A wise person once said, "All management is change management". Indeed! Change is all around us.
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 I was in a coaching call with one of my amazing clients last week when I was reminded of the tension we often place on choosing an either/or solution to the challenges we're facing.
Although I'm the worst person you could possibly choose to have in an improv group (I draw a total blank when lobbed a live imaginary situation), the older I get it's becoming increasingly clear to me that, in most cases, things are not binary, not black or white, not simply option A or option B. What lies in the middle? Most of the juice, because the world is - for better or for worse - mostly various shades of grey. I think coaching is a way for us to explore what else is possible (a great question you can use in your world, btw!). And I recognize we don't all work with a coach (although - insert plug for coaching with us here!). So here are some ideas for you to consider when it comes to expanding options in your corner of the world: What lies in between the either/or options that may be most obvious to you on first glance? Try a "yes AND", which is a technique from improv and which can open up some options for you at work, at home and in your community. NOTE: please try to avoid throwing a "but" in here. This small word has a serious tendency to shut down conversations, brainstorming and growth. Here are some additional questions beyond the much loved "and what else is possible": Think of the wisest person you know. What would he/she say around this? How about a practical relative? And a dreamer? Your mom? Your bestie? The most creative person you know? What are you taking as true in this situation? Is it absolutely true? What is it time for you to do? Expand your horizons - because in the end, which would you rather? Limit your options, or increase what's possible? And I'll wrap up this month with a sliver of poetry from one of my favourites, e.e. cummings: "I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." Resources for you: Should you require more evidence as to why "yes" is the way to go, from Lifehack, 12 more reasons to say yes! Always be learning, Darcy & the team at The Management Coach A friend and colleague of mine recently facilitated a one day offsite with a dozen senior leaders from a good-sized Canadian organization. One of the topics the group covered over the course of the day was the idea of psychological safety and its role in the workplace. I was somewhat surprised to hear that this came as a new idea to all 12 members of this leadership team. If this concept is new to you too, here's the scoop:
Psychological safety is the idea that team members feel safe to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns, and make mistakes without fear of being punished, humiliated, or ignored. It creates an environment where people feel safe to take risks, ask questions, and collaborate freely. And what's the benefit of creating a culture where psychological safety is a part of the mix? Why, higher engagement levels, increased innovation, and better overall team performance, of course - and what leader and team member doesn't want more of all of that? Here come our top 3 tips to increase psychological safety on your team - regardless of your title:
JOIN US! NEW TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YOU If you're new to people leadership and could benefit from some scaffolding as you develop your management skills, or you've been at this for a while and are tired of dealing with some of those frustrating and apparently endless people problems, I'm launching a group training & coaching program designed just for you on Friday, September 13. I would love for you to join us in Essentials: The Manager's Survival Kit program. You'll find a small, supportive community of people just like you as you learn 5 top time management techniques, specific ways to develop your leadership EQ, how to lead through change, how to do those performance management conversations that happen twice a year at least with greater ease...all kinds of practical learning. If this isn't you, there may be someone in your organization or network who's new to people leadership who would benefit so please - I'd love for you to share! Learn more about Essentials and join us here! Resources for you: If you're a TED Talk fan, try this from Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor and author of The Fearless Organization who coined the phrase “team psychological safety” 25 years ago. Click here for the Team Psychological Safety TEDx Talk from Amy Edmonston If you prefer to read, here's a short HBR article from the wonderful Amy Gallo on team psychological safety: Link to HBR article from Amy Gallo on Psychological Safety And for something a little more lighthearted, some psychological safety stickers for sale (I'm a particular fan of "We all make mistaks"): Psychological safety stickers! Always be learning, Darcy & the team at The Management Coach And thank you for being part of the Water Cooler family. We are grateful for you and the work you're doing out there in the world.  Welcome back to the Water Cooler! This edition will be short and sweet because - well, it's summer and hot and humid where I live in the Toronto (Great White North!) area. So 3 brief messages for you:
1. REMINDER! Last opportunity to register for our free one hour webinar on managing change better later this week (Friday, July 19) to make this volatility a little more palatable and manageable for you and your teams - and also for you and yours on the home front. You won't want to miss this - I'll be sharing lots of practical tips and ideas on navigating this VUCA world of ours better, along with a sprinkling of change management theory (trust me, just enough to be helpful - I'm no academic!) and some thoughtful questions to use with your colleagues and team members as you make your way through the change cycle... And if you know someone who might enjoy this training webinar, please feel free to share the registration link with them. The more the merrier! HINT: if you're curious about this group coaching thing I'm cooking up for September, this is the kind of content you'll be learning and exploring with your peers - so come check us out. And if you hang in to the end, it may be worth your while if you are contemplating jumping in to the new Essentials program! So don't miss out - click below to join us on Friday: Sign me up - I'd like to learn to manage change better! 2. NEW PROGRAM LAUNCHING THIS SEPTEMBER! And a reminder, if you're new to people leadership and might benefit from some scaffolding as you develop your management skills, I'm developing a group coaching program designed just for you which I'll be launching on Friday, September 13 (which is now only 2 short months away!). Join us for Essentials: The Manager's Survival Kit program. If this isn't you, there may be someone in your organization or network who's new to people leadership who would benefit. We'll be covering topics such as time management, developing your leadership EQ, leading through change, performance management best practices...all kinds of practical learning. Simply hit "Reply" to this email and let me know - a few of you have already jumped in, and I'd love to add you to the list for our launch this fall. 3. RESOURCE FOR YOU If you're a fan of LinkedIn Learning, or you haven't yet had an opportunity to check it out, it's highly recommended here at The Management Coach. All manner of virtual courses and training are available to you on this platform - AI, cybersecurity, leadership, career planning, accounting, programming - you name it, you'll probably find something here for you on the professional front. AND, even better - you can access all the content free through your local library. Simply go to your local library website, search for "LinkedIn Learning" and they'll walk you through the steps to get registered and rolling. Enjoy! Darcy & the team at The Management Coach Check out our website here Connect with me on LinkedIn And thank you for being part of the Water Cooler family. We are grateful for you and the work you're doing out there in the world.  When I came across that line at some point over the last few years, I was positively gobsmacked (and now thrilled to be able to use the word "gobsmacked" in a newletter - after all I am an English major).
Think about this idea for just a moment: all management is change management. To my mind, this pretty much encapsulates most if not all management and leadership today in this VUCA world of ours. If this term is new to you, VUCA is an acronym that stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. According to the website for The Outward Bound Trust in the UK, "The VUCA concept has military origins, first introduced in the early 90s in the US to describe the situation after the Cold War. It took off in a business context after the 2008 global financial crisis and roughly translates into 'it’s absolutely crazy out there!'”. I'm a particular fan of the "it's absolutely crazy out there" synopsis which pretty much sums up the world we've each been living in since the end of the Cold War. And to help with the "crazy" part, I'll be presenting a free one hour webinar on managing change better on Friday, July 19 to make this volatility a little more palatable and manageable for you and your teams - and also for you and yours on the home front. You won't want to miss this - I'll be sharing lots of practical tips and ideas on navigating this VUCA world of ours better, along with a sprinkling of change management theory (trust me, just enough to be helpful - I'm no academic!) and some thoughtful questions to use with your colleagues and team members as you make your way through the change cycle... And if you know someone who might enjoy this training webinar, please feel free to share the registration link with them. The more the merrier! HINT: if you're curious about this group coaching thing I'm cooking up for September, this is the kind of content you'll be learning and exploring with your peers - so come check us out! Click below to join us on Friday, July 19: Sign me up - I'd like to learn to manage change better! NEW PROGRAM LAUNCHING THIS SEPTEMBER! And a reminder, if you're new to people leadership and might benefit from some scaffolding as you develop your management skills, I'm developing a group coaching program designed just for you which I'll be launching on Friday, September 13 (which is only 3 short months from now!). If this isn't you, there may be someone in your organization or network who's new to people leadership who would benefit. We'll be covering topics such as time management, developing your leadership EQ, leading through change, performance management best practices...all kinds of practical learning. Simply hit "Reply" to this email and let me know - a few of you have already jumped in, and I'd love to add you to the list for our launch this fall. Future! Resource for you: Please join us for the VUCA webinar (I really love this topic and I've lots to share) - and I'll send you a super useful executive summary following the session to lock in the highlights. Membership has its privileges :) Not quite enough? Okay! Late-breaking resource for you: Now why is this management and leadership coach recommending a book on financial security? Cannot remember how/where this crossed my radar, but I put this book on hold at my local library at least a month ago and picked it up yesterday. I haven't finished it yet, but the first 50+ pages are seriously packed with juicy wisdom. I'm no stoic, but there are some definite lessons to be gleaned here. Mr. Galloway explores the idea of character, the value of community, habits and more. A few personal stories of lessons learned the hard way, along with short bursts of goodness. One chapter is entitled "if money is the goal, you'll never have enough". Truer words... If you're new to people leadership, or you have a manager who's new, we can help - would you like to learn how coaching could support you or one of your team members with a bespoke one on one program? If it's time to stand out, let's chat. Simply hit "reply" to this email and let's find a time to talk. Or book a zero commitment, "tell me more" 15 minute call with me directly here: schedule a call with Darcy Darcy & the team at The Management Coach Check out our website here Connect with me on LinkedIn And thank you for being part of the Water Cooler family. We are grateful for you and the work you're doing out there in the world. |
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