Objectives Background Adaptive Framework overview Leadership/Authority Breaking it down—what do I do? Moving ahead Discussion and questions

The Way It Is We no longer live in a world where we have the right to expect authorities to know the answers The challenges our organizations face are complex Require MORE THAN application of expertise Require changes in the habits, attitudes and values of people high and low in the organization

Recognizing the Challenges of Leadership Dance but keep the whole pattern of the dance in mind Move back and forth between the dance floor and the balcony “ You are under the influence” - avoid becoming a prisoner View patterns Identify struggles over values and power Recognize patterns of work avoidance Watch for functional and dysfunctional reactions to change

Framing the issues Adaptive Challenges Situation is complex, solution not obvious Can’t be done within present system Need to change/address deeply held beliefs and values Loss is inherent part of process

Framing the Issues Leadership = authority Technical Challenges Problem well defined Answer can be found within present structure Implementation is clear Value of “expert” to provide answer Leadership = authority Expertise and well designed procedures meet the challenges Authorities provide Direction Protection Orientation Conflict control Norm maintenance A wise and expert authority can provide times of reasonable stability

Adaptive Challenges We look for the wrong kind of leadership Human behavior and Uncertainty Leadership and authority Based on human behaviors, and our reaction to uncertainty. We want somebody to make the hard problems simple We call for someone with answers, decisiveness, strength and an accurate vision of the future AKA the quick and painless fix We should be calling for leadership that Summons us to face the problems for which there are no simple, painless solutions Challenges us to learn in new ways

Authority Power entrusted to perform a service Meeting expectations  “good” leader Power and position decrease if expectations are not met Important in driving technical change BUT—what if it’s not technical? Leadership = authority but used differently Traditionally formal and informal authority have been two kinds of power Leadership is commonly associated within informal authority because of the ability to use non-coercive power to persuade and inspire a following Both informal and formal authorities are saddled with expectations that constrain their exercise of leadership

Authority in the Adaptive Work Using Authority with a New Focus Frame and provide tough questions Rather than fulfilling the expectation for answers Let people feel the pinch of reality Rather than protect people from an outside threat Disorient people so that new role relationships develop Rather than orient people to their current roles Draw issues out Rather than quell conflict Challenge the way to do business, distinguishing those values and norms that must endure from those that should go Rather than maintain norms Time urgency exists No clear path to success presently Stakes are high Losses are inevitable, a given Pressure on you as leader to “know” the answer Feel pressure to be decisive Feel the pressure to restore equilibrium Often take action that skirts or avoids the issue the issue Short term relief of distress but the problem festers and authority loses credibility Constituents look for a better authority who can provide more certainty and better promises

Six Principles of Leadership for Addressing Adaptive Challenges Get on the Balcony Identify the Adaptive Challenge Regulate Distress “Productive level of distress” Maintain Disciplined Attention Give the Work Back to the People Protect Leadership from Below

Getting on the balcony See patterns instead of isolated events Understand structure, culture, norms Identify struggles over value/power Watch for reactions to change/loss Dance but keep the whole pattern of the dance in mind Move back and forth between the dance floor and the balcony “ You are under the influence” - avoid becoming a prisoner View patterns Identify struggles over values and power Recognize patterns of work avoidance Watch for functional and dysfunctional reactions to changeA problem causing the distress will frequently not be on the surface seems to be about power, schedule, structure and lines of authority really be a struggle over perspectives/values on issues What is causing the distress? What internal contradictions does the distress represent? What are the histories of these contradictions? What perspectives and interests have I and others come to represent to various segments of the community that are now in conflict? In what ways are we in the organization mirroring the problem dynamics in the community? Interpreting reality Ability to stop the action Opens you to multiple possibilities Wider differential diagnosis Action based on a diagnosis Test your interpretations Even when you decide to take action - it is an experiment

Identify the adaptive challenge(s) Need to understand whether you’re dealing with adaptive or technical work. Open to gathering/hearing other perspectives History of unresolved conflict Festering issue, regardless of efforts How do you distinguish between technical and adaptive challenges? When people’s hearts and minds need to change, not just their preferences and routine behaviors. Process of exclusion–if you’ve done a lot of technical “fixes” and the problem still persists, it’s time to explore underlying adaptive challenges. How to distinguish between technical and adaptive work? When people’s hearts and minds need to change, not just routine behavior If despite multiple efforts, problem persists Conflict is evident, suggests people have not accepted losses Crisis may suggest festering adaptive issue Persistence of conflict may indicate people have not yet made the adjustments and accepted the losses. Crisis is often a good indicator that adaptive issues have festered and come to the surface. Listen to ideas and concerns of people inside and outside the organization or community Conflicts are symptoms Disputes over technical issues Require experiments new discoveries adjustments from numerous places in the organization or community change in attitudes, values and behaviors people to internalize the change itself for the change to be sustainable

Regulating Distress--Holding Environment Need to provide environment which creates “productive level of distress” Safe but not too safe Fosters necessary discussions Using the powers and influence (AKA authority) given formally and accrued informally to strategically frame issues frame and provide tough questions orchestrate conflict draw issues out develop structures and processes disorient people so that new role relationships develop provide some orientation and protection let people feel the pinch of reality maintain norms that should endure challenge the way to do business, distinguishing those values and norms that must endure from those that should go Early in change effort Create conditions for diverse groups to talk to one another about the challenge facing them frame and debate issues clarify the assumptions behind competing perspectives and values Give people a reason to make sacrifices Give employees a strong sense of the organization’s history What is good about its past What forces are at work in the external environment Responsibility people must take in shaping the future Sequence the work Not everything can be equally important Do not start too many initiatives at once Hold people through a sustained period of disequilibrium during which they learn to do adaptive work

Distress and Adaptive Work Adaptive challenge Limit of tolerance Disequilibrium PRODUCTIVE RANGE OF DISTRESS Work avoidance A leader’s most difficult job Must have presence and poise and emotional capacity to tolerate uncertainty, frustration and pain Ability to raise tough questions without getting anxious Pressures to restore equilibrium are enormous Hold steady and maintain the tension Communicate confidence Control the heat by learning to intentionally: Raise the temperature Draw attention to tough questions Give people more responsibility than they are comfortable with Bring conflicts to the surface Engine of creativity and learning Protect gadflies and oddballs Lower the temperature Address the technical aspects of the problem Establish a structure for the problem-solving process by breaking the problem into parts and creating time frames, decision rules and clear role assignments Temporarily reclaim responsibility for tough issues Employ work avoidance mechanisms Slow down the process of challenging norms and expectations Using the powers and influence (AKA authority) given formally and accrued informally to strategically frame issues frame and provide tough questions orchestrate conflict draw issues out develop structures and processes disorient people so that new role relationships develop provide some orientation and protection let people feel the pinch of reality maintain norms that should endure challenge the way to do business, distinguishing those values and norms that must endure from those that should go Technical problem Threshold of learning Time

Raising the Heat…. Draw attention to tough questions Give people more responsibility than they are comfortable with Bring conflict to surface Not in the “parking lot” Listen to the gadflies, “peons”

Lower the Heat…. Address technical aspect of issue first Address problem solving by breaking an issue into parts Take responsibility back—carry the load Use “work avoidance” wisely for short time Slow down process of changing norms and expectations

Maintaining the Focus Keep attention on the task at hand Ensure topic has time to mature Watch for “work avoidance” Shifting focus to another topic Laying blame Creating “ad hoc” committees Methods to avoid dealing with uncomfortable, disorienting issues Denial Diversion Laying blame Holding onto the past “Phony” solutions—task force, committee Sterile conflict—no true engagement Focus on technical elements Diversions Laying Blame (Displacement) Externalizing the ‘enemy’ Attacking authority Neutralizing the intervener Scapegoating - what distressing perspective does the faction or person represent?

Give the Work Back to the People Resist the temptation to resolve the issue Get people engaged Place the work with the relevant parties Ensures “fair process” Give work back without abandoning them Overload them and they will avoid learning Underload them and they will grow too dependent or complacent For a time the authority bears the burden of the problems Shouldering the pains and uncertainties in times of distress comes with the job of authority Unloading the weight on people unprepared to respond is negligent. Get people engaged - people see different needs and opportunities Resist the temptation to resolve the issue Leads to complacency and habits of work avoidance Place the work with the relevant parties People must dare to take risks and responsibility Support the front line rather than control it Leader must back them up if they make mistakes Develop “collective” self-confidence from success, experience and the organization’s environment

Protecting Voices of Leadership Without Authority Protect the voices you want to silence Annoyance is a signal of opportunity Is there potential value in addressing the provocative questions being raised? Emotional impulse will be strong to squash those voices raising disturbing questions and increasing the disequilibrium Strategies Value of dissent Get on the balcony resist the urge to squelch the voices Reflect/ask questions What is the real issue being raised? What am I risking if I ignore their concern? Provide Cover Validate/appreciate concern publicly Benefits Signals to group its ‘ok’ to dissent Shows you are willing to experiment and learn Builds capacity for holding environment Allows adaptive work to proceed

“The key to successful adaptive leadership is disappointing people’s expectations at a rate they will tolerate.” --Ron Heifetz, MD

Leadership Actions for Adaptive Challenges Listen Concerns, fears expressed Create environment to foster dialogue Reflect Feed back from your “balcony” position Assess reaction to see if you are “on mark” Intervene PDSA—”experiment” New discovery to introduce INTERVENTIONS: What do I want people to see? What do I want people to learn? Is the group ready for what I want to offer? What may be the consequences of an intervention? What is the temperature? How can I be sure I do not become the issue? Will I get attacked? Am I being used by a faction? What will help the group move forward? Offer a hypothesis and be open to being wrong or being vulnerable. Describe what you see and offer interpretation Invite data Ask questions Tell me more why you think what you do? Ask yourself questions What position, value, faction does this voice represent? See marginalization as diagnostic of a systemic issue

The most common cause of leadership failure is treating an adaptive problem with a technical fix.

Your Commitment Get on the balcony Identify the adaptive challenge Keep the level of distress within a tolerable range for addressing adaptive challenges Focus attention on ripening issues and not on stress-reducing distractions Give the work back to the people -- at a rate they can tolerate Protect voices of leadership without authority