A Culture of Accountability and ExecutionVerizon Leadership Session

• We expect that by learning about behavioral tools you can better figure out the lay of the land, relationships at work, your career, and navigate them with more confidence.

• Specifically, we’ll cover briefly, what we can do as leaders to get through them effectively

• We will introduce two tools that can help be more effective in the most difficult situations– Ladder of Inference – Participants will learn a new tool for considering

alternatives, having more thorough, fact-based dialogue and conversations.

– Being “At Cause” – A “Way of Thinking Model” that enables heightened input and problem solving.

Objectives/Outcomes

The Ladder of Inference

I take ACTIONS based on my beliefs

I adopt BELIEFS

about the world.

I draw CONCLUSIONS

I make ASSUMPTIONS

based on the meanings I added

I selectDATA

from what I observe

OBSERVE“data” and

experiences (as a video tape recorder

might capture it)

Ladder of Inference

THE REFLEXIVE LOOP

(Our beliefs affect what data we select

next time)

• Read Silently – Pages 3 & 4• Capture (mark)

– Questions– Interesting Ideas

Reading

• Beliefs, Assumptions, and stories we carry about ourselves, other people, situations, etc.

• ALL Mental Models, by definition, are flawed in some way• Mental Models are “tacit”• Key is to reveal your assumptions, beliefs, and data, and openly

discuss them

Mental Models: Our Assumptions & Beliefs

• A Fact is something that can be objectively verified by any person• A Story, by contrast, is something we create to make sense of the

facts– We have to make assumptions in order to survive; we don’t have the time to get

all the facts

– The problem is that we often tell our stories so fast that we mistake them for the facts and then treat our stories as if they’re irrefutably true

• Presence, Awareness, and Inquiry can diminish our reactivity– By simply being curious about our world, we move to self-observation

– We can use our reflective capacity to see the world in subtler, more empowering ways

Stories vs. Facts

• Our self-generating beliefs are largely untested (often assumptions)– Our beliefs are the truth– The truth is obvious– Our beliefs are based on real data– The data we select is the real data

The Ladder of Inference

The Ladder of Inference

I take ACTIONS based on my beliefs

I adopt BELIEFS

about the world.

I draw CONCLUSIONS

I make ASSUMPTIONS

based on the meanings I added

I selectDATA

from what I observe

OBSERVE“data” and

experiences (as a video tape recorder

might capture it)

Ladder of Inference

THE REFLEXIVE LOOP

(Our beliefs affect what data we select

next time)

• Step 1: Take out and review the “Key Issue” from your Pre-Work• Step 2: Page 7 - The Right Hand Column (What Was Said)

– Now recall a frustrating conversation you had over this situation – or imagine the conversation that you would have if you brought up the problem.

– Follow-along with me on Page 8– On Page 7 in the right-hand column, write out the dialogue that actually

occurred. Or write the dialogue you’re pretty sure would occur if you were to raise the issue. The dialogue may go on for several pages. Leave the left-hand column blank until you’re finished.

• Step 3: The Left-Hand Column (What You Were Thinking)– Now in the left-hand column, write out what you were thinking and

feeling, but not saying.

The Left Column Exercise

• Step 4: Reflection– On page 9, as you reflect on what you wrote in the left and right hand

columns, please answer the six questions

The Left Column Exercise

Cause and Effect: A Choice 

• Blaming• Victim

• Helpless• Passive

• Pessimistic• Fear- based

• Blaming• Making Excuses

• CYA Behavior• De-motivating

• Act on assumptions• Reactive

• Avoid Risks• Enrolling Others in Negativity

• Defensive  

 • Focused on the greater good

• Proactive• Creative

• Removing Barriers• Ownership of the Outcome

• Engaged• Excited

• Resilient • Positive focus

• Influential• Inspirational• Courageous

• Open to Other Points of View• Focused on possibilities and

solutions   

• Silently read on pages 11-13• Capture (mark)

– Questions– Interesting Ideas

Cause and Effect: A Reading

• FIRST is to accept you have a choice to move forward, to do something positive/productive with whatever issue or difficulty you are dealing with now in your work life.– How can I chose to move forward? : In any situation, if you can stop,

ask that question of yourself and accept that no matter how much you want to answer it with "well, actually, I can't"... you can (at least to some degree). If you can accept accountability for what needs to happen, you put yourself AT CAUSE and you immediately grant yourself the power to change it.

• SECOND is to focus your mind on what you want, not on what you don’t want or are afraid of: – Focus on the Successful Outcome: A future result toward which

actions are directed.

Cause and Effect: Being “At Cause”

• THIRD is to begin with the assumption that you are AT CAUSE: that you can decide what to think, what to picture inside, and what to focus your mind on (the story you will tell yourself) - and that when you do this, your brain will figure out how to make whatever you focus on happen. – I know I will be successful, now what exactly am I going to do; what

is the very Next Action?

Cause and Effect: Being “At Cause”

• Take out your Pre-Work – Page 15• Example of how to complete Page 16• Complete Page 16• Get into groups of 3 and share your results

Choosing to Be At Cause

• Page 17• Setting clear, specific, mutually understood expectations (Areas

might include: Specific goals; rigor in a process or processes; leadership behaviors; how they manage a project or manage their direct reports)– What specifically are you asking the person to do– What does “good” look like– If appropriate, share an example of how they are today vs. what “good

looks like– Give thought to providing training, instruction, if needed– Ask them to tell you what they think they have heard from you

Coaching and Managing Being at Cause

• Coaching and Managing– You need to then give them regular, specific feedback/ observations

over the weeks on how they are doing – You need to be available to them, to coach, give guidance, answer

questions; and set the expectation that if they don't understand or know how to do something, that they will ask (either you or someone else who knows)

• Holding People Accountable/Recognition/Making Adjustments (Per your style) – When they are progressing in the "expectation" you should

acknowledge this– When they are not progressing, you need to first understand why not

(inquiry); then make adjustments, changes, take actions, etc.

Coaching and Managing Being at Cause

• Advocacy key:– Slowing down our thinking processes to become more aware of our

mental models– Share our thinking: our assumptions and beliefs

• Inquiry:– Being open to understanding the thinking of others– Understanding their thinking: their assumptions and beliefs

Advocacy and Inquiry

Tools for Advocacy

TOOLS FOR IMPROVED ADVOCACY: A. Make your thinking process visible (walk up the ladder of inference slowly, including your assumptions.)

WHAT TO DO WHAT TO SAY

State your assumptions, and describe the data/facts that led to them.

"Here's what I think, and here's how I got there."

B. Publicly test your conclusions and assumptions.

WHAT TO DO WHAT TO SAY

Encourage others to explore your model, your assumptions, and your data.

"What do you think about what I just said?" or "Do you see any flaws in my reasoning?" or "What can you add?"

Page 10

Tools for Inquiry

TOOLS FOR IMPROVED INQUIRY: A. Ask others to make their thinking process visible.

WHAT TO DO WHAT TO SAY

With those who are open to challenge, gently walk others down the ladder of inference and find out what data they are operating from.

"Can you help me understand your thinking here?” “What leads you to conclude that?" "What data do you have for that?" "What causes you to say that?"

B. Check your understanding of what they said. Compare your assumptions to theirs.

WHAT TO DO WHAT TO SAY

Test what they say by asking for broader contexts, or for examples.

"Am I correct that you're saying…?""How would your proposal affect…?" "Is this similar to…?" "Can you describe a typical example…?"

• Page 18• When you want to engage others, its first about Them - NOT You.

Avoid the following traps:– Acting as if the individual is (or should be) just like us– Always telling them what to do– Corralling People (controlling the conversation so no one else gets to

give real input)– Solving their problems for them instead of building their competence

Leadership and Coaching Role Play

• Leadership Coaching is a balance of Inquiry and Advocacy– Through inquiry, you will help to uncover useful information. Through

advocacy, you will directly influence thinking. Together, inquiry and advocacy deepen the team's confidence and ability to take action.

• Inquiry: A process for understanding the another individual's point of view by exploring his/her thoughts, feelings and reasoning.

• Advocacy: A process for influencing others’ thinking and behavior by stating one's opinions and suggestions, sharing your thought process, and outlining the rationale for each.

– At any particular moment, a leader may simply listen attentively, reflect on what is being said, facilitate deeper inquiry, provide specific direction, or guide an individual through the thought process by asking questions and providing perspective.

Leadership and Coaching Role Play

• Fully listen to what the individual has to say, even if you disagree with what is being said. Stay in Inquiry and go deeper– Open yourself up to receiving what the individual has to say without

argument or defense or solutions– Respond instead with clarifying questions and reflection of what is being

said– Listen in the full sense– Listen for what is not being said

• When appropriate, move to Advocacy– Share your opinion or point of view, and your reasons– Share your thinking (what got you to this point)– Ask for understanding and response

Leadership and Coaching Role Play

• Today we’ve learned about tools that help you better understand what may be getting in the way of your effectiveness as a leader and manager

• Specifically we’ve discussed the power of – “Being At Cause;” How embracing this principle brings you far more

capacity to create the events and circumstances and positive solutions– Having more effective conversations and interactions by taking the time

to validate your assumptions; and taking the time to present your thinking, assumptions, and data

Summary

– The Sandler Group: sandlergroup.net/

– Leland Sandler Website: lelandsandler.com

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lelandsandler

– Facebook: http://facebook.com/thesandlergroup

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lelandsandler

– Google+: https://plus.google.com/+LelandSandlerExecutiveAdvisor

Resources and Links