ENACT Strategy

30/06/2019

The challenge of complexity and the psychology of our attitudes to that complexity. Even for ‘experts’...

Hidebound views on subjects such as the climate crisis and Brexit are the norm – but science may sway stubborn opinions

28/06/2019

This article makes gives a good example of the sub-conscious drivers that shape our attitudes. And what to do about them..

The emotion can be all-consuming and destructive, as therapists see only too often. But learning from your mistakes has the power to improve the future

07/05/2019

http://enactstrategy.com/attitudes-at-work/

Have you ever been frustrated by colleagues’ attitudes and behaviours? And tried to tell somebody to change their attitudes? Did it work? Psychology makes a clear distinction between attitudes and behaviours. Jung’s definition of attitude is a “readiness of the psyche to act or react in a cert...

07/05/2019

https://vimeo.com/232336780

Applied Leadership: Innovation hard and soft skills Attitudes and Behaviours. Stage craft & role play with professional actors. Customised business challenges. www.enactstrategy.com

07/05/2019

CAN YOU DICTATE AN INNOVATION CULTURE?

Leadership Innovation and Culture
Business life would be a lot simpler if the CEO of a company could dictate that everyone should innovate, and then the entire workforce went off and created the services and products of tomorrow!
But human beings don’t function like that.
Leadership of innovation means creating the cultural context where all staff want to (and do) create. The first task is therefore to understand what the employees understand by innovation. A common misapprehension is that innovation is only product innovation, whereas in fact research by the Doblin group, (www.doblin.com) has identified a framework of ten different types including services, process, network and brand… The question to ask therefore is where will I have the best return on investment for my innovation? On product technology? Or supply chain, or brand or networking? The results of their analysis may surprise you.
How to apply Leadership on Innovation:
At Enact we teach the understanding of value, both tangible and intangible, together with basic finance principles such as Net Present Value, ROI or lifetime customer value. This helps identify where to prioritise innovation. But we also concentrate on the attitudes and behaviours towards innovation. In his book The Innovation Manuel (eu.wiley.com), INSEAD professor David Midgley analysed successful and failed innovation and concluded that the biggest succes factor was not the quality of the idea or the amount of money but the quality of innovation leadership.
Innovation Leadership is part the rational understanding of the need to innovate and part dealing with the feelings associated with change. For example, a common attitudinal challenge is that innovation is seen as the exclusive responsibility of the R&D department. Another might be fear of getting things wrong and more broadly, attitudes to risk. There may also be fears and inhibitions linked to one’s idea of oneself that can prevent innovation. Often it is the relationship with superiors and the atmosphere at work.
Innovation happens regularly when both soft and hard skills are aligned. We need a holistic solution.

07/05/2019

ATTITUDES AT WORK

Have you ever been frustrated by colleagues’ attitudes and behaviours? And tried to tell somebody to change their attitudes? Did it work?
Psychology makes a clear distinction between attitudes and behaviours. Jung’s definition of attitude is a “readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain way” (Chapter XI of Psychological Types.). He goes on to say “presence of two attitudes is extremely frequent, one conscious and the other unconscious” . There is interaction between values, behaviours, life experience and attitudes. So can we, should we, try to change attitudes?
Given that both attitudes and behaviours can be driven by emotions, we are dealing with a very sensitive part of people’s identity. Coercion and manipulation are morally reprehensible. Most people at work are not trained psychologists or psycho-analysts. So what are our options?
We can create a work culture where it is possible for people to talk about their emotional agendas and explore their own attitudes and behaviours, if they wish to do so. It is best to practise this first in a controlled environment with credible actors and customised role-plays that deal with a company’s true behavioural and attitudinal challenges. In a work context this is as far as we can go: we open a door to reflection, create a space where co-workers can discover themselves and then take things further if they so wish.
In practical terms, here are some very concrete tips
Behaviours are observable acts. We can make a note of specific behaviours. We can talk about their emotional impact on us. For example, “John, when you turn up 10 minutes late to every meeting with me, I feel disrespected and frustrated”
Attitudes are less tangible. Our impressions (and of others relayed to us) are subjective and remain hypotheses. There is no definitive ‘right answer’ diagnosis. We are uncomfortable with this perception-only, subjective assessment of an attitude because we can’t ‘prove it’ So here are some questions you can ask yourself:
How would you describe the attitude in question? (how would other colleagues describe it?)
What do you think could be driving this attitude? What reasons? What emotions?
Are you comfortable making the emotion the subject of the conversation?
What kind of open questions could be asked to get more information about this attitude?
Would you have a ‘self-reveal’ to show your own ‘arrogance’ ‘frustration’ ‘indifference’ etc that would make them more comfortable in talking about their own?
Will you be able to get the information in one meeting or many?
What question on attitude will you ask the colleague to think about before the next meeting?