Even deciding not to choose is making a choice.

Miller states that the answers are in the questions: if we ask a better question we get a better answer. Three simple guidelines for asking better questions (called QBQ – the Question Behind the Questions):

1.    Begin with ‘what’ or ‘how’ (not why, when, or who).

2.    Contain an “I” (not they, them, we, or you).

3.    Focus on action.

The Why question is victim thinking: Why can’t I find good people, why won’t they promote me etc. A better question would be: What can I do to get better people? What can I do to increases my chances for promotion? Another debilitating question that Miller discusses: “Why is this happening to me”? Miller beliefs, and so do I, that in many ways stress is a choice. Yes, bad things happen: bosses, stock markets, wars, illness. But whatever the trigger response, we always choose our own response. We choose to act angrily or stuff up our emotions or to worry. Different people have different reactions to the same situation because they make different choices based on different beliefs.

If you choose the question: “Why is this happening to me?” you feel as if you have no control which leads to a victim mindset with victim behavior. This can be very stressful. Turn from “Why do I have to go through all this change?” to “How can I adapt to the changing world?”

Miller continues with questions that start with ‘when’. These questions lead to procrastination - we’re really saying we have no choice but to wait and put off action until another time. Most people don’t intend to procrastinate, but they do. Better questions are: “What solution can I provide?”, “How can I more creatively reach the customer?” The answer is in the question just like procrastination is the friend of failure. A good piece of advice by Miller, even though nothing shockingly new: Take care of the little things while they are still little.

Creativity, says Miller, is not so much thinking outside the box, but succeeding within the box – reaching goals, making a difference, and doing the job well with what you already have. Focusing on what you don’t have is a waste of time and energy.

Asking the ‘who’ question is looking for scapegoats. Blame may be the most pervasive and counterproductive of all ‘mistakes’. Instead, ask yourself: “What can I do to move the project forward. What action can I take to ‘own’ the situation?”

An example from the world of sports: If you want to win you have to be good enough to beat the referee, so that you still win despite possible questionable calls during the sports match. You also have to beat yourself –overcoming the fears of any athlete, business man etc.

Miller states “Personal accountability changes the world, one choice at a time”, and I couldn’t agree more with him. It’s based partly on the notion that I can only change me. So basic a concept, so fundamental, so misunderstood, and so denied. It’s easier said than done: “Stop fixing others, turn to yourself” but how well do we act upon this?

Miller defines integrity as being what I say I am by acting in accordance with my words.

QBQ thinking leads to integrity because integrity begins with me, not others, asking the question: How can I practice the principles I espouse? Instead of asking when others will walk their talk, I’ll focus on walking my talk. Busy enough it seems.

There are four risks of doing nothing according to Miller:

1.    Action, even when it leads to mistakes, brings learning and growth. Inaction brings stagnation and atrophy.

2.    Action leads us toward solutions. Inaction at best does nothing and holds us in the past.

3.    Action requires courage. Inaction often indicates fear.

4.    Action builds confidence, inaction builds doubt and insecurity.

It’s better to be told to wait than to wait to be told.

Miller finishes with the notion that leadership, more than anything else, is about the way you think. It’s a moment-to-moment disciplining of your thoughts. It’s about practicing personal accountability and choosing to make a positive contribution, whether in a leadership position or not. Next to personal accountability Miller nominates humility as the cornerstone of leadership.

Miller stresses one more point: Learning is not the same as reading books, attending classes, listening to great speakers nor is it gaining knowledge. Learning is about translating knowing what to do into doing what we know. It’s about changing.  If you have not changed today, you have not learned today. Wisdom is what we learn after we know it all. No one is ever a finished product.

Be inspired by your journey into your line of thinking and questioning – your journey into learning and changing.

Change management and Kant’s four questions – part 4

As you might have read in my earlier posts, 18^th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant tried to answer four questions in his philosophy:

1.    What can I know?

2.    What do I have to do?

3.    What can I hope for?

4.    What is the human being?

In my previous three posts on this topic I addressed all but the last question as I am applying these questions to change management in a practical manner, so as to possibly get you thinking about change management from a different perspective. I believe that’s what management, leadership, and life is all about: being able and willing to see, appreciate, and use different perspectives to your advantage, to broaden your vision, to think outside your box, and to seriously consider what you might perceive to be impossible?

In this post I will address the fourth question: What is the human being?

To some this question seems obsolete. A human being is just that: a living person. To others, like philosophers, it’s been the source of many ponderings and inquiries into the nature of the human being, into our ancestors, into the relationship to the Great Apes, and into the motivations and workings of a person. I could therefore take many roads from here to address the question. I choose not to delve into sociological, philosophical, psychological or other explanations of the human being. I leave that to the respective experts in these fields. I merely want to stress the following three (out of many) characteristics of the human being and relate them to change management.

Characteristic 1: Self-consciousness – encourage your employees to be conscious and aware of themselves and how they relate to the change process, including what is traditionally perceived as resistance. Have them contemplate constructively what they worry about, what remains unclear, what they need from others to embrace the changes, and how they can optimally aid the change process. In a broader sense, coach your employees in increasing their self-knowledge around topics like risk-taking, flexibility, personal growth, and courage.

Characteristic 2: Free will – encourage and, if necessary, have your employees coached on the notion and ability to consciously choose their attitude and their behavior in order for your employees to take responsibility and ownership for what they show and accomplish and for how they relate to the changes, whether they are happy with them or not. As Viktor Frankl stated so clearly: the last freedom that no one can take away from you is the freedom of choice – the choice of attitude.

Characteristic 3: Uniqueness – each organism and therefore each person is unique and responds to changes in a unique manner. Use each employee’s unique skills, insights, drives, and input and see where this person fits in and what she can bring to the ‘change table’. Also, encourage that person to see, appreciate, and use this uniqueness to the advantage of the learning and changing organization. Team up the ‘worrying type’ with the ‘ever optimistic type’. They can add new, valuable perspectives to each other and to the organization. Do not just regard them as resistant or difficult people. Someone seemingly blocking the change process might be just the right person to guard risks and dangers involved.  

Change management and Kant’s four questions – part 3

18^th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant tried to answer four questions in his philosophy:

1.    What can I know?

2.    What do I have to do?

3.    What can I hope for?

4.    What is the human being?

In my previous two posts I addressed the first two of these questions as I am applying these questions to change management in a practical manner, so as to possibly get you thinking about change management from a different perspective. I believe that’s what management, leadership, and life is all about: being able and willing to see, appreciate, and use different perspectives to your advantage, to broaden your vision, to think outside your box, and to seriously consider what you might perceive to be impossible?

In this post I will address the third of the four questions.

Question 3: What can I hope for?

Hopes and dreams are what we are made of. We all have our hopes for our own future and for our children. As a leader, I’m sure you have your hopes for your company.  If hopes and dreams remain just that, hopes and dreams, than chances are that you will not reach those dreams or the road will be a long one. As Tony Robbins states: “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment”, and it’s that commitment that needs to turn the imagination, hopes, and dreams into a strategy and into actions. If I relate the above to change management than I urge you to

-          Realize that the change needs to align with your company’s purpose and values as well as with the readiness of the organization.

-          Realize that you and your workforce have to be able to be proud of the goal and of how to get there.

-          Realize that you generally lose some people during the change process, people who are not able, but more often not willing to go where you want to go with the changes at hand. It’s generally better to let them go and assist them in finding a more suitable work environment than to try and push and pull them towards a change that they will never embrace.

-          Realize that for people to be able, willing, and ready  change they need to have trust in themselves and their leaders, they need to be able to focus on resources and possibilities, they need to there is room for taking calculated risks and for experimentation while receiving support and back-up.

-          Make sure you celebrate when things go well and use supportive redirection when things go wrong.

So it’s not so much ‘hoping for’ but working hard and smart to realize.