Overcoming Situation 1: “What Helps and What Doesn’t?”
In our series on natural development, we delve into the intricacies of Situation 1, a phase rife with mistakes, uncertainty, negative emotions, and a maze of defensive and avoidance mechanisms. How do we break free from this?
In our previous post, we emphasized the need for heroes—individuals who learn for the benefit of others and the organization. These heroes often occupy positions that facilitate development and influence organizational design. Given their presence, can we help each other identify what fosters development and what blocks it in this challenging stage?
Recap of Key Mechanisms in Situation 1
We observed the following patterns:
- Organizational reflexes lead away from solutions.
- People operate as isolated individuals concerning their work.
- They focus narrowly on their tasks rather than broader development.
- Their growth reference shifts outside the workplace (e.g., leading a sports club).
- Self-preservation dominates within the organization.
- Roles and responsibilities are often unclear, leading to a reliance on potentially meaningless procedures, handbooks, or instructions.
This environment creates a disconnect from the collective purpose—whether it’s customers or other stakeholders—that initially brought the team together.
What Truly Helps
The key to progress lies in recognizing and valuing each individual’s contributions. It’s not about their current skill level but the importance of their existing input. This acknowledgment fosters connection. Respect for their contributions transforms into respect for their development, deepening these bonds.
Steps for Facilitating Development:
- Facilitate learning from the current level of each individual, even if it seems insufficient. This approach offers perspective and helps individuals regain control.
- Use the metaphor of being underwater and struggling to resurface. Facilitation often becomes necessary here, guided by three essential questions:
- What hinders you in your work?
- What can you do about it yourself?
- What do you minimally need to succeed?
These questions help translate vague problems into actionable steps. For example:
- Instead of waiting for a €60,000 industrial vacuum installation in two years, buy a €150 vacuum today. The latter motivates, while the former frustrates.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
- Old Demons: Challenge unrealistic fears or fantasies through reality checks. Focus on practical tasks that legitimize one’s existence in the organization. Our experience shows that 99% of people re-engage with learning when given the opportunity.
- Fear of Losing Position: Transitioning from role-based to contribution-based recognition is challenging. Team leaders and managers may require support to adjust. Renaming roles (e.g., facilitator instead of manager) and regularly discussing evolving responsibilities can shift focus to learning and growth.
- Containment: Maintaining healthy learning tension is crucial. However, this becomes impossible when:
- Organizational goals are too ambitious.
- Work agreements are outdated or irrelevant.
When containment is paired with a focus on work, feedback, and reflection, teams move beyond defensive mechanisms to uncover the true issues, enabling personal and organizational growth.
Coming Up for Air
In this metaphor, individuals gradually resurface as they:
- Gain clarity about their tasks.
- Collaborate to solve problems they can’t tackle alone.
- Rebuild relationships with colleagues, creating working guidelines instead of rigid instructions.
Over time, incidents decrease, individuals become proficient in their roles, and structural problems become apparent. At this stage, the question shifts to: “How can we work together?” This marks the transition to Situation 2—characterized by structural issues requiring organized solutions.
Results So Far
By the end of Situation 1, organizations often achieve:
- A 20% increase in efficiency.
- Reduced management layers.
- Output improvements of 25-35%.
In our next blog, we’ll explore Situation 2, a phase marked by structural challenges and the strategies to address them.
Disclaimer: This blog post is based on the writings of Ad Schalkx, our mentor and inspirator.