Personal Action Plans

Transcription

1 Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) G15 Personal Action Plans Understanding the Present

2 Understanding the Present He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how Friedrich Nietzsche Section A: Self-Portrait, Happiness, Ought Self Introduction We began in the past and, through a series of reflective exercises, addressed questions such as, for what has life prepared you, and what futures does your past make possible? Moving from past to present, we now ask: who are you today? What does your life look like at this moment in time? Our purpose here is to establish where you start from, to take a holistic inventory and identify strengths and challenges, before you start envisioning future goals and scenarios. We begin with an exercise, a snapshot of the present. 1. Self-Portrait Imagine you are taking a photograph of your life today. Create a snapshot that captures the different elements of you. Be honest and authentic. What are the key ingredients, the defining markers, in your life today? Who are the notable people? Include relationships, career, education, recreation, health and fitness, spirituality, finances, social life, personal growth, and any other features of life that are important or relevant to you. When you have finished, ask yourself: What stands out? What is missing? Reflection Questions As you look at your snapshot: What energizes you? What drains you? What do you hope for? What do you fear? What is your biggest blind-spot? 1 What is most urgent to you right now? And What question lies at the heart of your work? 2 For example, you might ask: Can communities live peacefully without war? Or, Can human beings exist in harmony with nature? 1 You may have to ask people who know you well. Blind-spots can be positive and negative. 2 Otto Sharmer poses this question in his work on presencing. See for instance his Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges. 2

3 2. Happiness What is happiness? What makes you happy? The ancient Greeks defined happiness (eudaimonia) as flourishing by leading a productive and purposeful life. On a national level, the former King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, introduced the idea of Gross National Happiness in In the West, the current tendency is to associate happiness with emotional wellbeing. More broadly, Martin Seligman, a leading proponent of the Positive Psychology movement, suggests humans are happiest when we combine pleasure, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. 4 Flow 5 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term flow to describe the state of feeling happy. Flow occurs when we are: Intensely focused on an activity Of our own choosing, that is Neither under-challenging (boreout) nor over-challenging (burnout), that has A clear objective, and that receives Immediate feedback People in a state of flow feel a profound sense of satisfaction. They are so immersed in what they are doing, they lose track of time and forget themselves completely. List 10 concrete examples of what makes you happy. In each case, identify why. Why do these particular examples make you happy? It is not enough to say [xxx] makes me happy because it makes me happy! Drill down deeper. Exactly why does this make you happy? Do not confuse short-term gratification with long-term happiness Distinguish between joy and contentment What gave you joy as a child? We tend to lose our capacity for joy during adulthood. Enjoyment is one key to success. How can you enhance enjoyment in life? 6 3. Ought Self Identify your ought self. 7 Most people have an ought self, or at least did once. Your ought self is the person other people (and by extension, you) think you ought to become. 3 Gross National Happiness (GNH) is based on four pillars: sustainable development, cultural values, natural environment and good governance. Recently, the Centre for Bhutan Studies extrapolated eight contributors to happiness: physical, mental and spiritual health, time-balance, social and community vitality, cultural vitality, education, living standards, good governance, and ecological vitality. 4 Seligman, M.E.P. Can Happiness be Taught? Daedalus. Spring Based on a synopsis in The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler (2011: 46-47). 6 When asked about his phenomenal ability to break records, Sachin Tendulkar, the best cricket player in the world, replied: The secret to any performance is not in chasing records. I think about, What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I enhance that enjoyment factor? If I enhance the enjoyment then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher It s a process. You construct a solid foundation and build on it. Interview with Oliver Brown in The Daily Telegraph [London]: July 12, 2011, p. S10. 7 The term ought self is used by Daniel Goleman in his Primal Leadership. 3

4 Prevalent during your 20s and 30s when your peer group is making significant life decisions, your ought self is influenced by your parents, partner, boss, friends and other important figures in your life who tell you, explicitly or implicitly, often with the best of intentions: this is who you should become, this is how you should lead your life, this is the career you should pursue, the religion you should worship, this is when you should get married or pregnant. In sum, this is who you ought to be. Who is/was your ought self? Be as specific as possible. Past Ought: In what ways have other people significantly influenced you in the past? Present Ought: To what extent are the expectations of others shaping your life trajectory today? If you have let go of your ought self, how were you able to do this? Was it difficult? Team Debrief Share your snapshot with your support team. Ask what stands out and what is missing, as well as the reflective questions that resonated deepest. Discuss what makes you happy and why. Share pertinent aspects of your ought self. Pulling It All Together As with The Past, look back over all your materials, notes, reflections, insights, feedback and so forth. These are the raw materials of your PAP. Pull everything together in a way that allows you to capture what is important and meaningful, so you lay a base, build a roadmap, and take action. 4

5 Understanding the Present Section B: Values, Strengths, Challenges 1. Values Still in the present, we now move to the heart of the matter: values. Our values encapsulate what is most important to us. They influence our choices, inform our decisions, and guide our actions. We live our values through our behavior even when we don t know explicitly what our values are. Sometimes, of course, we don t live up to our values. Values evolve over time: for instance, near retirement you might experience a shift from success to significance, from done well to do good (giving back). Values Hierarchy What are your five core values? Use the values cards provided and follow the instructions on the handout. If values are missing from the list, add your own. Select 5 values that you always value and rank these in order. 8 Focus on the present that is, your lived values, or values you believe you live by. Once you have a Top Five, define what each value means to you. Reflection Questions After completing the values exercise, ask yourself the following questions: Is your life currently in alignment with these values? If not, why not? If yes, what specific actions or behaviors embody your core values? Think of a time in your professional life when your work was in conflict with your values? What happened? How do your values intersect with the values of significant people in your life? While core values are often shared in close relationships, conflict can arise within different value hierarchies or alternative definitions of the same value. 2. Abilities/Strengths Identify 5 key abilities (strengths, experience, traits). These can be innate or acquired. This is a foundation for you to build upon. It consists of things you value about yourself and others value about you. Create a three-column chart. In the first column list the ability. In the second column list when you have used this ability recently. In the last column write how you know you are good at this. Did someone tell you? Did you receive some positive feedback? 3. Challenges and Weaknesses Everyone - leaders included has limitations in the form of weaknesses and challenges. Identify parts of yourself that you would like to work on, change, discard, or simply adapt to new circumstances Weaknesses - internal traits, fears, bad habits or self-limiting beliefs you want to work on, whether real or imagined. If helpful, think of these as your 5

6 Seven Deadly Sins, although hopefully your list will be less woeful than wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. 9! 5-10 Challenges - external realities, constraints or obstacles in your life that you may or may not have influence over. For example, you have an ailing parent who needs your help; you lost all your savings in the financial crisis; you have a debilitating physical injury or condition. 4. Crossroads 10 If you feel you have reached a crossroads in life, before we step into the future, it might be helpful to imagine a variety of roads that lie ahead: Beckoning road - something you have always wanted to try Dream road - even if it is not achievable Sensible road - people you respect would recommend this Road not travelled something not considered before Familiar road - a path you have already been down Road back - to a place you once felt safe 5. Finding your Sweet Spot The sweet spot on a tennis racket (or baseball batt or golf club) is the spot that allows for the most powerful and accurate hit on the ball. Likewise when you operate in your leadership sweet spot, you are the most effective. This is the place where your passions (values, interests, things that make you happy), abilities (strengths, experience, traits), and needs of others (family, community, country, etc) intersect. Identify times you were in your sweet spot. What were you doing? Where? With whom? Was it a brief moment or an extended period? How did it feel to operate in your sweet spot? Team Debrief Share your core values with your support team, including your personal definition of each value. Do your values reflect how others see you? Do you live your values? Highlight key strengths and weaknesses. What stands out and what is missing? How can you work with or overcome the challenges you face? Pulling It All Together We have reached the end of The Present. Look back over all your materials, notes, reflections, insights, feedback and so forth. These are the raw materials of your PAP. Pull everything together in a way that allows you to capture what is important and meaningful, so you lay a base, build a roadmap, and take action. 9 For a list of the seven deadly sins CEO s won t admit, see 10 Adapted from The Crossroads Model in The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler (2011: 40-41). 6

7 PAP Special Insert on Feedback As you explored in question two, how do you know what you know about yourself? One major source is through feedback from others. How can you intentionally solicit feedback from others to develop your strengths and improve your weaknesses? Some methods include conversations with colleagues/supervisors/customers, evaluations, and close observation and reflection on the results of your actions. Leaders must ensure they are getting constant feedback both positive and critical. Consider the Johari Window and ask yourself, how can you get more feedback, especially in your blind area. On the other hand, how do you give feedback to others that helps them develop? The Center for Creative Leadership suggests using the SBI method. The key is to be specific (not a general complaint), timely (do it as soon as possible), and personal (based on your observations, not what others tell you). Positive feedback is as important and sometimes more important than critical feedback. Don t assume people know the positive things you think about them and their actions tell them! Identify something specific about which you would you like to receive feedback from others that you trust. Have a conversation where you explain what you want feedback on and set times for checking back to get the feedback. 7