Leading by Adventure - 022 - Bringing the best version of yourself

Creating a climate in which authenticity and creativity thrive – Being the person who makes the difference to your meetings

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Why take this challenge?

Create meeting climates which bring out the very best in people

Shift your team culture to one in which people can fully be themselves

Be more in control of how your emotions help create the relationships you need

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

Brene Brown’s inspirational TED talk on connecting with others, describes the importance of courage – the openness to share all of yourself, flaws and all, whole heartedly.

So, I would like you to imagine your next team meeting, and to imagine you are going to be totally open. How do you feel? Can you feel a slight tightness around your heart?

Do you fear that some people would use it against you. Perhaps you feel they might judge you?
And does that feeling, that thought, make you defensive? It would me.

Vulnerability IS key to effective teamwork, but only in the right climate. It is virtual suicide in the wrong one.

Given the importance of such vulnerability to team performance and potential, it becomes clear that the climate is something we need to better understand and manage. And to take responsibility for our own part in that.
And that is the subject of this week’s adventure.

It is based on the work of Otto Scharmer. And it is about our willingness to be honest (at least with ourselves) about what is currently happening inside us in response to what is being said (spoken and unspoken) outside us.

When we look into ourselves, do we sense open and inclusive feelings and attitudes of curiosity, compassion and courage? Or are we finding ourselves tending to judgement, cynicism and a degree of fear over what might develop if ‘it is not addressed’.

The former ‘open’ feelings and attitudes are great for creativity, honesty, bonding and insight, but they are fragile.

Conversely, the latter ‘closed’ feelings risk blame, politics, resentment, and disengagement, and they are contagious. ‘Openness’ all too easily turns to ‘closed’ attitudes in response to sensing ‘closed’ responses in others. And this is deep within our human DNA.

+ Green track - taking it in your stride

Monitoring your internal condition

So, the green track this week is to understand a bit more about Scharmer’s model by reading a short post on it. And to use that understanding to try and monitor your internal condition in your next meeting.

Use a timer to check inside yourself every few minutes, and just make a note of whether you feel open, closed or in the middle, and what may have made you that way. Then deliberately try and reset yourself to ‘open’ and see if you can maintain it.

+ Blue track - a bit of a workout (click to open)

Monitoring their internal condition

Before you attempt to use monitoring internal condition with your team, try to build up your own ability to maintain awareness of internal condition. Both your own, and the overall climate of the meeting at any point.

Develop your own practical understanding of what is happening within yourself and in the climate of the meeting. What shifts it one way or another. And what are the consequences of either state in terms of achieving the purpose of the meeting and the team.

+ Red track - stepping up to bat (click to open)

Monitoring our internal condition

If you are up to it. Introduce the idea of Scharmer’s work to your team. Talk about your observations from the Blue track in a way that people can remain open to it. Avoiding anything that might put individuals on the defensive.

And see how the team feels about trying it out for themselves.

If they are ‘up for it’, pause the meeting at regular points (perhaps every 15minutes, or when the climate shifts perceptibly) and invite people to silently check their own inner condition, and to think about the overall climate at that point.

And then lead a discussion or exploration regarding how the dynamics developed, and what we can all do differently.

You will know you are going in the right direction when you find the language creeping in to the meeting itself, and people willing to be open about their own part in ‘getting it wrong’.

This meta-level monitoring of ourselves and the meeting can make meetings many more times more efficient and effective.

You may find the following resources helpful in tackling your challenge or in gaining further benefits from the skills and insights you develop

To catch up on past adventures you may have missed, feel free to browse our Adventures Library

Let us know how you get on.
Share your experience, your insights and your observation using the comments section at the bottom of the Linkedin post.

Please help us to extend and develop our community by sharing what you are doing. Click on the links below where you are most active, and then like or share the article to your network. Thank you for helping.

And share your progress and insights with the Twitter LbA community using #leadingbyadventure

Useful links:

Introduction to Leading by Adventure  |  What we mean by spirituality?  |  Why Adventure
Adventures to date   |  I did it, but it didn’t work very well   |  How do I know if it is working
Bringing this thinking into your meetings   |  Adventure & Mental Health
Leading by Adventure community   |  Explore Strategic Support options

Why take this challenge?

+ Green track - taking it in your stride

+ Blue track - a bit of a workout (click to open)

+ Red track - stepping up to bat (click to open)

Useful links:

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