version ii seminar distributive responsiblity

© 2011 Mary M. Chandler, PhD – all rights reserved

OVERVIEW & AGENDA

Thinking about your own thinking

How do you solve a problem?Jot down your strategy in three minutes.

MENTAL COMPLEXITY….AND THE LEADER IN YOU

Adult mental development

Description of adult plateaus

Levels of complexity among adults

Mental Complexity and Technical v. Adaptive Challenges

• What is…

• A Technical Challenge?

• An Adaptive Challenge?

TECHNICAL CHALLENGES

Heifetz says:

It is often a quick fixSolutions are routineRestores balance and corrects problemsAssociated with managing situations

ADAPTIVE CHALLENGES

Mobilizes people into actionChanges minds – thinkingAsks questions – not provides answersDiagnosis the conditionsChallenges norms or allows them to be challengedGenerates conflictDoes not restore equilibriumSets stage to adjust to new challenges

Associated with leadership – (“go forth, and die”)

Distributive Responsibility

Defines the problem accurately

Examines the values and beliefs from a diverse point of view

Hold self and others responsible for a solution

Changes the behavior of a group to become adapted to the new challenges

How does it look in action?

Function Technical Adaptive

Direction Provides a solution Identifies the challenge, provides a diagnosis, asks questions about solutions

Protection Protects from external threats

Discloses external threats

Role Orientation Orients current roles Disorients current roles, resists pressure to orient people into new roles too quickly

Controlling Conflict Restores order Exposes conflict; lets it emerge

Norm Maintenance Maintains norms Challenges norms; allows them to be challenged

How to distribute responsibility?

• Who are the primary stakeholders and how might they need to change their ways?

• What expectations do they have of their leaders?

• How can the leader reshape those expectations to include them in the solutions?

Most useful definition of leadership

...an activity – of an individual from any walk of life mobilizing people to do something (useful)…