“We are going through an organisational restructuring. Even within my HR Team, some people are afraid to lose their jobs. However, no one brings it up during our weekly meetings. How do I get this ‘undiscussable topic’ on the table?”
– HR Director, Financial Services
Change the Setting and Inspire a Different Outcome
Here’s a story that may provide you with a new perspective, a true story told to me many years ago by Stan Gryskiewicz, former Head of Innovation at the Center of Creative Leadership, currently President and Founder of the Association of Managers of Innovation, and author of Positive Turbulence.
The eldest of Stan’s two sons was leaving home to attend university in another state. It was a difficult time for both sons as they were very close. They were struggling to speak about how they really felt and so one evening , when Stan was alone at home with his two sons, he decided to change the setting and inspire a different conversation between his two sons.
He decided to have dinner under the table in order to ‘unstick’ his sons’ conversation. Besides the fact that the family dog thought that this was a superb idea, what actually happened was that Stan’s sons were able to open up and have a truly different conversation about the impending change than they had been able to engage in up until then.
Whether you’re wrestling with a new project or trying to lead your team through change, every moment of being stuck is a lost opportunity. So what can you do to get unstuck, to change your setting? Tell us about your plans!
And many thanks to Stan for allowing us to share his story. Check out his book: Positive Turbulence, Developing Climates for Creativity, Innovation and Renewal (Wiley).
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