The Organizational Development Muse

In quiet moments of late, I’ve been recalling moments from my leadership life where my best attempts to communicate were misconstrued or misunderstood. These were not bad faith incidents, although I’ve collected those experiences also. They were of the innocent variety, at least as they began. Once known, however, they threatened significant damage unless they were treated as an opportunity to listen well, make changes where needed, and communicate even more intentionally.

Topics: process consulting, Process Consultation, Leading at a Higher Level, Art of Agreement, becoming a steward leader, the art of agreement, team communication, organizational learning, Process consultation and design, organizational development consulting, Organizational Transformation, leadership community, associational systems, triple loop learning, blurred communication, formal communication, informal communication, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, organizational communication, mark vincent, leadership and communication, organizational systems, organizational clarity, unproductive meetings, capital campaign communications, organizational development resources, Change Management, Team Leadership, personal leadership, Leading meetings, executive education, executive develpment, executive leadership training, Public Communication about Money,, Communicating about money, executive communication, leadership communication, business communication, business meetings, executive team meetings, Mobile Communication, leadership wisdom, relationship capital, executive learning, personal clarity, self-aware leader, organizational story, Managing Change, organizational development process, society for process consulting, corporate culture, feedback loops, board engagement, donor development, volunteer engagement, nonprofits, Community of Practice, Company Founder, Founder's Role

My previous reflection on long-sight generated a number of responses. Some of you who responded spoke of inspiration. Others of you pointed out that long-sightedness pushes a person beyond moral relativism toward something they understand as eternal wisdom or truth, at the very least reflecting a solid, ethical center.

Topics: process consulting, strategic planning, executive leadership, Convene, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, CEO peer-based advising,, organizational development process, leading organizational change, long-sightedness, strategic mapping

 

Topics: process design, process consulting, Process Consultation, Leading at a Higher Level, discernmentarian, nonprofit leadership, servant leadership, Process consultation and design, It begins wtih design, organizational development consulting, Non-Profit Leadership, organizational process, strategic interim leadership, leadership failure, Organizational Transformation, leadership paradox, Organizational Life Cyle, sustainable vision, strategic planning, executive leadership, contextual leadership, stewardship based leadership, triple loop learning, organizational development muse, Convene, blurred communication, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, small business development, adaptive leadership, Organizational Management, leadership dynamic, action-reflection, mark vincent, organizational clarity, The Tao of Action-Reflection, steward leadership, leadership theory, leadership definition, leadership clarity, Developing Leaders, Change Management, leadership paradigm, Peer-based advising, leadership excellence, CEO peer-based advising,, executive communication, leadership communication, peer-based executive teams, Executive peer-based advising, long term decision making, leadership wisdom, Leadership intuition, forward-thinking realized, capacity building, selfless leadership, open vs. closed organizational systems, business success, organizational strategy, business design, business models, polarity management, one-page planning, organizational development process, society for process consulting, leadership transition, identifying adaptive change, leading organizational change, process chaplaincy, who what when where why how

One of the reasons meetings become such wastes of time and money is that leaders, managers, and meeting facilitators repeatedly fail to frame the context. Another is that leaders and managers dominate the conversation and fail to assume a sincere listening posture.

Topics: nonprofit leadership, organizational development consulting, strategic planning, executive leadership, organizational knot, secrets of productivity, organizational development muse, formal communication, informal communication, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, mark vincent, Change Management, Leading meetings, Executive Development, leadership excellence, executive leadership training, executive communication, leadership communication, leadership formation, business communication, business meetings, executive team meetings, long term decision making, group process, leadership wisdom, decluttering the company, relationship capital, executive learning, organizational groove, executive vocation, forward-thinking realized, selfless leadership, Leadership courage, leadership legacy, Managing Change, society for process consulting, corporate culture, process capacity

A question I frequently ask CEOs is whether the ownership/board and C-Suite executives have five years of patience.

Topics: process design, Organizational Transformation, executive leadership, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, Change Management, executive learning, identifying adaptive change, leading organizational change, process chaplaincy

For some time now we’ve been making a distinction between Process and Product when it comes to consulting:

• Product diagnoses and tells. Process listens and helps.

Topics: process consulting, process vs. product, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, consultant, process vs. sales, society for process consulting, identifying adaptive change

 

Topics: Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, steward leadership, executive learning, professional development, corporate culture

How does one lead without micromanaging, most especially when there is such high risk of liability/failure/ethical compromise?  What distinction can be drawn, really, between that of Management and Leadership, when it comes to function?

Topics: Process Consultation, executive leadership, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, leadership communication, Executive peer-based advising, society for process consulting

Recent work with a client led to developing these thoughts on the act of scapegoating. 

Topics: process consulting, Process Consultation, adaptive change, pervasive change, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, Change Management, group process, society for process consulting

The generation that built our super highways, university campuses, and hospital complexes also populated and built many church houses, along with large educational wings, church camps, private school and numerous global mission and relief agencies.

Topics: client centered, it begins with design, nonprofit leadership, Process consultation and design, strategic planning, Mark L. Vincent, Design Group International, consultant, Change Management, group process, millennials in the workforce, Millennials and manufacturing, relationship building, organizational development process