SixSEED Partners

Petra Platzer

Team Spotlight: Meet Cliff

by 1 Comment

Cliff Kayser is the CSO for SixSEED Partners. For the last 25 years, Cliff has been a practitioner and teacher of applied behavioral science theories and applications – most specifically in the area of values and polarity values dynamics. Cliff most enjoys working in partnership with clients who embrace or are ready to embrace both technical and adaptive approaches to leadership.

He says, “With the commitment to supplementing adaptive with technical in a ‘both/and’ leadership approach, generative and sustainable results will follow – and those results are measurable.” Cliff is a founding partner of SSP and appreciates healthcare for its role as a catalyst for well-being and love – worldwide. Current healthcare-related initiatives include work with a foundation in the Middle East and North Africa as part of Ain Shams University to use polarity thinking as part of leadership development for medical educators. (See published research on this work here!) Learn more about Cliff here.

Shifting from Reactive to Proactive Work

by Leave a Comment

“How does our executive team become more proactive and less reactive? We are so busy putting out fires, but we’re not really moving forward on what the organization needs from us.”

If you have been asking yourself the same question, you are in good company. This year is a prime example that the one constant in life is change – which brings with it unknowns and an increasing pace of so many variables in the day-to-day and the big picture.

The Challenge

For the client who asked the question above, her clinical organization had acquired several other practices as a strategic move to keep each practice viable in this current economic climate. As a result, there were some key leadership changes, along with a need to establish a new organizational culture and vision. Instead of proactively working on those elements, the executive team was instead spending many hours reacting to perpetual fire drills, like EMR integration and compliance issues.

The Diagnosis

In an earlier blog, we introduced the concept of an Outcome Orientation. Just like a compass, this mindset puts our focus towards the results we want to achieve, instead of the alternate mindset of getting rid of the problem(s). One way to “diagnose” which orientation we are operating from, is by asking the 3rd Vital Question from David Emerald’s 3 Vital Questions™ (3VQ) framework: “What Actions are You Taking?” 

If the answer involves merely reacting to the problems of the moment, without any intentional actions focused on continuous improvement or forward progress toward the prioritized outcome, your diagnosis is clear: you are operating from the Problem Orientation. And just like the example, when we are operating from this orientation, we can feel stuck, frustrated, and burnt-out. We are also more likely to be experiencing and contributing to workplace drama from this orientation.

The Tension 

Once you have your diagnosis, you can proactively choose to take a different set of actions. 

How? By harnessing the inherent energy that is in the gap between the Outcome you want to achieve and the Current Reality that exists. This inherent energy, called Dynamic Tension follows the fundamentals of physics: to create movement between two points, tension is required. The pivotal key is developing the skill to “hold the tension” in a way that the rubber band doesn’t snap (too big a gap/tension) or fall off (too small a gap/tension) when the default reactive patterns show up again. In our experience, when clients become aware of the need and positive attributes for this kind of tension, this understanding can liberate them to work on becoming proactive.

The Shift to Proactive Actions

Once you’ve defined the Outcome you want and assessed your Current Reality, you have started working on the 5-step Action Planning Process to create proactive actions! Similar to climbing a ladder – one does not reach the top by starting at the first rung and jumping to the top rung. By using this foundational structure, however, you are able to identify baby steps – one rung at a time – resulting in incremental, deliberate, and long-term actions.

As we have been applying the planning process with the executive team from our client example, we can already see a lift in their individual energy, more cohesion as a team, and a change in their approaches for their expanded organizational culture. This is another great example of why we integrate the 3 Vital Questions™ framework within our SixSEED Partners solutions for all of our 6 service “seeds”!

Are you driving, or being driven, by change?

by Leave a Comment

In a recent blog, we highlighted the different stages of change and asked the first of 3 Vital Questions™ (3VQ) to help navigate the drama we can often feel within any Change Process:  “Where are you putting your focus?” 

Through working with clients, and in self-reflection, it’s always enlightening to notice how the answer to that first vital question drives our internal emotions, which leads to the type of actions we take next. A great example of this came from a recent conversation with a client, who was just starting out in a new role within his system. He shared he was feeling overwhelmed and didn’t feel in the driver’s seat. His strategy to gain control was to focus on de-prioritizing certain initiatives, but he was not feeling good about sharing that with his CEO. Through our conversation, we explored shifting his mindset to focusing on what he IS prioritizing during this timeframe. He instantly noticed his self-criticism decreasing and his energy enthusiasm for the meeting with his CEO increasing. He was amazed at the difference. 

The Difference

When you are inside a Change Process – whether it’s something big or small – have you ever noticed how you are feeling or acting in specific moments? Have you heard yourself think things like, “they didn’t even talk to me and just decided” or “these meetings just keep showing up, so I don’t have time for self-care”, etc.?

Have you had other times where you said things like, “it’s not ideal, but how can we all pull together to make this work?” or “the weather turned out different than I planned, so I’ll adjust to still get a workout in”, etc.?

Do you notice the different tone of who is in the driver’s seat in these examples? Taking notice of the tone and/or word choice is an important clue and vital skill to develop. 

“The way of seeing yourself and your life experience determines how you relate to the world around you. Your orientation defines your reality.” – David Emerald

The Second Vital Question

So, how can you develop this skill? By pausing to ask “How am I relating to myself/to the experience/to others?”

Try asking yourself the above question in your next opportunity and take notice of what you find. If you notice yourself more like a passenger – without the hope or belief you can do something in that situation – that’s an indicator you are relating from the “Dreaded Drama Triangle” (DDT), originating from work by Dr. Stephen Karpman. Inside this dynamic – both with ourselves and with others – we reliably take on certain roles, all of which create a cycle of toxic cycle in the experience.

Alternatively, if you notice yourself more like a driver – with belief you have some options for how you will get to the destination – then, you are relating from “The Empowerment Dynamic*” (TED*), developed by David Emerald. Operating from this dynamic, we again reliably take on certain roles, as shown in the diagram. However, unlike with the DDT roles, coming from the TED*. These roles, puts us in the driver’s seat to create action steps towards the long-term result(s) we want to achieve.

How to Shift Gears

By knowing about these different dynamics, we now can choose. For our client mentioned in the earlier example, he began by taking his foot off the gas pedal long enough for us to look at the 1st and 2nd Vital Questions. Once he saw where he was putting his focus (1st Vital Question), he was able to see from the 2nd Vital Question that he was still operating as a “passenger” in the situation. Once he put himself in the driver’s seat internally, he was able to approach his conversation with his CEO more effectively and confidently.

To effectively lead ourselves and our teams through any change, asking this 2nd Vital Question is another key step to shift gears into the driver’s seat to get to the ultimate destination.  

At SixSEED Partners, we work with our clients to navigate their current and future situations using each of the 3 Vital Questions™, which, when used collectively, improves the well-being of individuals, teams and the overall dynamics within a company’s culture.

What’s your Focus during Change?

by Leave a Comment

According to Benjamin Franklin, “Change is the only constant in life. One’s ability to adapt to those changes will determine your success in life”. 

Or maybe you have heard another famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi about being “the change you wish to see in the world.”

The Challenge

These quotes, while both motivating, are proving challenging  as we navigate this year, which has brought so much unprecedented change to everyone. 

What is our definition of success in this kind of complexity and uncertainty?

Our clients are searching for this answer as they navigate these unchartered territories. The answer to this question has several textures to it as well; whether looking at an individual leader’s capacity, a team’s effectiveness, an organization’s culture, or the well-being of people at all of these levels. And for an added layer of complexity – now within a virtual paradigm where children and animals are also co-existing. 

What Stage Are You In?

While Mr. Franklin is correct, it was work started by Dr. Prochaska and collaborators in the 1970’s that brought us more understanding about how we humans actually respond to change – it’s not a Yes or No response, and it’s not static. We go through stages of change in a sequential and dynamic process! 

The Stages of Behavior Change

As we look around at ourselves and others throughout the pandemic journey, there are classical examples of transitioning through each stage as we approached the necessary behavior changes for health-safety measures, like wearing masks, hand washing, and social distancing. As you look at the Stages of Behavior Change cartoon, you can narrate your own journey for those elements, beginning with not contemplating doing those things at the onset, to the stage you may be in currently. 

Understanding about these stages is one tool we use when supporting our clients to begin creating the behavior changes they want – for themselves and their teams. One way we discover with clients from what stage they may be operating is by using  3 Vital Questions™ (3VQ), developed by David Emerald at the Bainbridge Leadership Center. 

The First Vital Question

To do this yourself, begin with “Where am I putting my focus?”.  By asking this question, we can become aware if we are putting our focus on what we don’t want and are afraid of happening – or – what we do want and the possibilities of what we can create inside of the current conditions. While this may sound simple, there are sophisticated neurological maps and behavioral patterns that are in play within our “human operating system” to learn to identify. As our clients become more aware of how to answer this vital 1st Question in their own situations, they can identify their mindset and readiness for change. Then the 2nd and 3rd Vital Questions are important for understanding how they are relating to that focus and what steps they can take to get move along the change process towards their own success. Through this 3VQ process, we can not only transform our workplace drama, but also upgrade our own internal operating system to help us navigate increasing complexity and change. 

What Is Next?

If you find yourself in the same conundrum and questions for how to approach the changes you are navigating, internally and with others in your teams, we know from experience that working with all 3 questions can be a game changer! For that reason, the 3 Vital Questions™ and Stages of Change framework are one of SSPs integrated solutions within all of our 6 service “seeds”.

What dimensions do you or your team need to be grounded?

by Leave a Comment

As populations around the globe are now wearing face masks to adjust to the “normal” for today – and the foreseeable future, everyone has needed to adapt! Add on the additional stressors of economic instability, schooling uncertainties, politics and systemic injustices – the level of disruptions we are facing is unprecedented in our lifetimes.

As we’ve been working with our clients, we’ve been hearing their emotions during these past few months, such as overwhelm, fatigue, stretched, irritable, grieving, needing a vacation but having no idea how to take one safely, etc.  The metaphor of “difficulty taking a deep breath” seems all encompassing for these feelings during these times.

Our Response

This reality is what sparked Joy Goldman, CEO of SixSEED Partners (SSP), and Rick Auman¸ Exec VP of Consulting Services as Healthy Companies International (HCI), to come together and provide a webinar focused on how to return to being grounded and healthy – not just as leaders, but as people!

Participants from multiple industries joined this 90 min webinar, after which several commented “how quickly the time went by”. The reason? Joy and Rick masterfully integrated their facilitative skills and gave basic information about the 6 Dimensions of Grounded Leadership. This led into smaller break-out sessions for the participants to think and process their own meaning and fill-in a scorecard for how well they are currently balancing these dimensions themselves.

The Result?  

The self-assessment helped participants further understand and explore the meaning of these dimensions in their context. Several participants were not necessarily surprised to find that their Social and Physical Health were below a healthy threshold for them, but they were surprised to see their declining Spiritual Health. 

By seeing these in relative “imbalance”, participants were then able to create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound) goals for one particular aspect that could immediately support their health and resilience. The real work there, naturally, comes after the webinar.

How important did participants think their being grounded is to effectively managing their current disruptors? Everyone said either Very Important or Essential! 

SixSEED Partners feels the same, which is a key reason we are certified deliverer of HCI’s Grounded Leader model. That, along with their Grounded Leadership online portal, is one of SSPs integrated solutions we deliver for leadership, team and systems development. 
We are grateful to the shared learning with Healthy Companies and all those who joined. We look forward to continuing to build on this foundation to make healthcare healthier – together!

Leading effectively: The importance of giving yourself – and your teams – space to breathe and think

by 1 Comment

Are you leading through continuous change? Is the change unpredictable and moving at such a fast pace that it is difficult to keep up and has you wondering what it looks like to lead effectively and with the space to think? Not just for yourself, but also with your leadership team and for your teams across your system?

These are very common questions we hear from our clients, and frankly, what a multitude of articles and books are being written about in the leadership development space. The fundamental principle involved in all of them is similar to the metaphor of the Oxygen mask on the plane: in order to navigate the changing situation (e.g. cabin pressure dropping), we must slow down and put the oxygen mask on ourselves, before we can effectively serve others and take further actions. 

What is that metaphorical oxygen mask for you, your leadership team, and your system as you look to navigate unpredictable and complex situations? One vital tool to answer that question is to create increased awareness through feedback systems – internal and external – focusing on the way we are interacting and taking action with others.

Image by David Emerald, www.3VQ.com

If you read that sentence and felt an added weight or wanted to dismiss that because it’s just “another thing to do,” you may be interested to learn that Peter Senge, known as the father of organizational learning, has long advanced the framework that focusing on thinking about how we think, interact and take action is the critical 3rd dimension of work within every organization.1  This is not extra work, nor soft work – it is the vital groundwork that when incorporated, can support you and your teams to navigate complexity and ambiguity effectively over time.

So back to that oxygen mask metaphor: having systems and structures in place to get feedback on how you are interacting and taking action, the impact it is having to yourself and others – is your way of assessing what the cabin pressure is in your environment.

Internal feedback systems include administering “self check-ins” and establishing a “self care plan” that puts you as a priority on your to-do list, among all the other priorities that your role and organization are asking of you. As leaders, you have this strength developed around planning for implementations, for budget cycles, for change initiatives – you must apply that same skill to yourself before any of those others. In healthcare, the troubling reality – and sad irony – is the increasing evidence that those providing care, administering and leading the health care system are doing a poor job of modeling that care for themselves.  No system – and no person – can sustain over time with that kind of discordance within.  What is your “self care plan?” On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate yourself in implementing your plan successfully? What works for you, and what gets in the way?

External feedback systems include informal, formal, ongoing and easeful ways of giving and receiving information to each other that increases your collective awareness, for the sake of learning and evolving amidst the ongoing change around us. When done effectively, this can raise the learning cycles from single loop, to double loop and even triple loop learning.2,3 What systems do you have in place to learn about the ways you – individually and collectively – are interacting and the impact you are having with respect to your intended results?

In healthcare, most often the external feedback loop stops with processes like HCAHPS and performance reviews. While both provide important information, it is at best partial and incomplete for an overall effective external feedback system. While it is beneficial and important to look backward to review what has been achieved, having only that focus orientation has an inherent trap in its design. Namely, the underlying intention and processes typically do not include two-way communication, nor have the intention of generating growth and development in a forward direction. Effective external feedback systems require a “growth mindset” and a focus on “scaling leadership.”

These two components are your metaphorical oxygen being delivered in the oxygen mask.  Stay tuned for additional articles to expound on these topics.

For now, take a moment to ask yourself – and your leadership teams – the questions posed in this article.  So that our readers can learn and grow together, tell us your story of what you find is working for you. If you recognize any gaps or areas you could improve in, we invite you to share that too.

Reference:

  1. Senge P. (1992) Building Learning Organization Journal for Quality and Participation. 15(2): 30-39.
  2. Argyris C. (1991) Teaching smart people how to learn. Harvard Business Review. 69(3): 99‐109.
  3. Tosey P., Visser M., & Saunders M. N. (2012) The origins and conceptualizations of ‘triple-loop’ learning: A critical review. Management Learning. 43(3): 291–307.

________________________

Click here to subscribe to our updates if you don’t already receive them.