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Adaptive Leadership in collaborations
Liz Skelton
Director: Collaboration for Impact & The Adaptive Practice
20th October 2015
1.1.Incomplete or contradictory knowledge; Incomplete or contradictory knowledge;
2.2.Has number of people and opinions involved; Has number of people and opinions involved;
3.3.Is hard to understand or predict Is hard to understand or predict
4.4.Has long time horizons for cause and effectHas long time horizons for cause and effect; and; and
5.5.The interconnected nature of these problems with The interconnected nature of these problems with other problems.other problems.
A wicked/adaptive problem is a challenge that is difficult to solve
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Complex problems are difficult to frame
The cause and effect relationships are unclear
There are diverse stakeholders
Each experience of is unique
The characteristics & dynamics of the issue evolves
There is no obvious right or wrong set of solutions
There is no objective measure of success
Complex problems are difficult to frame
The cause and effect relationships are unclear
There are diverse stakeholders
Each experience of is unique
The characteristics & dynamics of the issue evolves
There is no obvious right or wrong set of solutions
There is no objective measure of success
How do you know if you’ve got one?
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Balcony and Dancefloor5
Adaptation
• What do we Conserve?
• What do we Discard?
• Where do we innovate?
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Purpose7
Role of Authority
We expect those in Authority to provide us with answers.
Authority provide the FUNCTIONS of
• Protection
• Direction
• Order
.Authority is not leadership
Authority is expected to maintain the status quo
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Power & authority
• POSITIONAL POWER - Formal
• INFORMAL POWER - PERSONAL
Distinguishing Technical & Adaptive challenges10
Adaptive challenge symptom: Work Avoidance
Diverting attention Displacing responsibility
• Turn down heat • Scapegoat
• Deny • Attack Authority• Proxy fight • Delegate adaptive work to those
who can’t do anything about it
• Misdiagnose and apply technical fix
• Marginalise
• Define around current expertise • Externalise
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Leadership from a position of authorityTask Technical Adaptive
Direction
Provide problem definition & solution
Identify the adaptive challenge; frame key questions & issues
Protection
Protect from external threats
Disclose external threats
Order
Orientation
Conflict
Norms
Orient people to current roles
Restore order
Maintain norms
Disorient current roles; resist orienting people to new roles too quickly.
Expose conflict or let it emerge.
Challenge norms or let them be challenged.
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Mindsets & skills for adaptive leadership
Creating foundation for change and learning
Purpose
Power
Diagnosing
Working with conflict for innovation
Tolerance for risk and failure
Curiosity
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Exercising Leadership - Diagnosis
• See yourself as part of the system – spectator to participant
• Understand the challenge – is it technical or adaptive?
• Distinguish leadership from authority
• Lead with questions
• Is there readiness, urgency and capacity for change
• Use observations and interpretations to test assumptions
• Diagnose dynamics not people
• Test purpose
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Reflection questions
• What adaptive challenges are you and your stakeholders facing?
• What needs to be conserved in your system to make progress?
• What need to be tweaked or let go of?
• Where is innovation required?
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Liz Skelton
Director Collaboration for Impact
& The Adaptive Practice
+406 066 647
@lizskelton2015
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