The “Special Sauce” for Learning

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Lisa

Over the last few decades I have spent my career working in corporate training centres and conference/resort environments where leaders come together to engage in continued education. What I have found during this time is that the majority of educational delivery methods most organizations use haven’t changed that much. It seems like content is primarily pushed out to an audience in minimally engaging ways.

Some of the most motivating and transformative learning experiences that many meeting attendees continue to describe to me are the ones where a conversational curator posed questions to a group. They then moderated the discussion so that peer-to-peer learning and problem solving could occur. This gave the team opportunities to learn how to value each others contributions, be appreciative of differing perspectives and gave them a chance to learn how to build community values.

If this collaborative learning approach can provide better end results relevant to leadership development and/or how we engage in change initiatives, then what would it take for more organizations and schools to integrate this way of learning into their systems?

At College Preparatory School in Oakland, California collaborative learning is one of the most important ways their students learn and grow. It is one of the top private high schools in the US that has a great model for learning worth checking out. Their practices are both replicable and affordable. From their perspective, individual work is a great way for mastering content but what the group work does is empower and enable student’s to cultivate resilience. It allows students to see their neighbours as a resource. It teaches them ways to test their theories within a group and it shows them how to determine if they are on the right or wrong path when solving a problem. The collaborative learning method gives them valuable life skills that will help them develop habits key for being great community contributors and leaders.

Our Kingbridge Insight for this week comes in the form of a question: If we have recognized the need to educate future leaders the importance of collaborative communication and problem solving why is there such resistance to adopting collaborative methods when educating current leaders?

Collaborative crowdsourcing the Boston Marathon bombers, and more

Posted on May 2, 2013 by John

For me, the response to the marathon bombings has been a fascinating example of the new open and empowered world we live in today. I am fascinated by the collaboration between expert groups and the public at large in putting this story together.

As these two young Chechen terrorists discovered, it’s hard to hide nowadays. Multiple security cameras documented much of their movements at the bombing site and many more personal digital cameras, both still and video, covered other aspects of the event, and much of their movements afterwards.

More importantly, tweets, Facebook pages and other social media, along with more traditional television news , kept massive numbers of both local and distant observers up to date on what was going on minute by minute. A lot of the early reports were wrong, but gradually the wisdom of crowds phenomenon, along with dogged reporting by professional journalists kept putting the pieces together and got it right. Despite strong criticism from the FBI and some older professionals about the out-of-control speculation that would damage reputations of innocent people (“leave the police work to the professionals”), it is hard to argue against the fact that public participation, and collaboration, substantially shortened the time frame to capture and understanding why and how it happened.

Just as important and amazing was the extraordinary leaderless collaboration from hundreds, maybe thousands, of individuals, including runners, observers and total strangers who rushed to help the wounded at the site and in the hospitals. They knew what to do without guidance. Area hospitals were well coordinated to share treating the wounded. Hospital personnel, many off duty, heard the news and returned to help staff their team in preparation for the arrival of a rash of ambulances. Others organized fund raising drives to help the families whose lives had been so disrupted.

Perhaps the greatest outcome of this outpouring of caring and constructive assistance is the positive culture of this community that comes from recognizing they can all contribute to overcoming tragedy.

I’d like to think every community can do this.

This week’s Kingbridge knowledge gift is a suggestion for creating a climate of collaboration. And it is to practice random acts of kindness. You might say my “knowledge gift” is to share knowledge gifts. If you give something away with no expectations of getting something in return, you can create a “pay-it-forward” mind set. But, there is a delicate balance and a bit of a paradox. It can’t be seen as selling. That will be viewed as a hidden agenda. And it shouldn’t be seen as sympathy, or just kindness. That can come across as disempowering or condescending. Ideally it should come across as sharing a passion or a lesson that shows caring and respect.

Roots of Aliveness, Leadership as a Living Process

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Lisa

It has often been said that our span of awareness is a mile wide and an inch deep. The quality of our inner life is frequently overlooked in our efforts to cope with the daily demands and expectations of our outer life. One enabling metaphor that helps us look at this is the ecology of a tree. The outer life is symbolized by the leaves and branches – they correspond to life of reactivity and busyness- of action plans, performance goals, desired outcomes and results. Sometimes we direct our attention down a little, to the trunk and lower limbs. Here we look at structures, strategies and processes. Where we spend the least of our time is the ground underneath. Yet it is the roots and the soil that give the tree resilience and the strength to grow and weather sudden changes year after year.

Our “Kingbridge Knowledge Gift” for this week comes from, one of our strategic partners within our Collaboration Institute, Michael Jones:

The shift from focusing on the trunk and the branches to the ground beneath corresponds to a shift of awareness from a factory/ production to a more adaptive/ artful mindset. Giving our attention to the ground of being beneath an organization, a community- or a tree involves an artful process of creating form out of the ambiguous circumstances and variable conditions we find ourselves in. This includes the very precise and complex interaction among many subtle variables including energy and space as well as tone, atmosphere, rhythm and time. The language shifts from action and meaning to story, to metaphor, to felt experience and the underlying stillness that holds it all. Read More on The Roots of Aliveness

Why Do We Behave The Way We Do?

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Admin

How do we build new habits and change old ones? How do we eat less, exercise more, work more efficiently, and live happier healthier lives? What are the habits of successful individuals as well as companies and organizations? What are the habits of societies? How do we break free from habits that do not continue to serve us well and learn new ways? Habits can be changed if we understand their patterns and how they work. According to Charles Duhigg in his fascinating new book, The Power of Habit, our brains use a three-step process loop. The first is the cue or trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode helping it identify which habit to use. Then there is a routine, which can be physical, mental or emotional. Finally, there is a reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future. Managing one’s habits, and the habits in an organization, is essential for powerful collaboration.

Duhigg talks about “all of what we do in life” is a mass of habits. Many of the choices we make each day may feel like well considered decisions but they’re not. They are habits. And though each habit means relatively little on its own, over time, the meals we order, what we say to each other, whether we save or spend, how often we exercise, and the way we organize our thoughts and routines have enormous impacts on our health, productivity, financial security, relationships and happiness.

If you identify the cues and rewards, you can change the routine. Here is one story from the book about organizational habits and how they were changed with amazing results:

After becoming head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996, Tony Dungy said to his team, “here are the reasons everyone thinks we can’t win,” – The teams management was messed up, their new coach was untested, the players were spoiled, the city didn’t care, key players were injured, and they didn’t have the talent. “Those are the supposed reasons,” Dungy said. “Now here is a fact: Nobody is going to outwork us.” Dungy’s strategy was to shift the team’s behaviours until their performances were automatic. He didn’t believe the Buccaneers needed the thickest playbook or needed to memorize hundreds of formations. “Every play in football, every play – someone messes up,” said Herm Edwards, one of Dungy’s assistant coaches. “Most of the time, it’s not physical. It’s mental.” Players mess up when they start thinking too much or second-guessing their plays. What Dungy wanted was to take all the decision making out of their game. Dungy’s goal was to free the players mind from all that analysis. He gave them different routines that, eventually, occurred automatically. In Dungy’s second season as coach, the Bucs won their first five games and went to the play-offs for the first time in fifteen years. In 1999, they won the division championship. Dungy’s coaching style started drawing national attention. In 2000, the Bucs made it to the play-offs again and then again in 2001. The lessons from this book are humbling and profound. Every leader should be familiar with the principles Charles describes.

Un-common Sense

Posted on August 2, 2011 by John

Duncan Watts has just written a new book with the title “Everything is Obvious (Once You Know the Answer): How Common Sense Fails. Watts explores how our reliance on commons sense and the idea of what is obvious in human behavior to govern our everyday lives often translates to errors when anticipating or managing the behaviors of many individuals in a complex setting over time – such as in a corporation, a culture or a certain market.

With common sense we can rationalize just about anything into an obvious conclusion. The study of social sciences is often looked upon as unnecessary for that very reason. If a study concludes that people living in the city are more likely to own vacation home then our common sense will tell us ‘of course they are more likely to own a vacation home so they can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and relax’. While that same study could conclude that those living in rural areas are more likely to own vacation homes and again our ‘common sense’ would kick in and tell us that ‘of course it makes sense that those in rural areas would be more likely own vacation homes, they are more relaxed and aren’t as addicted to the corporate life and convenience of the city.’ It would be seemingly obvious either way but the accuracy of the pattern can only be determined through the study of social behavior.

For example, under the guise of common sense, marketers may feel that they have a good sense of what consumers want and how to sell them more. However, their predictions are often based on their own ‘obvious’ motivations rather than the complex variety of motivations that exist within a diverse group. The same is true for any problem that falls under the umbrella of ‘social’ rather than scientific. However, as Watts points out in his book we actually have a much better grasp on the physical sciences than managing problems with a people factor such as the economy or corporate culture.

“The paradox of common sense, then, is that even as it helps us make sense of the world, it can actively undermine our ability to understand it.”

Skepticisim vs. Cynicism

Posted on July 25, 2011 by John

Often the line between skepticism and cynicism is a blurry one or not differentiated at all. When working in a group on an issue or problem, skepticism can be constructive and helpful in creating understanding and teasing out potential issues by asking the right questions. Cynicism on the other hand is poisonous and creates an impervious barrier to new ideas or potential solutions. In other words, skepticism is open to explanation and new ideas. Cynicism is closed minded and not open to change.

Many people don’t have a clear understanding of the difference between skepticism and cynicism and as such may believe that by being cynical they are merely exercising their right to disagree when in fact their cynicism has the potential to infect other members of the group, destroy the group dynamic and an opportunity to collaborate and innovate towards a solution.

Sometimes a group leader will try to control the cynics by requesting that there be no criticism. That can be just as bad in the other direction. It’s important to create an environment where everybody is accountable and open to new ideas in addition to feeling comfortable questioning and being questioned. Constructive criticism is best expressed in the form of questions. Sometimes self-criticism from the leader can set the example for others to follow.

Cynicism has the power to eliminate hope and dis-empower people, but with a small shift in attitude cynics can become skeptics and skeptics can evolve to problem solvers.

Bringing Minds Together

Posted on July 4, 2011 by John

I recently had the opportunity to contribute and article to the Harvard Business Review for a special issue focused on collaboration. I was somewhat amused by the fact that when I asked if authors would have the opportunity to discuss their work and integrate some thoughts that this wasn’t possible – ironic perhaps considering the focus of the issue.

The link below contains the article abstract. If you wish to obtain a full copy of the issue the directions to do so are included. Otherwise, a limited number of complimentary copies are available if you contact institute@kingbridgecentre.com

http://hbr.org/product/bringing-minds-together/an/R1107F-PDF-ENG?Ntt=r1107f

The Courage of Collaboration

Posted on June 24, 2011 by John

This week, my friend Elliott Masie has written a guest blog.

We share a fascination for the amazing power and complexity of collaboration and its importance in all of our endeavors. Unfortunately, it is surprisingly difficult to implement in a way that produces great results and most folks don’t get it right. Some of the best collaborations don’t look very good from the outside, and some that do look great, are “pseudo-collaborations”, designed for show, but hollow on the inside. Elliott discusses some of these challenges and how to address them along with some insightful examples of innovative collaborations.

Thanks Elliot!

John Abele

Guest blog by Learning guru, Elliott Masie

Collaboration takes courage.
Collaboration can be risky – as we move from the security of our “headquarters tribe” – shedding some of our tribal identity.
Collaboration isn’t easy, natural or often rewarded by others.
Collaboration requires leaders to publically be learners – curious and open to gaining knowledge from outside their circles.

Yet, authentic collaboration is a powerful tool for leaders to stay aligned with rapidly changing marketplaces, sciences and complex missions. Real collaboration with a diverse set of individuals and groups can deeply change both leaders and their organizations.

Over the past five years, we have been working with the 240 global corporations and government agencies in our Learning CONSORTIUM to track the changing nature of collaboration – and to study the impact of social tools/techniques on learning and leadership.

Leaders in settings as diverse as the United States Intelligence Community, technology corporations such as Google and Intel; and fields from medical to retailing – are reaching outside of their organizational walls – to collaborate with competitors, customers and unusual points of perspective.

Why? The single motivator that these leaders from very different organizations recognize is their absolute need to be hyper-agile, continually learning and active players in knowledge/innovation networks that are wired across corporate or agency boundaries.

Here are two very different examples about collaboration from our members:

Tablet computers, such as the iPad have posed an interesting challenge to senior corporate IT and Learning leaders of major corporations. Once the iPad was released, employees at every level – including members of the C-Suite, showed up at work, intrigued and excited to use the new tablets as part of their everyday work process.

The problem was that Apple did not launch the iPad with a deep focus on Enterprise Computing. And, most IT Directors were caught between their own personal interest and fascination with the new devices and a decision to keep them separate from corporate networks for a while. Hmmm. So, what is an IT Leader or CIO to do.

We tracked the rise of a number of unofficial Tablet Communities of Learning that sprung up outside of the enterprise – allowing senior leaders to plan, experiment and learn about what the iPad might do – without deploying them officially at first. These IT Leaders found that they could gain better perspectives about the future of tablet computers from their colleagues in competitive organizations than they could directly from Apple. And, they could take risks in the exploration without raising internal expectations prematurely.

These collaborations grew amongst colleagues that had grown rich and trust based external networks beyond their corporate boundaries. And, these “communities” were not sponsored by vendors, facilitated by experts or focused on a product – rather they were just in time collaboration points needed by these leaders facing a disruptive technology.

Another great example that is ripped from the headlines is the recent “take down” of Osama Bin Laden by the U.S. Government. The task was not accomplished by the CIA, Department of Defense or any other single government agency. In fact, it was the result of a multi-year intense effort that required leaders and teams to build collaborative trust, skills and behaviors that were new and essential to the mission:

Leaders took risks by working on joint efforts that were less about the color of their uniform, name of their agency or career ladder advancement.
Leaders needed to build common language, taxonomies and learning processes, to be able to collaborate from very different professional identities.
Leaders had to organize common collaborative tools, technologies and habits to be able to support each other as continuous, curious and evidence based learners.
Leaders embedded a “lessons learned” capacity into their collaboration, aware that they were moving into uncharted territory and wanting to study the impact of their own collaborative process.
Even in the celebration of the “take-down” there was a sense of shared and joint ownership during the process. Many of the team members reported their own sense of collaborative process evolved dramatically through the mission.

As we look toward the growth of future leaders, it will be critical for business schools and leadership development programs to recognize the powerful role of collaboration. Leaders will need very specific support to build, nuture and leverage collaboration as part of the strategic mission of our organizations:

Explicit Permissions to Collaborate: We want to deeply permission leaders to join, lead, organize and utilize external collaborations – as an active and trusted part of their leadership roles.
Exemplars of Great Collaboration: Often, a great idea was harvested from an external collaboration – but the stories about the success do not track back to the “wisdom of the crowds” moment. Just as the Intelligence Agencies are using lessons learned models, we need to highlight and celebrate collaboration successes.
Some Will Fail: Collaboration is also about failure. Sometimes the external solutions don’t work and sometimes our ability to leverage collaboration is not yet ripe. Prepare for a mixture of success and failure. And, then fail forward!
Social is Not Collaboration: We are not talking about having a Twitter Account, building a Facebook Page or bragging about the number of LinkedIn “Friends” you have. This is not about social networking. Rather it is about collaborative networking – where there are explicit understandings of knowledge, learning, innovation and best/worst practice sharing. Some of our most “Social Media” leaders are lousy collaborators. Let’s make sure we differentiate between the 2 phenomena.
Open Technologies: Increased collaboration will create the need to have very agile and open technologies that allow a leader to participate in a range of communities and projects without visiting dozens of sites. We need to build open models that will efficiently support collaboration.

Finally, let’s end where we started. Collaboration takes courage! Yet, as we go forward into the future – the lack of collaboration will be seen as stubbornness and stupidity. I’ll vote for courage!

Elliott Masie is the Chair of The Learning CONSORTIUM and the CEO of The MASIE Center. His website is http://www.masie.com

Experiential Learning – Simulated!

Posted on June 10, 2011 by John

We all know that the best way to learn something is to do it. That’s why doctors have 5 year residencies and mechanics and plumbers have appreticeships – you need practical experience to recognize symptoms, identify the problem and act accordingly. The same is true for learning to manage group dynamics, promote innovation and practice culturally preffered leadership skills. You need to experience the situations and practice your response to get it right.

Simulated experiential learning has long been in practice for medical, military and business training but is a relatively new initiative in organizational development training. However, group simulation activities can lead to efficiency, effectiveness, and risk reduction in the workplace let alone the potential to garner new skill sets.

We have all sat through the endless slide shows and overly simplified dramatizations commonly used in ‘culture change’, ‘leadership’ and ‘how to be innovative’ workshops – none of which allow learners the opportunity to practice the principles and skills in real life situations. Simulations use real life parameters but often with an element of competition to keep groups engaged and ensure optimal performance. Rather than heading back to the office with a set of principles, the participants leave having experienced implementation of the principles with opportunity to learn from their mistakes in a risk-free virtual environment.

If you want to check out one of the leading organizations in the production of workplace simulations ExperiencePoint covers topics ranging from practicing social resposibility, customer service practices to leading innovation.

www.experiencepoint.com

simulation pic (2)

Do you use a Second Screen?

Posted on April 25, 2011 by John

Second screens have become the norm these days with the vast majority of people carrying a smartphone or tablet or both! We google speakers during conferences and tweet comments about training sessions we are attending – we have become master multi-taskers.

Although most second screens are personal devices they are increasingly being used in the work and learning environments as additional resources. In his Learning Trends blog on March 25, 2011, Elliott Masie listed some of the potential implications for Learning and Corporate HR given the growing prevalence of second screens in our lives.

Learning Implications:

* People are using their Second Screens to continually enhance, contextualize and expand the CONTEXT side of CONTENT that is being viewed.
* Workers are able to collaborate – internally or externally – with formal or personal clusters of people as part of or in competition with the learning activity.
* Learners will have access to more back-channel and secondary content, context and opinion as they engage in learning.
* Tracking Second Screen activity will be a major challenge, if not impossibility.
* Learners will demand greater connectivity and access to at least some corporate assets on their Second Screens.
* When do we allow or restrict the use of Second Screens at work, in a leadership program or in the field?

HR/IT Implications:

* Selective, layered and location specific access to online assets from Second Screens will be requested from workers at the office, on the road and at home.
* Security issues – including Intellectual Property challenges – will arise as Second Screens are used, especially when the content is cached rather than just viewed.
* Second Screens will rapidly become HD-enabled Video Presence Units, competing with the quality of the $250,000 telepresence suite and placing intense loads on bandwidth.
* Equality and Discrimination issues will rise when employees buy their own Second Screens and are competing for performance with others who cannot afford the luxury.

Given these observations the question now becomes, much as it did with the issue of Facebook in the workplace, how to leverage the Second Screen to enhance learning and productivity. Any Ideas?

Kingbridge Conference Centre and Institute

Open Minds and Expand Thinking "The paradox of real collaboration is that it is not about getting the best minds together – it's about creating a New Mind Set."

Category Archives: Collaboration