Archaeology at Work

As a consultant who works regularly with clients dealing with strategy gaps, unresolved conflict and a wide range of personnel and performance issues, my first instinct is to help them look ahead rather than dwell in the past. However, sometimes digging into the past is necessary to find a durable, forward-looking solution. I call this archaeology at work and here is a quick framework that offers a guide to learning from the past:

Determine the “Archaeological Horizon” – This is the sum total of all artifacts at a site and it can be used to distinguish between episodes or periods of time. In the world of work, this is the equivalent of putting useful parameters around what is being discussed and considered. Re-tracing the roots of a presenting problem can sometimes lead down the rabbit hole, so delineating the horizon is important. It helps people see where other issues start/stop and what is “in-bounds or out-of-bounds” in a given situation.

Begin the “Excavation” – Many people take too narrow a view of excavation. It is not just bringing in the bulldozers and seeing what is dug up. In archaeology, excavation has three phases: exposure, processing and recording. In the workplace, these three phases are essential. Exposing issues and old wounds can be delicate, however, if a basic structure is used to process people's perspectives, feelings and ideas, then the findings can be recorded and made useful in the subsequent problem-solving phases. When thorough excavation is skipped, the wealth of critical information and data is left inaccessible just below the surface.

Discover the “Numismatics” – Numismatics refers to the study of currency. In the workplace, rather than coins and shells as the system of currency, we need to understand what values, beliefs and sources of power act as the currency for the people involved. Only by understanding the underlying drivers (what matters and to whom) can the details from the excavation be put into accurate and useful context. This can be accomplished with values clarification exercises or simply through discussion.

Ensure the “Preservation of Meaning” – Preservation of meaning is the total understanding of spiritual, psychological and perceptive values that people within a culture have toward artifacts and systems. By creating a shared sense of meaning – even when there is diversity among perspectives – it becomes possible to ensure that what people truly value can be preserved. This is a defining moment because developing and implementing problem solving strategies require commitment and buy-in. The best way to generate this is to connect solutions to what matters most for people: their core values and beliefs about priorities.

Used together, these lessons from the world of archaeology can help you discover important information buried in your own workplace.

Getting Those Disagreements Resolved

A colleague of mine asked me to write about a few simple steps that can be used to navigate the proverbial "difficult conversation." I've written about this in past posts, but here is a helpful recap of a simple three-step process I use, including a self-guided preparation activity at the end:

Step 1: Initiate the Dialogue
Agree to have a conversation to explore issues, feelings and potential next steps.
- Opportunity to clear the air
- Understand how this conflict affects each of us
- Outline the values and needs at stake for each of us
- Uncover assumptions we each have

Step 2: Clarify the Situation
Communicate and clarify the important issues in order to elicit both perspectives on the situation.
- Tell “our stories” and goals for resolving the issue
- Clarify the issues in a productive manner
- Build a shared understanding of the important issues
- Identify what each person needs in order to move forward

Step 3: Brainstorm, Evaluate and Choose Solutions
Talk out loud about how to meet each other’s expectations.
- Focus the conversation on ways to meet or revise expectations
- As agreements form, give them the “Monday Test:” What will happen when we both come to work on Monday; will this help both of us move on?”
- Write down or verbally summarize the new expectations in a realistic and specific format
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Preparation Activity:

- Think about a current or recent “unmet expectation” that either did or could possibly turn into a conflict at work
- Identify which of the 10 ineffective conflict management styles you used (or may be inclined to use) in this circumstance
- Review the three steps of conflict management and “script out” your approach to proactively address the situation
- Find a partner and practice working through each of the three steps

“Manage Like There Will Be A Tomorrow”

We’ve all heard the inspiring call to action “live like there’s no tomorrow.” While this urgent directive can be helpful to get us out of our comfort zone for some things, it is decidedly unsound for the long term. I think something very different is required of those that manage and lead organizations in today’s volatile business economy. We have to manage and lead like there will be a tomorrow. To some, this may sound like the bar has been lowered to a plane just above survival. However, taking on this confident mindset is a prerequisite for surviving and thriving in the downturn.

In trying to sum up the impact of the collective change that I see managers and leaders experiencing across industries, I’ve described it as an “elegant disintegration of all things grasped for.” In practical terms, it means we don’t know which way is up…everything that we thought we knew now seems to be in question…and it doesn’t feel like much of anything can be counted upon. In fact, over the last six months most of my coaching and consulting clients have had one major goal in common – they want to establish at least some predictability during these incredibly uncertain times. More specifically, they are striving to establish meaningful strategies and action plans that can carry them through.

The first step in creating these strategies and plans is to make the conscious choice that the future can be shaped. I have always believed that today is the best preview of tomorrow. The attitudes that influence our thinking and inform the total set of adaptive choices we make and actions we take today are the best prediction of what tomorrow will hold. Therefore, making this subtle, but very powerful shift in thinking – we are managing like there will be a tomorrow – is the start of confidently putting one foot in front of the other. This is the surest way to get a foothold into a productive path forward.

All Leaders Have a Vision Problem

All leaders have a vision problem, not because it is a unique barrier that leaders alone face, but because it is a human concern amplified by the specific role that leaders play in organizations. The vision problem is this: leaders are prone to see what they expect to see, and avoid what they don’t want to see.

Most conventional definitions of leadership include an aspect of ‘seeing the big picture’ and ‘charting a vision for the future.’ Both of these dictums imply the ability to observe, assess, and synthesize complex and often ambiguous inputs in order to make sense of the changing landscape in which the business or enterprise operates. In short, leaders have to see clearly in order to objectively strategize, collaborate, and decide on the organization’s course. But how can leaders effectively fulfill this aspect of their role with impaired vision?

The roots of this leadership vision problem are both biological (primarily cognitive) and cultural. Much has been written about the brain and business so I won’t revisit the pop science description of the brain’s need to take survival-enhancing short cuts via assumptions and pre-formulated mental shortcuts that reduce risk. Of course the problem with this lizard brain stuff is that the shortcuts often short-change our ability to see a bigger (more accurate) picture. As a result we often miss critical information and data that can help us to arrive at better all around conclusions.

In addition to this cognitive and developmental pattern, the rest of the vision problem stems from cultural norms. In the US, business schools around the country and much of the associated business media constantly reinforce a reactionary frenzy around the concept of “the rapid pace of business.” I have been guilty of this one too; often feeling justified to rush because the pace and depth of demands on my working life unfold at a speed and intensity that requires short cuts, brilliant strokes of insight in real time, and the necessary sacrifice of reflection and patience.

This cultural norm, which I call the “cult of right now,” fits the natural biological function of the brain seamlessly. However, when these cognitive and cultural factors combine they cause vision impairments for leaders that reduce performance in both the short and long term.

After more than 10 years of work in conflict mediation and executive coaching, my experience has confirmed that as leaders wrestle with their most significant challenges, vision correction (enhancement) is a critical and consistent factor of their success as they work through their concerns and advance on their highest goals.

Tools for vision correction must begin with two simultaneous efforts -- one of them internal to address the cognitive-developmental patterns that compel us to cheat on our process of seeing and considering all available input -- and the other one is external as it addresses leaders’ wrongly rooted conviction and related set of practices that enforce the “cult of right now.”

Implementing these tools requires attitude and behavioral modification, which this blog alone cannot achieve. However, let me offer two very clear starting places for those managers and leaders who recognize the importance of this kind of vision correction.

Regarding the external piece, there is a question tree that can be pursued that can challenge our innate assumptions and force us to at least expand the horizon and peripheral observations we include in our analysis. You can customize these questions to suit your specific role and/or industry practice, but the general flow goes like this: what are the current limits I have set around the problem/issue/idea I am considering; in what areas could I stretch those limits to include new and different input; who could I present my thinking to in order to get a different take on things; now that I’ve stretched the parameters and gotten some contrary views, what are two or three potentially reasonable answers or conclusions; of these somewhat diverse possibilities, which one is preferred…

These questions can be asked in rapid succession, though ideally they can be sequenced over a few days to allow for substantial echoes and insights. Following this line of inquiry can help to take the blinders off and promote healthier vision.

Now, regarding the external need to confront popular business culture’s “cult of right now,” my suggestion is to immerse yourself in the contrarian mindset on this one. Model it in your attitude and in your behavior. When a colleague says: “look at me, I’m doing the job of three people,” you know that he’s likely just doing less with less and that the miracle of doing more with less is actually a myth. When your CEO screams that she wants an answer yesterday to one of your biggest challenges, push back and create the space you need to get the right answer even if it requires more reflection and extended analysis.

Know that when demands increase but resources to meet them do not grow, it is paramount to hone the discipline of choice. To avoid getting caught up in rash decisions and compromises, choose to slow down and absorb the bigger picture in order to make the best decision with available information. Get used to the initial disappointment of false instant accomplishment and instead embrace the imperfection of not getting it all done.

Focusing on accurate information and realistic priorities in this way requires us to be brutally honest about what matters most and to make hard choices about which goals are just not that important right now. In the end, you’ll get more of what matters most done and establish a precedent of reflection and patience that is welcome in any business climate.