Wednesday 8 January 2020

5 insights for more conscious, catalyst and creative conversations

This digital age doesn't have to mean the continued deterioration of great conversation and communication that is evident in many organisations.

Here's 5 insights for more conscious, catalyst and creative conversations. These are my tried and tested methodologies in my work with clients over 30 years.

In all conversations and communication the key characteristics for the greatest success are candour, conviviality and compassion.

1) Discovery/Decision


Have an open mind. There must be no forgone conclusions if you are to have a truly conscious, catalyst and creative conversation.

Start with a blank page yet be clear on the topic. My suggestion is one topic per conversation. Have a declared starting and finishing time. 45 minutes at a time works best.

Seek to answer this question What will our greatest achievement in insert topic look like?

Use a talking stick to encourage all participants having their say and being uninterrupted in doing so.

Make decisions about the path you're going to follow to act on your insights using a proven decision making process. If you don't have one get in touch with me and I will run you through some options.

2) Possibility/Planning


It's critical to your success in turning possibility into reality to co-create a possibility plan. Limiting your plan to one page is highly recommended. As one of the pioneers of plans-on-a-page I know from vast experience that keeping your plans to a page is key to guaranteeing success.

You should be able to glance at your plan and know instantly what is happening. I recommended 7 sections. I call these the seven areas of significance for sustaining shared-view. I recommend watching the short videos or listening to the short podcasts here. There's also my own current possibility plan-on-a-page at the link that you can download.

This conversation 45 minutes also. It can be more than 45 minutes just take a break at 45 minute intervals.

3) Practical/Process


Answer these questions post your planning conversation:

How will we ensure we're always practical in the execution of our plan?

What proven processes will we follow to keep us real and positive?

4) Progress/Adaption


I've written about the 'progress principle' many times. The latest is principle 8 in my mini ebook '11 proven principles for embracing the art and practice of possibility leadership.' You can download the mini ebook here.

5) After-action/Integration


There's plenty to contemplate and act on in your own best way about after-action-reviews and integration work in the above mini ebook. See principle 10. Here's the heart of it:

After-action-reviews are a game-changer because while every detail is still fresh in people’s souls, hearts and minds is really the only time to effectively reviewperformance. This is why all the great sports coaches get their teams in the room privately straight after the game and before they speak with anyone else.

The following is the process I follow for conducting after-action-reviews:

1) Review one action at a time and answer the following questions what happened and why? what did we learn, relearn, and unlearn? How can we be better, wiser and more valuable in applying these learnings? Who will we become? What will we do next?

2) Determine with your colleagues how your answers will be integrated with what is already working well for you.

3) Upgrade your individual, team and organisational plans-on-a-page accordingly.

4) Reflect new perceptions in appropriate standard operating procedures, policies and practices (SOP’s).

5) Upgrade learning and development materials.

My recommended process for integrating new perceptions with what is already working well for you:

1) Choose one new perception to be integrated with one thing that is working well for you.

2) Decide who will be doing the work and how progress will be made visible.

3) Agree on a deadline for the integration.

4) Do an after-action-review of the integration!

5) Repeat.

Who will you become?

What will you do next?

Should you love some help, please get in touch with me. You may wish to take advantage of the very special 3 session offer here. Offer expires on 31st January 2020.

Be remarkable.
Ian

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