Leading in a Thinking Environment
Leading in a thinking environment (1 day) Nancy Kline pioneered the approach of ‘Time to Think’ and this is becoming an increasingly important approach for top leaders to create a Thinking Environment. Even this…
Leading in a thinking
environment (1 day)
Nancy Kline pioneered the approach of ‘Time to Think’ and this is
becoming an increasingly important approach for top leaders to create a
Thinking Environment.
Even this model is being challenged further through really
contextualising the very process and objectives of thought as practiced
in a thinking organisation. There is also structured innovation
processes that are being promoted that moves thinking from a high level
to a practical process within the organisation.
For the individual attitudes and behaviour leads to thought, and
though leads to change. The very essence of spiritual and emotional
intelligence is to ensure that an individual has the capacity to change
and to practice the philosophy of “what you think – you become”.
To highlight the integrated approach the following shows the outcome
of the leading in a thinking environment session.
Increasingly organisations are seeking to leverage the skills and
experience on individuals and team and to foster an attitude of
collaboration and growth. This is achieved through leadership behaviours
that promote quality thinking as per the table below.
| Thinking behaviour | Thinking behaviour description |
|---|---|
| Attention | Leaders need to create the environment in which others have both the time and space to think. This requires both leaders to direct their attention and give genuine care, respect and interest in an uninterrupted fashion. The thinking environment uses powerful attention to create thinking. |
| Equality | Equality creates and environment where all are equal in their ability and requirement to contribute. The result is high quality ideas and decisions. |
| Ease | When you are in a state of ease – most people think well but there are significant pressures in most environments. The idea of promoting inner ease or an inner strength that overcomes this is powerful in directing thinking in the moment. |
| Appreciation | Appreciative enquiry is a state in which questioning and consensus building is used to build a shared and common understanding and vision of where we are going. When this is combined with appreciation of progress towards goals – it leads to a healthy goal and execution environment. |
| Encouragement | A thinking space limits internal competition among colleagues, replacing it with a wholehearted, unthreatened search and encouragement of good ideas in a non-competitive way. |
| Feelings | The ability to control and direct emotions has a measured impact on thinking. The skills of being able to acknowledge and disengage from emotions in a situation create an approach to decision-making that is focused and not dependent on emotional over or under reaction. |
| Information | It is always important to evaluate information in the context of how we got here. By looking at facts and critical information in an objective manner and working out how we could have got to this situation – we start understanding the underlying patterns, trends and realities. |
| Diversity | This section focuses on how leaders can leverage diversity to tap into the life experience of people from different cultures to get better perspectives. |
| Active Questioning | Open questioning with genuine interest and care can create and open possibilities. |
| Place | The workspace and how it contributes to a thinking environment is a critical aspect. Showing appreciation and managing space is important in bringing the best out of people and teams. |
The ideas of thinking pairs, dialogues, round table discussions,
walking about, open discussions, meeting management, a “Time to Think”
council.
The session in this day will focus on
| Session | Session Description |
|---|---|
| Thinking in teams |
|
| Thinking at your best |
|
| Leaders as thinking partners |
|
| Planning for thinking spaces |
|
In addition practical exercises throughout the day will focus
participants to investigate their own patterns and beliefs that will
create an environment in which there is exercises for some of the
critical aspects of the programme including:
-
Active listening
-
Active questioning
-
Appreciative enquiry
-
Making the workspace more thinking friendly
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