Selecting Shore Parties - Using breakouts - Image courtesy Nextvoyage via Pexels

#049 – Selecting Shore Parties – Using Breakouts

Creatively organise meetings to utilise the power of different combinations – Structure & equip your breakouts for creative insight & ownership

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The benefits of breakouts

Why take this challenge?

Increase the levels of participation and ownership in your meetings

Raise the energy of group meetings by introducing a variety of approach

Get better outcomes and greater confidence in their delivery

 

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

We called this adventure ‘Shore Parties’ to reflect the idea of small groups of people going off to explore something on behalf of everyone else.

Most of us are used to breakout groups in events and workshops. Splitting a larger group down into smaller ones encourages more people to speak up. It makes it less likely that the overall output is dominated by a subset of stronger, more confident (more dominant?) voices.

The functionality of software like Teams and Zoom makes it so much easier to organise breakouts in virtual meetings. Unlike physical meetings, there is no need to rent or book extra rooms, or to direct people to them. A few clicks and everybody is speaking to a new smaller group of people.

Grouping does not need to be random, and there can be a lot of power in how you select groupings and how you bring them back together. To get a sense of the range of groupings that are available to you, take a look and the grouping options article in the Pack section below.

Furthermore, using jamboards to capture the output from the breakouts gives a great way of sharing this back between the teams.

But it doesn’t need to be complicated. Even the simplest of breakouts can boost the energy and enthusiasm. How often do you set up breakouts in your own meetings? This week’s adventure is about doing it more.

 

Graphic image reflecting the idea of a Pack of resources to support the adventurer in the challenge

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

 

Graphic image suggesting the idea of posting a record of the adventurer's journey

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:

 

Image of compass in glass orb - metaphor for setting direction

#046 – Compass Headings – Setting your Direction

Clarify the difference you want to make in this world – Build on the totem exercise to translate hope into action

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The benefits of setting direction and goals

Why take this challenge?

Translate your values into clear goals, direction and statements of intent

Align your impact and influence with the difference you want to be in the World

Create a direction that makes you proud in what you achieve

 

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In last week’s adventure – Carve your Totem – we looked at values, and what is most important to you. We talked about what it means to value, and the role of sacrifice therein.

In this week’s adventure we will be building on this. We will be working to identify the direction you want to take, and the difference you want to make in respect of your values. The mark you want to leave on this World.

It seems appropriate to include this just before the end of this series of adventures.

 

Graphic image reflecting the idea of a Pack of resources to support the adventurer in the challenge

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

  • Forcefield Analysis helps map the influences on you in successfully delivering your values.
  • Why How Charting enables you to better see the connections between your values and your goals.
  • Strategic engagement matrix enables you to systematically and strategically support your values through your ways of working.
  • Threshold of Pride helps you to identify the best level of achievement (for you) in all of this.

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

 

Graphic image suggesting the idea of posting a record of the adventurer's journey

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:

 

Image of totem poles as a reflection of personal values

#045 – Carve your Totem – Define your values

Develop greater insight into your personal values and their role in influencing your thinking – Use modelling and metaphor to explore what is important to you

Please help us to get the word out in just two clicks – click here – then click the like button

The benefits of defining your values

Why take this challenge?

Gain greater influence over the shape of things around you

Increase the fulfilment and satisfaction from your work

Better align ‘being’ and ‘doing’ – your identity and your actions

 

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

Values are described as: principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.

Unfortunately, most people’s experience of them is as a list of ‘nice to have’ corporate platitudes, framed and hung on a wall. Things to aspire to as long as they do not get in the ways of profit and performance.

But how do we actually value something? What is it that actually gives that something ‘value’? I would argue that we only really ‘value’ something if we are willing to sacrifice other things we value in order to attain or preserve it – time, money, position, reputation, …. If we can work out what we will sacrifice things for, we can identify what it is we really value. It could be a long list.

But what tops that list? Identifying our most important values can help guide us in making good choices and reinforcing a sense of integrity in ourselves.

This week’s adventure is all about identifying your values, and drafting a visual reflection of them in the form of a totem pole.

 

Graphic image reflecting the idea of a Pack of resources to support the adventurer in the challenge

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

 

Graphic image suggesting the idea of posting a record of the adventurer's journey

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:

 

Image of person thinking - reflecting on uncovering motivation

#043 – Uncovering Motivation

Increase your motivation by making clearer connections to your purpose – Use the Five Whys technique to gain new insight on your goals and how to get themImage of person thinking - reflecting on uncovering motivation

Please help us to get the word out in just two clicks – click here – then click the like button

The benefits of better uncovering motivation

Why take this challenge?

Increase your motivation by making clearer connections to your purpose

Prune and refocus your workload to better align it with your goals

Identify new creative opportunities to deliver what you need to happen

 

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

George Eliot wrote “What makes life dreary is the want of a motive”. This insight is taken significantly further by two powerful minds in Simon Sinek (Start with Why) and Dan Pink (Drive).

Losing sight of why you are doing things not only makes work harder, it also makes it seem harder still. When our work loses focus on our outcomes, it quickly becomes inefficient in pursuing them. And when all we can see is the next task, our sense of purpose fades and ceases to energise and inspire us. Work becomes more of a effort and time begins to drag.

When this happens, if we have not fallen asleep, we need to think about uncovering motivation.

One of the simplest and most powerful tools we know for doing this is a Japanese discipline called ‘The Five Whys’. It was invented by the founder of Toyota back in the 1930s. And it is best understood by imagining a small child meeting every answer you give them with “… but why?”

Often, by the third ‘why’ it is not uncommon (if we are honest) to realise that we haven’t really thought about it that much. And when we do think about it, it is not uncommon that we can spot other, better, ways of doing it.

 

Graphic image reflecting the idea of a Pack of resources to support the adventurer in the challenge

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

 

Graphic image suggesting the idea of posting a record of the adventurer's journey

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:

 

Image of boxer - metaphor for competing with yourself

#039 – Shadow Boxing – Competing with yourself

Deliberately sharpen your approach by competing with yourself. How would the best version of yourself apply for your role anew?

Please help us to get the word out in just two clicks – click here – then click the like button

The benefits of competing with yourself

Why take this challenge?

New perspectives on the potential of your role and what you can achieve

Refreshing your ways of thinking and of working

Engaging your team in exploring the potential of their roles

 

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

When you first applied for your job, what did you say in the interview to help your new colleagues understand how you would add value to what they were doing?

Chances are, it was a pretty good story. And you managed to think it through with only a partial picture of what the job was really about.

But now, some time on, you know a lot more about the role and its context. Given the time to prepare, you would be able to give a much better answer, right?

But is it as good as it could be? Suppose your job came up for ‘competitive tender’, would your proposal be the best, or might someone else provide an even better answer?

Shadow boxing is the activity of sparring with an imaginary opponent as a form of training. It is about competing with yourself to sharpen yourself against yourself. And this week’s adventure is about applying that concept to your own role.

 

Graphic image reflecting the idea of a Pack of resources to support the adventurer in the challenge

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

  • SWOT analyses can help people take a more objective look at themselves and their situation.
  • The reframing matrix we used in Adventure #033 can help you take new perspectives on how you do your role
  • The pyramid principle is a helpful structure for thinking through proposals.
  • And matrix diagrams can help your team explore more deeply what they are doing and why and how they do it.

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

 

Graphic image suggesting the idea of posting a record of the adventurer's journey

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:

 

#004 – An old battered box

This week’s adventure: Choosing a side. Then choosing to step into it. If there was one piece of ‘goodness’ you wish you could pass on – how might you do it?An old battered box of small treasure - metaphor for doing small good things

Why take this challenge?

The sense of beginning to re-empower ourselves as a small but distinct ‘force for good’

Developing the skill of passing on wisdom in practical meaningful ways that you know will add to the positive things in the world.

A sense of fulfilment in counterbalancing some of the bad things that are going on all around us.

 

For evil to triumph, all that is required is that good people do (or say) nothing.

Every day sees someone making the world a bit worse to gain some political or financial benefit. The stories we hear are usually putting someone down somewhere.

If that is all there was, if nobody was doing small things to counterbalance this, everything would get steadily worse. But there is a shared spirituality, a cascade of wisdom and hope, that sort of ‘keeps a light on in the window’.

What might it feel like to actively and deliberately contribute to that?

The old battered box is a metaphor for us. But what is the treasure we hold inside?

 

 

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

Random Acts of Kindness: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/good-news/seven-seas/random-acts-of-kindness

Pay if forward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_it_forward

Guidance on sketching: https://www.wikihow.com/Sketch

St Paul writing to the people of Philippi – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

 

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.

Useful links: