The Stress Doc provides key steps, skills, and strategies for
transforming a virtual problem-solving
exchange into a CRE-iterative, synergy building and product-generating process.
Generating Virtual Synergy: Turning the Iterative into the Creative
Top Ten Steps and Strategies
Recently I met Dr. Terence Jackson,
through a Linked-In intro. Dr. J is an
experienced Corporate Culture-Organizational Development-Business Strategist
and Thought Leader, based in North Carolina.
While I’m a Motivational Speaker and Stress and Change Resilience, Anger
and Conflict Management, and Team Building “Psychohumorist” ™, known as the
“Stress Doc ™, living in Columbia, MD.
Quickly we began to virtually and conceptually groove. In fact, a fiery kindling of the minds soon
sparked an “iterative process.”
According to the Miriam-Webster
Dictionary, iterative is a procedure in which repetition of a sequence of operations
yields results successively closer to a desired result...even,
I would add, a divergent and unanticipated, if not novel, outcome or
product. In fact, our neologistic
conceptual baby was CRE-iterative!
The Mind- and Outcome-Expanding "Iterative" Process
What is it about the
virtual experience that lends itself to all manner of problem-solving and
product development? Consider these ten
key components of the back-and- forth electronic interplay of two individual
and idiosyncratic minds. Our synergistic
offspring is a “Dr. J and the Stress Doc” original program – keynote, workshop,
retreat, or seminar series:
Organizational Resilience & Rhythm:
A Creative & Collaborative Model and System – Achieving High Tech & Human Touch Harmony
(and Profitability); see below.
What iterative arenas,
pathways, and processes (apps, if you will) await the entry of you and a
partner or you and team members? Are you
ready to create Stress Doc synergy? Not only will your product’s essence be greater
than the sum of its parts…but parts just may magically transform into partners!
"The Top Ten Steps and Strategies, Tools and Techniques of a
CRE-iterative Process":
1.
Dynamic Division of Labor. From
the outset, there was some role division:
Dr. J was more the conceptual generator, especially of macro- or
systems-wide organizational issues, e.g. “Organizational Rhythm.” The Stress
Doc was a writer-integrator weaving specific stress resilience-communication
tools and concepts within the “big picture” framework. One example, I added “Resilience” to Dr. J’s
“Organizational Rhythm.” To Dr. J’s
emphasis on “Cultural Accountability” I amended “Authority” and “Autonomy,”
i.e., yielding The Triple “A” –
Authority, Autonomy & Accountability – of Organizational Responsibility
& Resilience. Our conceptual and
experiential diversity, far from dividing us, increasingly vibrated a Yin/Yang
sympathy. And with give and take, roles
flexibly evolve – sometimes a mentor/coach, other times a mentee/learner…yet
always within a working, “helmet’s off” – no rank in the room – partnership.
2.
Talk a Common Language. Dr. J
was fluent in systems-organizational terminology; I had at least a working
knowledge and would ask for clarification or elaboration as needed. However, we both were fluent in the realm of
“Emotional Intelligence.” I also resonated with his distinction between
"change" (external, physical,
and reversible) and "transformation" (internal, psychological, and bringing to life a new entity). Of
course, words and phrases may evoke multiple images and meaning. When Dr. J talked inclusion his primary
emphasis was maximizing the diversity talent, experience, and input among
employees in the organization. In
contrast, my initial focus was more micro:
inclusion evoked the military phrase “helmets off,” that is, to hold a
meeting where for a period of time there is no rank in the room; “right (or at
least good reasoning) makes might,” and the Corporal can talk freely to the
Colonel. (Some military leaders wisely
brought in a professional team facilitator realizing they needed help to “walk
a more candid, non-status-driven talk.”)
A common or
complementary language means less time and energy is expended in “message sent
equals message received.” More
important, it also facilitates the intuitive connection, that is, a capacity to
quickly get the gist of what’s being expressed and/or to plumb unspoken or
shadowy depths. Such a wavelength connection also generates an ability to
listen and leap into analogical, mind-rippling, pathway-generating ideas and images.
3.
Evolve a Working Goal. Almost immediately Dr. J and I had a sense of
the project – organizational development training/leadership retreat
programs. (See program
Objectives/Outline below.) However,
“what a joint presentational system-program would look, sound, and taste like
was still a mystery." Early back and
forth through email and an initial phone call definitely generated more
questions than answers. Finally, a phone
dialogue was just the spark to glean Dr. J's purposeful concepts and passionate
focus: his system terms resonated with
my conception of creative communication and synergy
– "culture," "jazz riff rhythm," and
"improvisation"; so too "generating harmony by maxing the input
and talents found in employee diversity" along with bedrock (and bottom
line) ideas of "accountability" "transparency" &
"trust". (AT&T anybody? In addition, we both are charter members of
that new AA group – “Acronyms Anonymous.”)
4.
Exchange and Lobby for Conceptual Paths and Resources. One wonder of the virtual world is the speed
at which information can be shared.
Whether it was an article on “Iteration,” “Creative Process,” or “Values
and Accountability,” Dr. J would pass along material that would further my
understanding. On occasion I
reciprocated. The relevance and
usefulness of the resource was enhanced by its immediacy. In addition to this coaching element, the
project and process focused my mindset; so many things suddenly had
CRE-iterative possibility. Of course, we
were also lobbying for our personal points of view. One paradoxical challenge of this
process: fight for those issues or beliefs you believe critical yet be receptive
to contradictory or challenging ideas; be willing to let go, at least
temporarily. Conceding a battle does not
mean the campaign is lost. In
similar fashion, alas, establishing a beachhead does not mean the island is
conquered. Acclaimed author, F. Scott
Fitzgerald, has articulated what many in the arts and sciences have observed:
The test of a first rate intellect is
the capacity to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still
retain the ability to function!
5.
Open to Feedback; Open to the Other. A cardinal principle of iteration is
analogous to my concept of the “key pillars of a good listener”: the
openness pillar and the humility pillar.
One must be willing to stretch one’s mind with new information or an
unconsidered perspective. And being humble means realizing you don't have all the
answers and can learn from all manner of people and points of view. There should be optimal competition
and difference between the minds: enough to avoid premature agreement and not
so much that it leads to conceptual stonewalling or silo-building. We also tried striking a dynamic balance
between the theoretical and the applied.
Outcome not ego must be the driver; as the Stress Doc avows: be goal-directed
not pushed or pulled by a swollen head or wounded pride, that is, egoal-driven!
6.
Vive la Difference! I recall a late 20th c.
problem-solving study involving submarine personnel. The most salient outcome: the
teams that had the most heterogeneous-culturally diverse groupings invariably
came up with the most creative solutions.
While quick to achieve a solution, the homogeneous process-product
tended toward the one-dimensional; agreement was reached too easily. The more diverse teams had to grapple with
difference and even conflict; while requiring more time, these groups produced
a more truly collaborative, multifaceted, expansive, and effective
problem-solving synthesis. As John
Dewey, the 19th c. pragmatic philosopher and “Father of American
Public Education” observed:
Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It shocks us out of sheep-like
passivity. It instigates to invention
and sets us to noting and contriving.
Conflict is the sine qua non of reflection and ingenuity!
7.
Fight, Retreat, and Reflect. With two passionate- and purpose-driven
individuals in an iterative process it’s vital to distinguish when fighting for
an idea is or is not critical. It may be
preferable to concede a relatively small battle to sustain iterative and
integrative give and take to continue as allies in the greater war/project
effort. As noted above, there are some
core issues worth fighting for before smartly dancing around the ring, i.e.,
strategically stalling for time, or returning to one’s corner. (And sometimes it’s wise to obtain a second
opinion on what’s worth fighting for.)
“Dropping the tug-of-war rope” is a viable option when both parties know
they can reflect upon and revisit the contentious issue. Retreating not only allows opportunity to
lick wounds but facilitates toughening a “thin skin”; it also provides time and
space for conceptual battle seeds to germinate in one or both parties’ minds. And this back and forth, fighting and retreating,
can be relationship-building, especially when another Stress Doc maxim is kept
in mind: Difference and Disagreement =/= Disapproval or Disloyalty!
8.
Allow Conflict to Build Understanding and Trust. I recall our exchanging
messages about the recent NY Times
report on the very demanding if not possibly aversive workplace culture at
Amazon. It reminded me of the label for
the 24/7, 6000 person workfloor at a US Postal Service Processing &
Distribution Plant: “The Postal
Plantation.” (I had been a USPS Stress
& Violence Prevention Consultant in the ‘90s.) Perhaps Amazon was now inviting its own
sobriquet: “The High Tech Plantation!”
Dr. J had a strong reaction to my provocative cultural metaphor: “Nobody was losing their life at Amazon. Folks could leave the Amazon plantation if
they had enough.” As an African-American
he thought I was trivializing the horrific, culturally devastating, too often
mind- and body crushing experience of slavery.
I was taken aback by the intense rejoinder while also questioning my own
cultural sensitivity. (Yet, upon
reflection, I certainly have a visceral reaction when believing the Jewish
Holocaust of WWII is being trivialized.)
Though still somewhat enamored of the metaphoric marker, reflecting on
my own and my partner’s perspective, I emailed saying that I could let go of
the terminology. In turn, Dr. J
indicated that wasn’t necessary. He just
wanted to affirm his cultural-historical vantage point, a value which touched
his core. In some ways, this exchange was
a test of our willingness to give and take culturally. In addition to the outcome of my more
intimate understanding, I believe we both emerged with a greater sense of trust
in both the person and the process.
9.
Overcome Fear of Error or Failure. An iterative process needs to be parts
reflective and instinctive; don’t hold onto ideas until they are perfectly
polished. In fact, some raw edges enable
others to grab on, to play and run with an idea. Being a creative catalyst earns points in my
iterative book. Short term there may not
be support or confirmation of your efforts/ideas; yet, down the back and forth
path, unexpected developments may open up heretofore shadowy detours and
iterative connections. Or ideas may be
streamlined – becoming leaner and keener.
To paraphrase Mark Twain: Insight
“is the sudden marriage of ideas which
before their union were not perceived to have any relation.” And the first step of insight is often
risk-taking experimentation and exploration.
So “Confront the Intimate FOE:
Fear of Exposure.” Remember,
“Either Learn to Fail or Fail to Learn.”
And it doesn’t always have to be daunting, draining, or dire. As Winston Churchill noted, “Success is stumbling from failure to
failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
10.
The Lennon-McCartney Effect. Reading a biography of Paul McCartney of the
Beatles is helping to shape my thinking on this essay. John Lennon was often deep and dark, if not
an angry and cynical hard rocker; Paul tended to be breezier, pop-friendly, and
engaging. Yet, Paul could profoundly
touch your heart with such songs as “Yesterday” and ”Let It Be” while John
could inspire with “Imagine” or Give Peace a Chance.” And they were each other’s’ toughest critics
when Paul’s lyrics were too sappy or John’s music was too grungy. And despite their differences there were
profound commonalities: In addition to
their idiosyncratic genius and being awash in both the musical culture of
Liverpool and the African-American/Southern roots of US “Rock and Roll,” together
they developed their musical chops by the rough and tumble Hamburg, Germany
wharves. In their own way, each had a
sly sense of humor. Perhaps most
poignantly, they both had lost mothers during their teen years. The bottom-line message is not that iteration
requires genius, but that differences and
commonalities, along with life experiences, all feed the creative stew. Steadily bring your full self to the give and
take. The lesson for this CRE-iterative
essay: play to your strengths, share
resources, be flexible with roles and focus, and be open to and daring with new
ideas and viewpoints. Let conflict and
criticism push your conceptual boundaries more than your emotionally charged
buttons. Gradually build trust. Find an inquisitive partner who will provide
the Stress Doc’s TLC: Tender Loving Criticism and Tough Loving
Care.
Are you ready to find such a partner and go back and forth for it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Addendum
Organizational
Resilience & Rhythm: A Creative & Collaborative Model and System
-- Achieving High Tech & Human
Touch Harmony (and Profitability)
In a
24/7, TNT -- Time-Numbers-Technology
-- driven and distracted work world -- three pillars are essential to support
your company's mission. During times of
stress, uncertainty, and change:
1)
are your leaders, employees, and teams resilient; can they bounce back from
those challenging "abc"s -- adversity,
burnout, or conflict?; can they genuinely grapple with and grow from
change?; does your organization and culture understand the difference between
"change" and "transformation?"
2) do your network of leaders, individuals, and teams
communicate and resolve conflict in an open and transparent manner?; do these
communication processes help strengthen cognitive diversity and remove status
barriers to substantial engagement?; is your organizational culture one of "Accountability," modeled
by a leadership network that energizes and inspires employees, heightens
personal and team responsibility, and becomes the foundation for building
trust?
3) is
your company creating a "helmet's off" and inclusive climate, i.e.,
are all voices and viewpoints at all levels able to meaningfully contribute to
mission-critical problem-solving, i.e., status no longer stifles the free flow
of ideas?; does your culture encourage "improvisation": when input and ideas, processes and programs
may be critiqued, explored, and even field tested by vital system -- internal
and external partners?
When
leaders set and model this flexible focus and flow, when individuals, teams,
leaders, and systems discover and design
their own unique sense of TIME: Transformation-Inspiration-Motivation-Empowerment...you
are into the new "R & R" -- Resilience
& Rhythm -- and are blazing the creative and collaborative path of Organizational Harmony!
Program Objectives
- Building
Stress Resilience, the Triple "A," and Burnout Prevention
- Turning
Operational Change into Organizational Transformation
- Communication
Flow and a "Rhythmic" Conflict Resolution Dance
- On
Becoming a Transformative and "CRE-iterative"™ Leader
- Designing
Diversity and Team Rhythm = Driving Performance Harmony
- Creating
the Path of TIME and Organizational Harmony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon completing this "Get FIT"
-- FUN-Interactive-Thought-provoking
-- program participants will:
A.
Building Stress Resilience and Burnout Prevention
1. Rapidly Identify
"Brain-Body-Behavior" Stress Smoke Signals
2. Discover the Four Stages of Burnout; and the
research-tested steps to prevent burnout and aid recovery and resilience
B.
Turning Operational Change into Organizational Transformation
1. Understand and Overcome Resistance to Change;
discover empathic and strategic process of "grief to growth"
evolution
2. Grasp the Essential Difference between Change
and Transformation
C.
Generating Communication Flow and a "Rhythmic" Conflict
Resolution Dance
1. Disarm Power Struggles by Asking Courageous,
Trust- & Respect-building "Good Questions"
2. Practice Communication, Collaboration, and
Reflective Listening Tools and Techniques for Hearing, Understanding, and
Synergizing; Are You Being Heard...or
Just Making Noise?
D.
On Becoming a Transformative Leader
1. How the Transformative Leader Sets the Flow of
Accountability, Authenticity, Intuition, Complexity, and CRE-iterative
Process and Product that Awakens and Captures an Audience
2. Discover and Apply the "Passion
Power" Model: Bringing Your Most
Creative-Compelling Energy and Essence
E.
Designing Team Rhythm and Harmony
1. Discovering the Creatively Rhythmic "I"
in Team: Cultivating "CRE-iterative
Individuality" and "Interactive Community"
2. Engaging in 3 "D" --
Discussion-Drawing-Diversity -- Status
Barrier-Breaking and Team Building Exercises
F.
Creating the Path of TIME and Organizational Harmony
1. Tools and Techniques for High Engagement
Leadership Networks, Teams, and Cross-Systems Coordination; "See through
the 'Box'...Design Your Own Curve"
2. Developing TIME-less Leaders and
Organizations: Transform-Inspire-Motivate-Empower
Terry
Jackson is a highly accomplished, experienced and dynamic Executive Advisor,
Thought Leader, Solutions Facilitator, Leadership Development Advisor, Sales
Advisor and Organizational Consultant.
Holding a Ph.D. in Leadership and Organizational Change, Dr. Jackson's
passion and purpose: helping others evolve mindsets and skill
sets, thereby expanding personal and professional performance excellence!
Terry is a visionary with 25+ years of progressive
leadership success in catapulting sales, expanding existing markets -- driving
market penetration and client revenue -- building strategic business
relationships, and developing staff to achieve client and corporate goals, both
for startups and Fortune 500 companies.
His experience includes: P&L
management, new product launches, territory turnarounds, brand management,
contract negotiations, auditing, people development, and several process
improvement methodologies.
Terry has led large scale consulting and coaching
engagements in the following industries: Education, Financial, Petroleum,
Telecommunications, State and Federal Government, Retail and Consumer Package
Goods. An authority in Emotional
Intelligence, he uses conceptual understanding and "hands on"
application to create and sustain uncommonly high levels of leadership and
employee engagement and performance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Gorkin, MSW,
LICSW, "The Stress Doc" ™, a nationally acclaimed speaker,
writer, and "Psychohumorist"
™, is a former psychotherapist and Stress & Violence Prevention
Consultant for the US Postal Service.
The Doc is a Trauma Debriefing and Critical Incident Consultant for
variety of organizations, including the national post-earthquake, Nepali
Behavioral Health & Wellness Initiative. He has led numerous transformative
-- silo-breaking and communications bridge-building -- Pre-Deployment Stress
Resilience-Humor-Team Building Retreats for US Army Senior Officers and
Sergeants.
From a Ft. Hood Brigade Commander:
Your (Command Offsite) session on
managing change and stress was the perfect lead-in to the work we had to
accomplish throughout the conference. It
set the conditions for the free, uninhibited work (regardless of rank). Here's
the BLUF: Your session was the critical building block on which we built the
rest of the conference. The Doc is
the author of Practice Safe Stress: Healing and Laughing in the Face of Stress,
Burnout & Depression and The Four
Faces of Anger: Transforming Hostility
and Rage into Assertion and Passion.
The Stress Doc blog appears in such platforms as HR.com and
WorkforceWeek.com. His award-winning, USA Today Online
"HotSite" – www.stressdoc.com – was called a
"workplace resource" by National Public Radio (NPR). As SHRM
and IPMA-HR Program Chairs recently noted, Mark
has a way of captivating an audience and makes them want to hear more...Take a
passionate and creative ride with the Stress Doc!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
