This week I will be presenting a workshop on systems thinking, which reminds us of the need to look at the big picture and not just the individual parts when working to solve problems. So often, we can become overwhelmed with the details of complex and even simple issues, when, if we were to just step back, we would see the interconnectedness of the whole and discover that if we adjust one aspect of our behavior, it will have a ripple effect on the rest. In the workshop, one premise is that we actually have the ability to influence the future by the decisions we make today.
Imagine a three step process that we will use to create the future we desire.
In the first, we must be willing to do some honest assessment of the problem we face. I stress that this must be honest because if we aren’t, we won’t solve the real problem, but a biased one. Next, jump to step three and describe the outcome you desire. Once again, be real about this. Don’t sell your vision short. Go for what you truly want to see happen. Finally, in order to set ourselves up to achieve our desired outcome, we must do the hard work of adjusting our practices in step two. This is where many leaders struggle because they are either comfortable with the way things are done, or they just don’t want to put in the hard work of changing their methods, even when they are unhappy with current results. However, desired outcomes don’t just happen by themselves and if we continue to do what we have always done, we will continue to get what we have always gotten. Achieving our desired outcomes is dependent on the middle step and our willingness to boldly make changes. To lead with this process, be honest in the first step, visionary in the third, and willing to the hard work in the middle.
Lead well.