Evolving Intelligent, Innovative Teams
“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. — Eric Hoffer
What We Offer:
We provide leaders with support and guidance in evolving teams that easily embrace the learning required to flourish in the VUCA world. Intelligent, Innovative teams are populated with All-In, enthusiastically engaged employees who trust each other. They choose Resonance over Dissonance in their interpersonal relationships. (For an in-depth discussion on Trust, Resonance and Dissonance, click HERE)
Intelligent, innovative teams are very “Darwinian.” They quickly close adaptability gaps as soon as they appear rather than risk extinction.
The Gallup Company research indicates that only 30% of all employees, including management, are actively engaged. Half are non-engaged and the remaining 20% are actively disengaged. The engagement needle has hardly moved over the past twenty years! The culture in these organizations continue to resist change. The research indicates that over 65% of the strategic initiatives in these organizations fail due to cultural inertia and their failure to adapt.
There is a serious disconnect between what leaders say they want their cultures to be, and the culture they actually create. They say they want a culture characterized by innovation, initiative and candor while the employees say what is really valued is obedience, predictability and deference to authority.
Every MBA Program’s Organizational Development 101 clearly states “every system works perfectly; it produces the results it was designed to produce.” The Authoritarian – Command-And-Control – management paradigm was designed to produce obedient, reliable and submissive employees. It was the management system of choice in the industrial economy.
“Continuing to do things the same way and expect different results
is the definition of insanity” — Albert Einstein
In today’s VUCA world, if you want different results, you must embrace a different management paradigm. The knowledge economy requires creativity, and rapid, iterative learning leading to innovative solutions to adaptive challenges.
An Adaptive and Developmental Culture:
As a learning leader, if the idea of creating an adaptive and developmental culture – one of continuous learning and evolution – resonates with you, continue reading. Consider the following questions:
- Is the team’s culture aligned with organization’s strategy?
- Is the team successfully executing this strategy?
- Is the team enthusiastic and “All-In” engaged?
- Is the team rapidly responding to emerging adaptability gaps?
- Is the environmental ecosystem “safe” for people to fail in their pursuit of discovering solutions to the adaptive challenges that are limiting performance?
If your answer to any of these – and similar — questions is anything other than a firm: “Yes! We are rock-solid,” we may have something of great value to offer you. We have many years of experience and specialized training in working with teams resistant to traditional change management methods.
Intelligent, Innovative Teams:
These teams embrace the Cooperative – Collaborate and Transform – management paradigm. The team is an integrated system – an independent entity – with a “voice” of its own. This intelligent system is naturally creative, resourceful and generative.
Conflict is not seen as a problem but a healthy signal that change within the system is needed. It is not about “who is doing what to whom, but what is trying to happen?” The system, as an ecosystem, naturally evolves towards a healthy equilibrium when all the voices in the system are heard.
Every player within the system is seen and heard as a voice of the system. Everyone has data, information and wisdom of value to contribute. All the voices need to be heard – including the unpopular and contrarian ones.
These teams embrace The Beginner’s Mind and create a safe environment – Temenos exists. They avoid The Four Team Toxins and share information through “HOT Relationships.” They follow The Five Operating Principles of Intelligent, Adaptive Teams. (For an in-depth discussion of The Beginner’s Mind, Temenos, The Four Team Toxins, “HOT” Relationships, and The Five Operating Principles of Intelligent, Adaptive Teams, click HERE.
An Intelligent, Innovative Team is in a constant state of emergence; evolving towards its next evolutionary stage so it is always in tune with the ever-changing VUCA environmental ecosystem.
I walk beside leaders as they learn to nurture an adaptive and developmental culture in their Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous – VUCA – ecosystem. This is the new normal. It requires a new mod
Going Forward:
If you are a learning leader who is ready to eliminate the chaos, overwhelm and stress in your life, we welcome the opportunity to become acquainted with you and explore how we may be of service.
Getting Acquainted:
We use a two-step process: the first step is a 15 minute (30 minute max.) phone conversation in which you describe your situation and we answer any questions you may have. We want you to realize the nature of the commitment you are making to your leadership development and career. This program is not a silver bullet quick-fix or a “when I get a round tuit” activity. It requires clear goals and a strong commitment to achieve them.
If we agree to continue to explore an engagement relationship, we will schedule an in-depth strategy session in which we thoroughly explore your needs and expectations. So that the strategy session is an efficient learning experience, you will complete a brief questionnaire beforehand.
Email your questions, comments or requests to: BeginnersMind@InSearchOfEagles.com. All emails will be answered.
