Shift happens

At time of writing the news is full of the disgraceful racist abuse by some England fans of the Euro 2020 players. Chris Gibson is the Senior News Editor – Culture Brief, for the BBC News, and currently studying on the Cranfield Business and Strategic Leadership Apprenticeship programme. He and I spoke just after England had beaten Denmark to get to the Final of the European Championship, and he was keen to highlight examples of leadership from high profile players on social issues such as Raheem Sterling raising awareness about racism, Marcus Rashford on school meals and Harry Kane wearing a rainbow armband. Chris felt these young players could teach every leader in the UK about the power of creating positive change for the benefit of others. It is a shame that SOME fans appear to be lagging behind.

Our conversation led us into an open discussion about his own mindset shifts, as a result of the year he has spent on the Cranfield programme.

Me: “So how would you describe your starting point Chris?”

Chris: “Journalism is a competitive business; you have to fight for opportunities and for your stories. A battlefield/Master-Commander mindset is often overused but many find it useful, and it was definitely how I was used to operating, because that is what brought me success.

But it was only when I began the Apprenticeship programme that I realised this was my default style, and realised that even though it gets results, it also has a negative impact on others, so in the long-term relying on that default style wasn’t going to bring me genuine success.”

Me: “How did the programme make you aware of your starting point mindset?”

Chris: “Several ways – one example is the MBTI assessment. I turned out to be ENTP – a classic debater – which is of course made for journalism! But as an ENTP I rely too much on intuition and end up lacking data points. So it made me realise that I needed to stop, look at data, ask questions that surface data and listen more to the answers.”

Me: “Sounds like a behaviour shift?”

Chris: “Yes – but driven by a shift in mindset. The mindset shift was recognising that I need to appreciate that data is important and worth looking at, and that for me comes from beginning with humility. The whole programme has been humbling for me. It has peeled away layers of behaviour. I have realised that I am not good at certain things, and the turning point for me was when I realised that I don’t have to be the best at everything. I realised that I don’t have to be that competitive all the time. The power of being humble comes from realising that only by being humble can you then grow. And I recognised that I needed to grow.”

Me: “When did that recognition happen?”

Chris: “We have to submit a reflective journal roughly every month to our coach. My first two journals were predominantly me reliving situations to convince myself that what I had done was right. My Cranfield coach, Janice Gordon, was very direct in her feedback, highlighting the way I was writing, and the gaps I was leaving. Journal number 3 was my turning point – I accepted that I could be better. I began to put more of myself into them. I began to put myself into others’ shoes and document that in my journals.”

Me: “People often talk about putting themselves in others’ shoes – another behaviour shift?”

Chris: “Yes, but again you need that mindset shift first. Change is uncomfortable.?You have to realise that to get the most out of a programme, you need to sacrifice the emotional walls that we all build to protect our self-esteem. You have to accept that you will find out stuff you might not like. You have to admit you have weaknesses before you can begin to work on them. You have to accept that you won’t like the answers to some of the tough questions this programme makes you ask yourself. It is all a bit scary and destabilising – to recognise the things that have been propping up your own self-esteem. But you have to accept that unless you do this you will not grow. And having done that, I can more easily put myself in other peoples’ shoes. I catch my breath before I walk into a situation. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been a personality transplant – it has been an evolution.”?

Me: “You mentioned the feedback from your Cranfield coach; what else has helped you make this mindset shift?”

Chris: “My action learning group. We are from very different parts of the BBC, spread across the UK but we face so many similar challenges. We have all done the same personality assessments and questionnaires given to us by Cranfield – we call them “Mini Character-Assassinations” – and so we all have the same vocabulary to discuss how we react to others at work. So each time we do one of these “Mini Character-Assassinations” we give each other feedback on the behaviours we see in each other – but in a really supportive way. Getting their feedback is so powerful.”

Me: “You said you now ‘take a breath’ before you go into situations. Why else has this programme been so important for you?”

Chris: “I was recently promoted. Because I had been working on myself, and getting better results working with others, that helped. But more importantly, the programme gave me a better understanding of what a senior role needs, and the self-realisation that I was resilient enough for that kind of role. The programme gave me the confidence to go for the promotion – and get it!”

Me: “Why do you feel this programme is important for the BBC?”

Chris: “It is development that goes beyond technical skills. Staff surveys always refer to the importance of manager-employee relations, so we need to be continually improving those relationship-building skills. I applaud the BBC for investing in the development of a new generation of managers and leaders because this will ultimately improve our culture.”

Me: “And finally, what advice would you give to anyone embarking on this programme?”

Chris: “A few bits of advice. Firstly, recognise that it is a big commitment of your time and energy, and secure the commitment from your line manager. I have had great support from mine; even when a big story hits us I am still given that space to attend lectures etc. Secondly, don’t see it as a qualification; see it as being about growth. And finally, find a connection to each of the topics you cover – you need to understand how it connects to what you are doing in the workplace if you are going to do well.

And, David, here is a bit of feedback for Cranfield. I recognise that the Cranfield programme deliberately creates a sense of discomfort because it pushes us to work on ourselves, and ultimately helps us to succeed and grow. But you just need to warn people in advance that the programme will be uncomfortable!”

Me: “Well by sharing this conversation with others Chris, you and I are doing just that!”