August 09, 2005
"Lou's" you can use
May 17-19, 2005, Lou Wetherbee led an Institute on Leadership open to all library employees.
The Institute Planning Committee (Jo Bessler, Pascal Calarco, Gay Dannelly, Ross Fergerson, Diana Kennedy, Pat Loghry, Becky Price, and Michelle Stenberg) asked Lou to focus attention on how to improve the effectiveness of our meetings and decision making.
Lou sprinkled her presentations with thought-provoking quotations and observations.
- Vision is a great hope held in common.
- Today institutions are facing "wicked problems" – problems with an evolving set of interlocking issues and constraints, a myriad of stakeholders, and with no definitive solutions.
- Random discussions do not move things forward as efficiently as disciplined discussions.
- Leadership is a set of behaviors that is open to everyone.
- Formal and informal meetings can provide a neutral space where ideas and suggestions can be freely voiced and jointly molded into improved services
- The workplace is a laboratory, an experiment, a journey
Beyond words:
To turn the adages and visions into action, Lou offered individuals and groups guidelines, strategies, and tools. Handouts and readings about "wicked problems," "effective questions," and "decision making tools" are available at:
https://libstaff.library.nd.edu:990/lib_only/lipt/index.shtml .
Individuals can begin today moving conversations to a deeper and more productive level by adopting one or more of the following "ground rules".
To reduce time wasted arguing about mis-perceptions,
1. Test assumptions and inferences.
To come up with a solution that will not be undermined by some undiscussed requirement,
2. Share all relevant information.
To ensure that the listener understands what you are trying to convey,
3. Use specific examples and agree on what important words mean.
To keep the listener from speculating about your motives,
4. Explain your reasoning and intent.
To allow room for negotiation and collaboration,
5. Focus on interests, not positions.
To ensure attention for the interests of both parties,
6. Combine advocacy with inquiry.
To move forward with a plan that is well-supported,
7. Jointly design next steps and ways to test disagreement.
To move conversation to a deeper level (such as, exploring conflicting visions),
8. Discuss undiscussable issues
To make decisions which vary in impact, time frame, political importance, & complexity,
9. Use a decision making rule that generates the level of commitment needed.
-- Jo Bessler