June 2012 - Meridien Course Essential Core Day

Understanding the place – Meet the people


What?

Understanding the Place modules are designed to challenge the participants’ view of Northern Ireland; to lift the lid on how the region works and links to the UK and the wider world. In this session, participants explore the complex nature of the relationship between Derry/Londonderry and its diverse population through the eyes of key social issues, take a look at how power works in the city and get to grips with the local, micro economy.

Aims and Objectives

The session will help participants to:

Develop a better understanding of Derry’s past, present and future from a political, economic and social point of view Challenge current perceptions of the region

Better understand the micro economy in Derry, it’s diverse population and how it taps into power on a local and regional level

Help participants connect with Derry’s diverse communities and explore the issues that those communities face.

Understanding change – Passion and Resonance (site visits)

What?

Beyond your authority you have to have passion. It comes in different forms. It may be direct, loud, and demanding, or softly spoken, private, and understated. Regardless, passion is what people long for in their leaders.

Leading change in an area without direct control and authority can take a long time or become more frustrating in comparison to a leaders experience of effecting change where they have great positional power from their expertise or professional status. The determination and patience needed to see this through is determined largely by the leader’s passion for the issue.

Passion often comes from a deeper sense of anger, annoyance or frustration. This may arise for many reasons both personal and professional, it may even result from an unsolved problem or a missed opportunity. In all cases how a leader communicates this passion will have a significant effect on their ability to connect to other leaders, to involve people in their challenge, and to effect change.

Passion Can Get in the Way

There will be times when a leader gets it wrong in displaying their enthusiasm and excitement when what was needed was a calmer and more dispassionate approach. Equally on different occasions a sense of passion and display of care may be needed to break a deadlock or inspire others. In most cases it will be important to know what you want from a meeting or discussion, so you are picking the right battles.   Resonance

Leading change in areas where you do not have direct authority means you will always need to keep a check on: who you are working with; where they come from; what motivates them, in order to be able to communicate effectively with the many and varied people, departments and organisations you will be working with. The variety of different people, different ways of working and different professional language requires a leader to find ways to resonate, express themselves and to get people listening without just shouting louder.

Shami Chakrabati says: “I spend my time trying to minimize the difference between myself and my audience, so that I minimize the difference between us and our interests. Then, hopefully, I come across as more reasonable and so more convincing”.

Aims and Objectives

For participants to realise and be comfortable communicating their passion in order to inspire diverse stakeholders Understand and discuss different, equally effective forms of passion e.g. direct/loud/demanding/soft/understated Understand that often time’s passion alone is not enough to effect change. Hence participants need to be aware of the nature and needs of all stakeholders and know how to adapt their style and message in order to resonate effectively with them

Leadership insight – Adapting to a new environment

What?

Leadership Insight modules consider the different themes of Leading Beyond Authority. Across the sessions participants will have the opportunity to meet a diverse range of leaders first-hand, in an intimate setting. Each insight will feature different leaders, not always traditional, hierarchal leaders. We are not saying that all of the leaders we introduce you to are the 'best' and can give you all of the answers, but they will be a diverse group of people. We're not asking them to give you their 'top tips' but to share their leadership stories with you. The responsibility is with you as individuals, and as a group, to ask the right questions you need on the theme.

In this particular session we will be looking at the theme Adapting to a New Environment. Moving into a new, unfamiliar territory is an integral part of Leading Beyond Authority. It involves acclimatising to the new world and coping with challenges to your legitimacy. It can feel lonely. It’s not just about getting things right – it’s about learning the rules of the game, creating networks and building coalitions.

It’s going to be a challenge and it’s going to be new to you. The way change happens and is led will feel different to the world you are used to. How different?
Adapting fast
To be able to lead in a new world will mean understanding things you have taken for granted all over again. To gain credibility you will need to understand the new context, the issues, the sources of power and the pitfalls. To be able to do this will require moving into new environments more frequently, looking for how things work and not assuming they will follow the same old rules.


Asking the right questions

The ability to ask the right questions comes to the forefront, as it becomes a more valuable asset than knowing the right answers. A leader becomes known for the speed in which they can come to terms with the new rules and start relating to the situation, not the speed in which they can impose a pre-made solution.

Building credibility in a new environment is described by Lord Puttnam, President of UNICEF and advisor to the Department of Education: “As an advisor, I visited more schools than anyone else. I remember hearing an interview with Paula Radcliffe, the long distance runner. She said there were all kinds of clever training techniques but that, in the end, the fundamental issue was how many miles a week you do.”

How?

You will get the opportunity to meet Paul McElvaney, Co-Founder and Director of Learning Pool. The session is not designed to be a lecture/presentation but a ‘discussion’ and requires your full and active participation.

Aims and Objectives

At the end of the session participants should:

1. Be aware of how they can influence / gain credibility in a new environment, beyond relying on position?

2. Consider if leadership not being related to a position, what is it related to?

3. Consider how you exert influence across varying teams / stakeholders, especially when individuals do not want to listen or cooperate?

4. Consider: How to adapt fast? How to know the right questions to ask? How to use networks?

Why?

Participants wanting to understand more about this may:

Be wondering how to cope with challenges to your legitimacy or how you can acclimatise to this new world Be considering whether to take a stand on an issue and what it will it feel like if you do Be operating in a new and different environment and it feels lonely Be a newly promoted leader and are finding it difficult or different to operate at this level Have taken on the chairing of a cross-departmental group Have joined a board (exec or non-exec) and have a broader range of responsibilities Be struggling to understand whether leading beyond your authority is really very different to what you currently do.