Where has September gone?

Well what an incredibly busy September it's been!

- I'm not complaining, I need to earn a living and in the current economic conditions 'making hay whilst the sun shines' has got to be a good thing.

What I've been reminded of however, is how easy it is to get so into hay making that you forget all the lessons you taught yourself when things were a little quieter along with all the life priorities that you know make absoluterly sense!

I've been lucky enough to have been working with a number for fantastic clients in September, - and that's been very affirming and rewarding. I've also been doing a whole load of desk-work culminating last week in three nights in a row working until 2.30am.

The result of this was that I did the absolute minimum necessary to keep home & family ticking over (the most important life priority for me, yet I did the minimum!); I stopped my 'me time' completely (usually allow myself a half hour morning and evening for relaxation/recovery & re-focussing), and I survived on coffee to keep me awake and red wine to get me to sleep!

Is it any wonder that my body took took over the self management for me, - I stooped to get my son's pizza out of the oven & my back gave out. - couldn't move and had no choice but to have a complete 'system shutdown'.

Why do I, and so many other people, refuse to notice the signs and carry on as if we're some kind of super hero? Of course there are some disasters that are genuinely unpredictable, but how many times has a major catastrophe in your work or life been followed by some bright spark saying, "well, you could have seen thast coming a mile off"?!

What is 'Corporate Instinct'? - Part 2

We're kind of familiar with the concept of 'flow', that wonderful state when we become so deeply and wholly engaged in what we're doing that our subconscious seems to take over and the most challenging task starts to feel effortless. We seem to do things twice as efficiently, the quality of our actions and their consequences seem outstanding and we find ourselves using skills, talents or instincts we didn’t know we had.

That feeling of ‘flow’ has been with me, albeit fleetingly, several times in my working life. It seems to happen to me quite a bit when I’m deeply engrossed in coaching or facilitating action learning, sometimes too when I’m delivering training activities. Professionally, one’s reaction might well be to ‘snap out of it’. We are taught that switching to autopilot can be dangerous; how do we know we’re noticing all the signs? Can we be sure we’re 100% engaged? But somehow you know the difference between the ‘flow’ state and the ‘not quite there’ state, and you know that this is the former.

Now, I can think of a few occasions where I found myself ‘flowing’ with a group of colleagues. It happens at those times of extreme creativity or problem solving. You find your group acting and apparently thinking as one being rather than as separate individuals. I emphasise the word ‘creativity’ as I don’t want to confuse this state with the strict adherence to a drilled routine, - maybe I’m wrong, but synchronised swimming feels to me to be about strict compliance rather than about ‘flow’ – and it only works in highly controlled environments, - not so good if there are unpredictable tides, currents or waves which impact variably on each team member.

It’s just a wonderful feeling when a group of Humans create this collective flow together, - fabulous too of we could use the ability to avoid conflict amongst us.

As Daisaku Ikeda, President of Soka Gakkai International expresses it:

“Birds fly about high in the sky. Yet it does not happen that two birds collide with one another. Again, many fish live in the sea. Yet it is unheard of for two fish to bump into each other. In the immense breadth of the sky and the sea, birds and fish live and move about freely because of their instinctive knowledge of the routes of the sky and the sea as well as the principles that govern the processes of flight and swimming.

In the same way, when living in accordance with the Law [he refers here to the fundamental laws of humanity and nature]….human beings will not uselessly collide with one another. They will not come into conflict with each other on account of minor negative feelings such as jealousy, hatred and arrogance, thus creating unhappiness and misfortune for themselves”

What is 'Corporate Instinct'? - Part 1

I think I'm about ready to try and share some clarity about the nature of this concept of 'corporate instinct'. Please bear with me, - I'm thinking as I'm doing so won't always get it right first time!

Some words will follow, but I want to start with some images. Take a look at the school of fish and the flock of birds. What messages do the images present when you think about human organisations?

Enjoy!

In both of these clips there's the immediate 'how do they co-ordinate so effectively?' I'm interested in reflecting on this later. But for now, I was particularly interested in the fish clip, - because we are closer to the action, we see more detail:

• How is it that different groups of fish simultaneously take the lead (and former leaders allow themselves to be followers)?
• Which fish decides on a change? ...or is 'decides' the wrong word?
• How and why do subgroups emerge creating harmonious yet contrary motions?
• ...and how do they re-unite?

Part 2 to follow soon, - but please feel free to comment.

What a great waste of human potential

I attended the Welsh Human Rights Summit yesterday.

This was a day event organised jointly by The Equality & Human Rights Commission and Public Service Management Wales. It was hugely stimulating, providing both good and bad news stories and critically, generating a powerful 'call to action' for us all.

I left the event, however, feeling unsettled, - frustrated that we were still having the same debates and are, to an extent at least, still stuck in the same place.

You see to me, the concept of unconditional human rights for all is just part of the journey. On Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs, I'd place Human Rights pretty near the bottom, not far above food and shelter. In an organisational context, Human rights are very much part of Hertzberg's 'Hygiene Factors', - the basics that must be in place rather than providing any sustained motivational driver.

I suppose I see human rights as a necessary, but not very exciting starting point. I'm much more interested in the human conditions that are liberated when we enable people to exercise their basic human rights:

What about Human Excitement, Human Creativity, Human Imagination?

What could an organisation that is full of Human Compassion, Human Inspiration and Human Vision achieve?

What could possible stop an organisation that was piled high with Human Commitment, Human Motivation and Human Understanding?

These are the human qualities that will best see us through the current recession, and that will create long-lasting and sustainable transformation. Why is our society, - let's face it, why is our planet, still struggling with the basic conditions that are needed to release this amazing and transforming capability?

Perhaps the good news is that, in the current global economic climate, the organisation that takes on the Human Rights agenda in a genuine and holistic way and recognises the value of unlocking its latent human potential will fly, - and act as a beacon for others!

If you try to borrow someone else’s flow you’re asking for trouble!

I’m noticing coincidences at the moment.

I’ve been talking about Nick Smith and Flow quite a bit. In his Little Book of Flow which is downloadable for free at http://www.life2point0.com/2006/06/the_little_book.html Nick tells a story about a trip to Silverstone race track and an experience of ‘flow’ whilst racing a single seater racing car.

My story won’t be nearly as good if you haven’t read Nick’s account first, but to summarise, Nick describes an experience where he became ill and was on the edge of passing out as he raced a very powerful single seater race car round the circuit. Perhaps because his judgement was impaired by his illness, rather than stop the car and spoil the experience for his family, he continues to race and, in this strange state of body and mind, allows his inner self, unrestricted by his conscious mind to take control of the car. Nick not only wins the race, but beats the lap record!

Whilst I was reading this account, my wife, who had not read it, was booking me a single seater racing experience at Silverstone! The same cars, the same track, the same experience as Nick.

She booked it for last weekend, 3 days after I had met Nick for the first time and heard him tell the same story at the Welsh Public Service Summer School.

Anyway, the Journey to Silverstone was lovely. Beautiful weather and scenery, - and I was very excited; about to do something I’d never done before – and something that was completely different from a normal me-type activity, - yet it had a real fit with my current reading and learning!

Well, I felt fine. I went through my basic training and got myself strapped into the car. The engine started with a roar and, getting to grips with an unforgiving clutch, I made a jerky and hesitant start. However, a few laps behind the safety car was enough to overcome this and to get to grips with 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds. Then, as the safety car peeled off into the pits I was racing – and in the lead! (That's me in the photo above). Within a couple of laps two cars had shot passed me and I realised I was doing OK, but not really ‘pushing the envelope’. I started to relax, I eased my grip on the wheel and the gear shift, - I went faster. I allowed my conscious mind to take a back seat and to observe rather than control. I lapped the back-markers. I noticed myself breaking later into the corners and accelerating earlier out of them. I felt totally in control and totally out of control at the same time. I felt no fear, but a real sense of calm and happiness. I was going fast. I was working my way past the other cars to the front. Ahead of me, as the race drew towards a close, I saw the car I had first lapped. Of course I would get passed it again, and that would give me a clear run to the chequered flag. With no worry, no strain – and no particular thought, I felt my car accelerate underneath me and I shot passed – even though he was accelerating hard too. I prepared for the next corner without worrying my conscious mind with the details. Breaking hard, I locked the wheels and squealing and screeching (the car not me) I spun through the safety cones, off the track and out of the race!

So, the moral of this story is to make sure to go with your own flow – don’t try to borrow someone else’s!

The most astounding leader of all

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to join the Wales Public Service Summer School for the day. This is a week long festival of leadership learning organised by Public Service Management Wales, the public service organisation with which I’ve had the privilege to work over the past three years.

Summer School really is a feast, a glutton’s paradise of learning opportunities for senior and developing leaders. The 200+ learners are exposed to often controversial thinking from across the world, are challenged to convert learning into action and are fed to bursting point with stimulating conversation and calls to action. It’s exhausting and exhilarating at the same time!

Whilst there, I caught up with old friends, was re-inspired by an old acquaintance, Baroness Rennie Frichie, and met, Nick Smith, - the ‘flow’ man and author of the Life 2.0 blog which I have referred to previously and admire enormously. I was also able to support the delivery of a workshop which introduced the powerful action learning methodology to a group of leaders. During this workshop I was disturbed by two members of the group who described how all this contact with great thinkers and leadership theory was leading them to believe that they were really not cut out for leadership. They seemed to have a sense that it was all alien to them, that they didn’t have the way of thinking nor the knowledge that was exhibited by others so weren’t worthy to be in the leadership club.

Lets be clear about what’s important here.

Leadership theories can be great. They can challenge us and stretch us. A decent leadership tool box is a real asset. It gives me more choice and helps me think creatively and communicate effectively. But it’s all just icing on the cake.

Leadership, like any other art form comes from within. It comes from the values we hold, our belief system, our vision, our drive and excitement to make things better, the absolute conviction that there’s something important to be done and the sense of personal responsibility that leads us not to pass the buck!

Only then are the theories and tools useful.

I worry that sometimes we stifle real talent by not recognising and celebrating the fantastic leader within all of us. It's instinctive and intuitive, 100% honest and therefore hugely powerful. Yes it needs nurturing and refining, but it’s the cornerstone of our success and the most genuine and powerful tool at our disposal!