Ok it happened again. They said ‘Yes’ and then did nothing.
Do you ever get frustrated with the fact that
- the message sometimes does not get through
- there is plenty of communication but still people don’t ‘get it’
- those you are leading are not reading off the ‘same page’. Sometimes it even feels like they are reading a totally different book and odds are you are right.
The challenge, working with people, is that you have to be on the ‘same page’ if you are going to make progress. As a leader we feel drawn to people who are on the ‘Same Page’, who ‘Get it’. We get excited by their contributions. At the same time you may be missing out on vital contributions of others in your organization. The people you don’t gel with, who frustrate you and highlight their differences by reading the ‘other book’ in meetings. Their contributions seem to act as a ball and chain to possible progress. You want them all on the same page. You know they have a valuable contribution to make. If you could help them understand what you are trying to achieve.
The solution is simpler than we realize and requires a slight change in how we communicate. People you work with will see exactly the same situation in three different ways. Focusing their attention and processing the information differently. Understanding these differences provides key insights on how to get the team on the same page.
Let’s take a scenario of three individuals viewing a forest.
Person one: Classified as Forest People. (Deductive Thinkers)
The Forest People see the forest first and then make deductions. Because there is a forest there must be a variety of trees, animals and other interesting features. Their mindset is one of the philosopher. Once they understand the big picture behind a concept the rest of the picture falls into place. For them, the starting point of conversations should be the Big Picture. Then work from that point to the details that need to be discussed, which to be honest they do not love but will find it more palatable now they know how it all fits together. Forest people are deductive thinkers and like to work from the big picture to details.
Person two: Classified as Tree People. (Inductive Thinkers)
The Tree people’s attention is on the details of what they are seeing. They see individual trees, count how many trees there are, tabulated their genus, species and ecology. They then induce that because there are X amount of trees, it fits the criteria to be classified as a forest. Their mindset is that of the scientists where interpretation of the detail builds an understanding of the bigger picture for them. The starting point of their communication is the details. Understanding the details will help them begin to grasp the big picture. Often, they may find the big picture fluffy and abstract but will embrace it because it is backed by proof.
Tree people like details to be the starting point of communication. They are inductive thinkers who work from the details to the big picture.
Person Three: Classified as The Landscaper. (Abductive Thinkers)
The Landscaper envisages what could be. You will hear them saying “That is a lot like”. The landscaper is a left field creative thinker. They see animal shapes in the clouds. Their mind is constantly asking,
- What is this similar to?
- What is it a lot like?
- What could this situation be?
- What have I experienced that is similar to this?
When a landscaper sees a forest they imagine the myriad of things. It could be …
- ….. a little city where animals live
- ….. a source of wealth to be harvested
- ….. the lungs of a city
The options could be endless
They view the world by constantly finding things that are similar to what they are observing. To others it may seem off the wall and sometimes random. Yet they are reinterpreting what they see as something else which then ends up being a source of insights. At other times, for the listener, it just ends up being a “what are you talking about moment” as you listen to their meanderings.
For example, I was facilitating a strategy session for a hospital emergency department. A manager announced with passion. “I know the answer. We can run our department a lot like an airport”. It got frowns of confusion from the Forest and Tree people who envisaged an upgrade in nursing uniforms and hospital food to match first class. As the manager expanded his view of planes arriving and leaving with swift and efficient coordination. The penny dropped. The idea quickly gained traction as the creative juices started to flow. They explored how to transition patients more effectively through the emergency department to the real destination each patient needed to arrive at in the hospital.
The landscaper is the abductive thinker, where lateral thinking serves as sources of creativity and fresh thinking.
Key Application
The challenge for us as leaders is then to match our communication to the mindset of each person. This means understanding if they are a Forest, Tree or Landscaper. Once identified, you learn to begin conversations where they need it to start.
For Forest people:
Start conversations with “Let’s get the big picture on this concept…” and then move the conversation into discussing the finer details.
For Tree people:
Start conversations with “The specifics of the situation are …..” and then discuss the larger issues relating to the entire forest
For Landscapers:
Start conversations with “What do you think this situation is a Lot like ….” and then brace yourself to go on an exploration of discovery as they unpack some left field concepts that are similar. However, this is your opportunity to add to or steer what they are unpacking.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.