Is Your Team Ready for a Mindshift?
In order to deal with the complexities teams now face requires a mindshift – a mindshift into a mindset geared to handle the high levels and shifting dynamics of complexity.
Adopting an appropriate mindset is not necessarily an easy accomplishment, unless that appropriate mindset happens to be your natural state of mind. There are a variety of mindsets that compete for our thinking and a lot of this competition takes place unconsciously and out of our awareness. So, awareness is a key factor in mastering the fine art of mindset navigation.
In this article, we will take you on a brief tour of the key mindsets that compete for our thinking.
Moving through Different Mindsets
To give you a sense of what we mean by mindset, let’s take a quick look at a couple of very different mindset examples.
Pressed to act. Our first example begins with a strong sense of pressure and the urge to take action. We feel very pressed. There just isn’t enough time to do what we need to do! Adding to the feeling of pressure, the things that need to be done need to be done right now. There’s no time to dawdle. In fact, there’s hardly any time to think. We feel impatient. We just want to focus on getting things done, preferably one at a time, one right after the other. In this mindset we focus on things that are immediately at hand. There’s no sense in thinking about future developments; things probably will change. So, we will take care of the future when the future becomes the present. Meanwhile, we are particularly aware of the passage of time; we hear loudly the tick of the clock.
An expanse of time and possibility. Our second example is a very different mindset. In this one, there’s no sharp sense of pressure. We feel that we actually have time to think and we may feel that a good deal of thinking is needed. We feel that we can and should explore a bit, look at situations from different angles and, examine a number of different possibilities before taking action. There is no one goal that outweighs all others. In fact, there are multiple, overlapping goals or outcomes that should be achieved because we see the situation we face as multi-faceted and dynamic. So, no one course of action will quite do the job. In this mindset, the clock doesn’t quite tick as loudly as when we were in the first mindset above. We can step back and look at a broad range of choices without feeling the pressure to decide and act immediately.
These are two radically different mindsets, but most of us will experience each of them from time to time. When we do, the world around us will seem very different. For the moment, we when we are in one mindset, we might forget having felt so different when we were in the other mindset.
This is what we mean by mindset. You might experience them as mood swings, simply because you will have very different emotional and perceptual reactions to these states of mind. Because, we differ from one another as individuals, some of us might prefer one mindset much more than the other. Even if it isn’t our preference, we might find ourselves in one of these states of mind much more often than the other, simply as a matter of habit.
Mindset Structure and Differences
The particular mindsets that are of interest to us in this book rest on modes of thinking that, elsewhere, we have described as styles of thinking and deciding[1]. However, we want to emphasis here that these styles are not just about thinking. They influence our perceptions and our emotional states, not just the decisions we make. They determine what we notice, what we attend to, the things we dwell upon, and the things we ignore or dismiss, as well as the value that we attach to the objects of our attention and to our decisions and actions.
There are four basic styles that we have in mind. These styles differ from one another in terms of two key factors:
· The amount of information we take in and consider (“information use”) when solving problems, making plans or deciding on courses of action.
· The number of courses of action (“solution focus”) we include in our decisions when we decide on strategies or actions for a situation requiring a solution.
With these factors in mind, here are the four basic styles that underlie the different mindsets we describe.
No absolute goods and bads. As different as they are, these decision styles are neither good nor bad in any absolute sense. The styles can only be judged as good or bad in the context of the situations in which they are used. So, it’s a question of fit. Does the style fit the situation at hand? If it does, the inherent strong points of the style will emerge. If the style doesn’t fit the situation, the inherent limitations of the style will prevail.
A matter of habit. For the most part, the styles we use are driven by habits formed by experience. For example, over the course of time if one works in a very fast-paced environment where time is of the essence, the tasks required are familiar and relatively simple, and getting things done productively and swiftly is critical, the action-oriented and focused style that we call Decisive will eventually become more and more a habitual way of thinking and acting. That style will serve to allow one to get a lot of things done quickly. In the right context, there may be all kinds of cues, encouragements and rewards to operating in the Decisive style, to the point where the person doesn’t even notice the style as being anything other than a natural way of thinking and behaving.
As long as a person stays in this kind of environment where the emphasis is on making quick decisions, moving on to the next task, and getting things done, that Decisive style will likely be a winning style. However, if the person moves into a different kind of work circumstance, that same style might not work so well. Suppose the person has been working at a junior management level in an operations unit and comes to be seen as productive and very capable of driving results and, as a result is offered a promotion. Suppose also that the promotion involves a move into quite different position, where quality is more important relatively than sheer productivity.
In this new position, without thinking about it directly, there likely will be a natural and strong temptation to continue doing things the way that has worked so well in the past. But that Decisive style may not be so well suited to maintaining and boosting quality. A deeper level of analysis may be needed before reaching decisions. Moving too fast may create problems and lead to errors that weren’t obvious without taking the time to think things through more thoroughly.
So, it may come to pass that a person who has been encouraged and rewarded in the past for be fast and decisive suddenly finds herself or himself running into unfamiliar and unexpected problems. The old ways aren’t working so well.
Here’s an example. Some years ago, we did a lot of team development and coaching work with a company that operated a fleet of tanker ships. During this time, we met Constance, who was a First Mate on one of the ships. Some years passed, and we encountered Constance again. In the intervening years, she had changed the direction of her career. She was still with the same company, but she had come ashore and was now pursuing a management career track in the headquarters of the shipping company, and the company had sent her off to obtain an Executive MBA degree at the University of Southern California. Now, she was working as a liaison between the home office and the corporate parent of the shipping company.
When we met her again, we said, “So, Constance, how do you like your new job?” She replied, “Well, at first I really felt lost. I wasn’t sure exactly what to do and how to do it in this new position. But, then, one morning before going to work I thought about the day ahead. It suddenly came to me that there wasn’t a single decision I need to close during that day! Sure, there were decisions that eventually needed to be taken, but they revolved around longer term issues. Nothing urgent was pending! Then, I reflected on my old job as Mate back in the fleet. Every day, there were many decisions that needed to be made! They weren’t necessarily complicated, but they did have to be made and closed each and every day. That’s when ‘I got it!’ I realized that the sense of urgency and ready-for-action mode I normally felt was driven by my old reality and had followed me ashore, as a matter of habit. I saw that my circumstances were radically different now. With this realization, I felt less driven – at least less driven to decide right away and act. I began to step back and think things through more before deciding. Now, I feel more in synch with my circumstances in this new position.”
As Constance learned, particular styles of thinking and deciding can color the way we see things and how we react. When they persist beyond the circumstances in which they’re needed, they create a sense of disharmony and they can compromise our performance. But, when they align with the circumstances with which they fit best, things fall into place and we often can feel that we are making the right kinds of moves with a good sense of timing.
Styles and Mindsets
We ventured into this brief tour of styles and thinking to give you a better sense of what we mean by mindset and how they will both reflect and drive the way you think and decide. We want you to gain insights into your own shifting mindsets. In particular, we want you as leaders to recognize the mindsets that are especially well suited to dealing with the heightened degree of complexity that you most likely face at work. Let’s briefly summarize the basic mindsets associated with each of the styles of thinking and deciding we described above. Then, we will look at the kinds of circumstances they best fit and we will give special attention to how well they are suited to dealing with the dynamics of complexity.
The Decisive Mindset
You may already recognize that our first mindset example we described is the one associated with the Decisive style of thinking. This mindset is particularly geared to taking action to move things forward and get things done and concluded. As we described, a strong sense of urgency and feeling of time passing are hallmarks of this mindset. When you’re in this mindset, you focus on things that must be done now, today, tomorrow or, maybe, next week. Next month and beyond lies over the horizon, in the future, and you will decide how to handle things in the future when you get there. Meanwhile, you will deal with first things first. Because in the Decisive mindset you especially want to make progress and move forward, when you need to take action, or solve a problem, you naturally will want to do things in a pragmatic and practical way that will actually work with complications. “Will this get the job done?” is a primary concern driving decision-making. You prefer clarity and certainty over guesswork and experimentation. Efficiency is an important consideration. You look for ways to get things done quickly and easily. Risky and complicated methods will be by-passed is in favor of the “tried and true.” You tend to see the simplest way as the best way. The key marker of this mindset is the strong sense of an urge to take action. Once you see a way forward you will want to act on it. At this point, the issue is closed. Going back and rethinking things is not an option unless circumstances unequivocally show that a different way forward is required.
The Flexible Mindset
The need to take action is a key feature of the Flexible mindset. However, now, there are many actions that could be taken. You see all kinds of options and possibilities. So, you see one that stands out a bit and you act on it. But, then, just as quickly, you might see a different possibility and shift direction, leaving the first one behind. In fact, you find that each time you look at a situation, you see it in a somewhat different light and, consequently, new possibilities come to mind. You have an acute sense of change. You may sense it coming. You notice things going on around you. And, when things change you change. Right away! If you choose a course of action that doesn’t seem to be working out as hoped, then you usually can see a better suited course. Course correcting is a natural part of life in a changing world. It simply does not make sense to keep following a course of action that no longer fits the circumstances. You’re also not inclined to get into detailed analyses. That could feel pedantic and you surely do not want to get bogged down in a lot of complicated thinking when things are likely to take a different turn anyway. You prefer to stay loose and ready to adapt and act and then take things as they come. In dealing with people, you’re quite willing to go along, at least for the moment. There’s no point in arguing or debating about what to do when it simply might not make any difference later on.
The Hierarchic Mindset
When you are in the Hierarchic mindset, you feel the need to think things through in a fair amount of detail. You usually have a very clear idea of what you are aiming for and the outcome you want to achieve. More than likely in any circumstance you can identify a particularly important or desirable goal – one that makes a real difference. You take things seriously, because you are aiming for something important and worthwhile. Consequently, it only makes sense that you should carefully look for the best, most certain way to achieve the desired outcome and hit your target as accurately as possible. So, you study the facts carefully and then you develop a plan – very likely a detailed plan with things thought out logically and sequentially. You might have some contingencies in mind, too, that you might put into action to get to that important outcome if obstacles pop up. Thinking ahead is necessary. You are not inclined to just get going and then proceed by the seat of your pants. Once you do decide on a strategy and a course of action, your propensity is to stick with it and follow it through until you achieve what you set out to do. If something is worth doing . . . it’s worth doing well. You find that commitment, thoroughness, and persistence pay off!
The Integrative Mindset
The Integrative mindset, of course, was the second example we gave at the beginning of this section. When you are in this mindset, the world seems like a big place. There is a lot going on and there are a lot of possibilities. Your propensity is to step back and look at things in a broad and quite detailed way before taking any action. You often feel curious and you sometimes poke into corners to see what might be there. In this mindset, you don’t feel the pressure of time bearing down upon you. In fact, you can sometimes lose track of time and, then later, you’re surprised at how much time has passed. In stepping back to look broadly at situations, you can see that there are different parts and pieces to the situation and you also see, at least in general terms, how those pieces interact. You see how one part affects another and, in turn, how the other part can impact the original part. When you feel most relaxed, you might enjoy just playing around with “what if” scenarios. This helps you grasp the dynamics and recognize new possible courses of action. In taking action, there normally are multiple actions that need to be taken because there are many outcomes that are important, and no one course of action serves them all. Moreover, you often can see or sense second and third order outcomes of any action, not just the immediate outcome. You sketch out plans, but you always like to have some alternatives in mind. When you put things in motion you stay tuned to see how things are working and how you may need to tweak and adjust your actions as things evolve. You recognize that the world is a complex and changing place.
A Hybrid Mindset
As you can see, these four mindsets are each based on a particular style of thinking. As such, they are rather pure. In actual practice, we find that people may bridge a couple of styles.
What is your preferred mindset? Based on your observations, how would you assess your team’s overall mindset? Are there any opportunities for a mindshift?
[1] See K. Brousseau et al., The seasoned executive’s decision-making style. Harvard Business Review, February 2006.