Disruption for Transformation
Ruth Pearce
?? Champion for Mental Well-Being & Ethical Leadership | Speaker | Coach | Reducing Burnout & Nervous System Stress by Shattering Outdated Frameworks to Transform Workplace Well-Being!
A couple of months ago, I was discussing the magic of #coaching with my ICF mentor coach. We excitedly discussed how coaches when they are doing their best work, disrupt their clients' thinking with questions and reality checking.
A couple of years ago when things were still in person(!), I attended a great panel discussion at Duke University. The topic was change and disruption - Sharpen Your Saw: Building Agility and Resilience to Navigate the New Leadership Demands of Uncertainty and Complexity.
The illustrious and well-informed panel made up of Dr. David Peterson, Director of Google’s Center of Expertise on Leadership Development & Executive Coaching, DeLisa Alexander Chief People Officer at Rad Hat and Fuqua Professor Tony O’Driscoll moderated by Beth Gullette, Managing Partner at Contemporary Leadership Advisors spoke passionately about the need to embrace disruption.
The panel explored disruption and key practices to handle and prepare for it. With examples ranging from Sully (Miracle on the Hudson) to playing baseball with a golf club, the audience was challenged to embrace disruption and become nimble.
What is one way you can prepare for disruption? Some ideas the panel shared are:
As I was getting ready to leave, I overheard a conversation between a small group of the audience who were asking how they can practice with disruption, what experiences do they have in everyday life that can prepare us for disruption. This question piqued my interest as I too had thought, “disruption does not apply to me”. On the drive, I discovered several recent experiences that had the key elements of the DNA of Disruption.
Example 1: Diverging from the Plan
Two years ago, I was presenting at a conference, and had been told that my break-out session would be about 75 people. I planned the session with experiences commensurate with a group that size, I prepared handouts, and had them printed ahead of time. I was ready! When I checked in at the speaker desk, the check-in lady said, “by the way, one of the speakers scheduled at the same time as you has canceled their session, so you can expect about 125 people in the room. We have seating for about 150-175, so it will be OK.” Flustered, I was not sure what to do, I did not have enough handouts, the exercises would be hard to manage with so many people in the room and just me moderating. Within a minute or two I had found a place to print more handouts, and I had refocused. I had adjusted my plans. I walked the room and places handouts on the seats. I breathed.
The doors opened and to my surprise 220 people entered. The seats filled, and people started to sit along the back wall on the floor. They would not be able to see the presentation. As I started to speak, I realized that the microphone was not working well, so I walked the room, catching people’s eye, and engaging with as many people as possible.
Example 2: Trying Something Novel
On Wednesday I was scheduled to give a webinar presentation to about 2000 people. As if that is not daunting enough, on the day technology was not our friend. As much as I am in wonder about technology linking us from the US to Indonesia, Guyana to Nigeria on one call, I am also surprised when the technology fails us. On this occasion, what could go wrong did go wrong, and I found myself the lone host on a large call, with no way to end the call gracefully, or to mute the large audience! For a moment the novelty of the experience, the lack of reference point from other experiences (Diversity) and the adverse nature of the experience unsettled me, and I was at a loss. But after a pause to take a deep breath, I realized that I had options. They were not pretty, and at the same time they were options and I was able to glide the call to a safe landing, committing to the audience that we would reschedule, and answering as many questions as I could as the call wound down. The audience was wonderful, supportive, kind, and patient. And we will regroup on a new date and time.
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Example 3: Accepting Adversity
We were replacing our kitchen in our new house. The whole place has been stripped bare, and we are living out of a microwave and a hot pot. Our water was coming from giant plastic containers and we were washing up in the laundry sink. Not really too bad considering what some people have to do for clean water, but not what we are used to. The good news was that this would only go on until December 31st when the cabinets are delivered. Or that is what we thought.
A few days in, we discovered the oven is on back-order, the cabinets were delayed until at least January 21st, and the contractor has planned his vacation for the time when he thought our kitchen would be complete! When I heard this news, my first instinct was to groan in dismay. Diverse? Yes, this is very different from my everyday experience. Novel? Yes, this is the first time I have lived this way.?Adverse? Yes, maybe not in the grand scheme of things, but adverse compared to my every day. So now it was time to FLEX. Within a few minutes I was dancing in the moment and concocting a new plan with the help of my husband and the contractor. And we devised a plan to construct a makeshift kitchen which left us jokingly saying we will cancel the plans!
These are small examples of disruption, small examples of shifting and flexing in the moment, but it is experiencing these multiple small examples that builds resilience, adaptability and the capacity to pivot and flex. The more we get used to these types of disruptions, the more tolerant and effective we will be when we face bigger disruptions.
Small preparations to get ready for big disruptions
I first published this article before Covid-19. Now THAT was some disruption. It was sudden, global and has been long lasting. Compared to many people I know my experience of that "disruption" was minor. In part that is because I am fortunate in where I live, the resources I have and the opportunities I have been graced with. And... small preparations to build resilience supported me when the ask was bigger.
This came in handy when our new house construction was delayed by supply chain issues, a malware attack on the local council and Covid delays. It was delayed more than 18 months. Despite the delays, we consider the construction project a success. Our developer navigated the challenges, kept us informed and kept putting one foot in front of the other until the job was done.
To be ready for disruption, practice with disruption. And to get support with disruption get a coach!
What are your opportunities to practice with disruption??Who can help you?
#Projectmanagers #Projectmanagement #coaching