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Building a Bridge to Influence: Reflections on President Obama’s ATD KeynoteB. Kim Barnes
On leadership: “Get others to tap into their best selves.” We all share the desire to be thought well of by others whom we respect and/or love. Our expectations of others can shape the way they see themselves and lead them to identify with a better version of who they are in the world. The French playwright, Jean Giraudoux, wrote a one-act comedy entitled “The Apollo of Bellac.” In the play, a homeless man tells a young woman the secret of success. All men, he suggests, secretly think they are handsome. He advises her to confirm that belief. She follows his advice and, voila, she becomes very successful. By analogy, if we share with others our belief that they are competent, ethical, strong, or resilient, we allow them to choose to be the self about whom that is true. On change: “Break it up into its component parts.” It’s daunting to face significant change. When we see it as a whole, as a do-or-die enterprise, we may retreat into our comfort zone. But change is often better understood as a journey, as something incremental, even as something that requires some wandering in the wilderness before arriving at a destination. If we can see ourselves moving closer to that destination, even by a circuitous route, we are encouraged to keep moving forward. On influence: “You’ve got to build a bridge from where people are to where you want them to be.” Opposition is often satisfying and even necessary, but it is seldom the first step in influencing those with whom we disagree. Listening actively, checking your understanding, and accepting (without agreeing) that something is currently true for another person can open that person up to moving to a new place. Opposition generally fixes people more firmly in their positions. You build a bridge by acknowledging and respecting the other and then inviting them to consider other possibilities – ones that fit within their framework, yet align more closely with where you would like them to land. I came away from the session inspired by these simple, yet powerful ideas. ATD 2018... It’s a WrapIt was great to see everyone at ATD…our annual participation can be summed up with a traditional song, “Make New Friends, But Keep the Old!” We saw so many of our clients and partners and relished catching up. We also met many new friends from around the world. Many people stopped at the booth to discuss their leadership challenges and to try out our Exercising Influence short behavioral questionnaire, explore their personal approach to Risk-Taking and discover their Innovation Avatar. Feel free to use this link to check them out for yourself! It was a special ATD Conference, the 75th anniversary of the organization. President Barack Obama was a keynote speaker and was truly inspiring for those of us in the leadership field, regardless of politics. See reflections above from B. Kim Barnes, above, and from Lauren Powers, below, on some key points from his open interview with Tony Bingham, President and CEO of ATD. Nelson Soken, Chief Innovation Strategist at Barnes & Conti, and Carole Bilson, President of DMI, spoke at ATD on Design Thinking and how talent professionals can incorporate some key principles borrowed from the design field such as human-centered empathy to create real customer value and innovation. This well-attended talk was timely, as HR organizations continue to grapple with how to innovate and demonstrate strategic value with the customer in mind. Use this link for the session handout, in case you missed it. See Nelson’s article below summarizing how design thinking can be helpful in your role. Get in touch with me (Lauren Powers) at lpowers at barnesconti.com if you are interested in discussing how we can work with you in this area or any of our other areas of capability. Next year, we hope to see you at ATD in Washington, DC! In this newsletter:
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Do you like our newsletter? Please subscribe!Applying Design Thinking to Leadership and Organizational Development (excerpt)Nelson Soken, Ph.D., Chief Innovation Strategist at Barnes & Conti
Based on what’s reported in various journals and studies, some of the challenges facing L&D professionals include:
According to Treion Muller in his article entitled “13 Learning And Development Reality Checks for 2018,” one of the reality checks for L&D professionals this year is, “Being Customer-Centric Equals Success.” He states: “Because as we’ve learned, the consumer of information, AKA the modern learner, is king and will determine the future of the L&D industry, so the more we are in tune with them and their ever-changing preferences, the greater chance we have of success.” Recently, there has been a growing interest in the L&D and HR community to incorporate the design thinking mindset and practices into organizational challenges... Read the rest of the article on our websiteReflections on ATD and the Learning Profession after Almost 40 YearsLauren Powers, SVP of Business Development for Barnes & Conti
The anniversary conference was special…it featured a conversation between former President Barack Obama and Tony Bingham, head of ATD—and, it seemed, even with all 11,000 of us, that it was an intimate gathering. We heard thoughtful and humorous commentary on leadership from one with an interesting perspective. President Obama offered some personal reflections on what really matters in any leadership role. Here are a few things that stood out for me from his one-hour conversation with us:
President Obama wrapped up with something he shares with his children and I think it resonates for all of us. “If you are kind and useful, you will have a good life.” I am so honored to work in a learning community that embraces these wonderful old-fashioned values. I am having a good life.
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