Insights: Lighten the Mood

Lighten the mood

We tend to take our ‘serious business’ stuff very seriously. Put on a 'serious face' when discussing 'serious stuff'.

It is like we’re playing a role. If we don’t look serious enough, people might think we’re not committed or professional.

Taking ourselves too seriously has the effect of minimising distraction, so part positive. It can also put us in the mood to react and make quick decisions, so we feel good (dopamine) from ‘making a decision’.

However, it limits innovation.

If we are too serious and have a more 'closed' mindset, our planning horizon shortens, and we are more likely to make?'steady as she goes status quo confirming'?decisions?.

Or over-react. We are quicker to anger and argue, and take discussion and challenges to our ideas as a personal attack.

Being light-hearted in manner is not the same as lacking care or being disrespectful; nor does it follow that you are not tackling the problem with gravitas.

It is a strategic win: win for you and for the organisation you work with?.

It’s not magic; it is not just for hippies or HR. It is biology, and it works.

Not taking ourselves too seriously = better performance.

Happiness is a commercially smart strategy.

Reconciling difference, consistency, and innovation

The value of diversity is to have differences.

Different perspectives, experiences, problem-solving methodologies.

It is the creative friction of those differences that sparks innovation and leverage. That delivers the Diversity Bonus [Prof. Scott Page].

In evolution - the human niche - is niche-switching. That means that, as a species, we are flexible generalists with an open ability to learn and cooperate.

As individuals, we each have the ability to niche up, to specialise.

To become highly skilled at a specific thing. We can become specialists at DIFFERENT things [Prof Brett Weinstein, Prof. Heather Heying].

This division of labour, this difference, IS what makes?humans?different - it is our “ability to cooperate flexibly in large groups” [Prof. Yuval Noah Harari] and has led to such huge advances in our civilisation.

Science is a process of finding and testing explanations for phenomena.?Scientific progress is the improvement in quality of these explanations.?So we need to be consistent and build over time quality explanations - facts we agree on.

But if we try to control debate, to force one way of thinking, to develop some homogenising overlay… then we dilute the advantage that diversity of thought delivers. And the dignity of individualised human skill and experience.

Provided we engage with each other with respect and honesty, we ought to relish differences.

The goal should not be "have everyone think the same".

It is not about reconciling differences, but exploiting them for everyone’s benefit.

Executive Briefing: Integrated Leaders Power-Up (Live)

A live strategic review of your leadership team, and how you can support a new normal after large change or growth.?

This event is for senior executives, business owners and HR leaders if:?

• your leadership team has been operating at peak capacity over an extended period
• there is a high risk of burn-out, and you can see that people and cooperation are starting to fray at the edges
• your business has changed and your org chart and leadership group need to change with it… to get out of the weeds and operate more strategically?
• there is a need to support a more resilient, collaborative culture within the business.?

Integrated Leaders Power-Up is the strategic approach to developing high performing leadership teams, who work together to solve complex problems and complete projects more effectively.

You will:

• Learn how to build an integrated leadership team. So that they solve problems faster and work better together to achieve business goals.
• Conduct a strategic review of your business - live in the session.
• Identify your plan to improve their collaboration. And harness the power of their shared knowledge and experience.

This is an opportunity to step out, in real time with other business leaders, exactly what you need to do to integrate your leadership team and support a new normal.

To take them from frayed, verging on burn-out, to calm, in control and dynamic, working well together.

Join me on Wednesday 28 June at 9am (AEST).? You can sign up here >>.

Cheers,

Nigel

www.nigeldonovan.com