Dan, Author at Enterprise Management Ltd

First Things First: Tips to Move You Forward

When you have a to-do list the size of Montana, how do you tackle it? Do you have a fail-safe practice that garners favorable results consistently? Today’s tasks seem to multiply yet the hours in each day are stuck at 24. These tips can help get you centered and on track toward getting things done. What else can you add to help readers who struggle with too much to do? This could be the help you’ve been looking for. Read More

INTRODUCING: Brilliant or Blunder Action Guide

INTRODUCING … Brilliant or Blunder Action Guide (2017) the learning manual for putting Success Mindsets to work for your organization. This recently published companion to the original text, Brilliant or Blunder: Navigating Uncertainty, Opportunity, (2014) brings detail and clarity for implementation of the methodology and processes unique to developing Success Mindsets. Read More

Success Mindsets For Astute Scanning

We all recognize that better decisions follow reliable data collection. However, obtaining it remains a challenge. Too often we accept a penetrating glimpse of the obvious or past practice since it is safe and efficient to keep doing what we have always done. Unfortunately, this tendency keeps us in an echo chamber where old assumptions reside and reverberate. Read More

Hidden Figures Reveal How To Be A Continuous Learner

The movie Hidden Figures has justifiably won acclaim not only for the story and acting. Octavia Spencer’s portrayal of Dorothy Vaughan also depicted the need to keep her skills up to date. She realized her job as a mathematician was likely in jeopardy when NASA installed an early IBM computer. She saw the handwriting on the wall and prepared for her and her staff’s future by learning FORTRAN. When programmers were needed, she and her staff transitioned seamlessly into new higher paying positions. Read More

People Make Up Their Own Minds At Elections And In Organizations

Winning support requires more than packaged positions and slogans. Building a ground swell or promising does not equate to a strong conviction. Emotions ebb as well as escalate based on personal assessments. Read More

Preparing For What’s Next: Leveraging Your Company’s Life Cycle

What are you focusing on now? After a successful launch, entrepreneurs have a choice. They can sit back and continue to do what they have done so far or they can recognize the need to prepare for what comes next. Read More

Distorted Perceptions

Perception: Disconnects, Distortions and Deficiencies

We often hear that seeing is believing, but should we always believe what we see? Our distorted perceptions can be superficial and unduly influenced by past experiences. Architects, IT professionals and security personnel can “see” the same office, but what registers and remains with them varies significantly. Read More

Are You Rewarding A While Requiring B?

Reward Systems

I decided on my doctoral thesis topic after reading Steven Kerr’s 1975 article, The Folly of Rewarding A When Hoping for B, in the Academy of Management Journal (volume 18, pps.769-782). In the decades since this published, one might assume that organizations revised their reward systems to match their current strategy. Unfortunately, many have not. Read More

Invisible Fences: Limiting Constraints

My neighbor’s dogs explore their backyard but within constrained boundaries. An invisible fence limits them. If they stray beyond the specified area their collar provides either an electrical stimulus or a vibration to restrain them. It only takes a few of these shocking experiences before the dog recognizes how to remain secure. Likewise, leaders or their staffs might restrict themselves to safe areas in their thinking, proposals or initiatives.

Traditional boundaries, existing practices, and known solutions can limit thinking. Certainly adhering to the tried and true protects leaders from unknown external or internal risks, yet this confinement is dangerous when all the rules and expectations are changing.

Leaders can also limit their staff’s thinking. In some environments, innovative thinking becomes a career limiting activity. Keeping your head down, agreeing with the prevailing opinions and, most of all, not rocking the boat, translate too often into unwarranted praise, unearned promotions and a delay in the inevitable.

Executives who truly want innovative and strategic thinking insist on broad analysis, pattern detection, and exploring opportunities. They do this by:

Discussing their thinking process with others using six mindset buckets to avoid blind spots.
Avoiding any hint of “scapegoating” by insisting on learning from missteps rather than placing blame.
Using staff meetings to challenge everyone to address persistent cross-unit issues.
Specifying that promotions will be given to individuals that demonstrate critical thinking.
Evaluating current practices by asking what should be done more often or less often as well as what should we start and stop doing.
Stressing the importance of asking questions including a risk analysis before decisions are finalized
Appointing a rotating devil’s advocates to ensure that all perspectives have been carefully explored.
Respecting and recognizing those who are innovative or who encourage innovation in others.
Encouraging cross-functional and lateral networks.
Supporting pilot projects and experimentation.
Allocating time for innovation.

Simply wishing for an innovative culture, or announcing that innovation is a strategic imperative will not change behavior or practices. Consistent actions aligned with support are essential to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. What actions are you taking to encourage strategic and creative thinking? What observable or hidden limits influence your thinking?

Originally published at: http://bizcatalyst360.com/invisible-fences-limiting-constraints/#sthash.wAwP5KXq.dpuf

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