[post] what & how: management

data/posts/0015-what-how-management.md

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+!! title: The Power of WHAT & HOW - Management
+!! slug: what-how-management
+!! published: 2023-10-30
+!! description: Explore the power of WHAT & HOW in people management
+
+---
+
+The third area of impact of the words WHAT and HOW is people management: building psychological safety on a team. The
+[Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust) found that the affect of trust on
+self-reported performance was powerful.  Comparing the top and bottom quartiles (get ready for a stats dump), respondents
+in the top quartile indicated that they:
+
+- were 50% more productive
+- were 70% more aligned with the company's purpose
+- had 106% more energy
+- were 76% more engaged at work
+- found 60% more enjoyment in their job
+- felt 66% closer to their colleagues
+- depersonalized workmates 41% less
+- experienced 40% less burnout
+
+Dr. Timothy Clark's book, 
+[_The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety_](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/617259/the-4-stages-of-psychological-safety-by-tim-clark), 
+define the 4 stages of psychological safety as:
+
+1. feel included
+2. Able to learn
+3. Safe to contribute
+4. Safe to challenge the status quo
+
+_Inclusion_ is being brought in, asked to participate, and being actively listened to; no matter who you are, no matter
+seniority, no matter your background. Bridewater Associates takes it to the next level by leaning into "idea
+meritocracy" and "radical transparency". They _expect_ all ideas to be shared, no matter if they come a VP in the
+company or if they come from an intern. 
+
+_Able to learn_ is having the space to take moderate risks, fail, and learn from those failures without the fear of
+repercussions. Without this, innovation becomes extremely difficult. Over time, it leads to only a few people driving
+the innovation in an organization instead of everyone which hinders the overall innovation in an organziation.
+
+_Safe to contribute_ means that feedback is not feared and is known to be constructive. Positive feedback is actionable.
+There is no question on what the behavior is that is leading to a positive impact on the team or in the organization.
+Similarly, negative feedback precisely identifies the behavior that is having a negative impact on the larger team and
+organization. _Safe to contribute_ means that negative feedback is seen as an opportunity for growth to benefit the
+individual as well as the team and organization. It is also providing the space for mutual feedback where feedback is
+requested a direct report.
+
+_Safe to challenge the status quo_ is having the space to ask the question of "why do we do it this way?" It is
+important to not only train organizational leaders on providing this space, but also the people on the teams themselves.
+When a new person joins the team, they are coming in with a fresh and diverse perspective. Most times they are brimming
+with energy and want to learn and understand why this organization does something a specific way. The quickest way to
+kill that energy is for anyone on the team to say "it's just the way we've always done it and it isn't going to change."
+
+## What role does WHAT & HOW play in psychological safety?
+
+How are WHAT & HOW used to build _inclusion?_ _Inclusion_ is only felt when the person's perspective feels understood.
+The only way to do that is to actually understand the perspective and convince the person that you do understand it.
+What is the best way of doing that? Exactly like in [WHAT & HOW: Negotiation](./posts/what-how-negotiation) to
+understand a counterpart's perspective, we ask WHAT & HOW questions to build our perspective. And then we can go on to
+use Mirroring and Labeling (this is another plug to read 
+[_Never Split the Difference_](https://www.blackswanltd.com/never-split-the-difference)) to show the person that we do
+understand (or find out that we don't in a non-combative way and go back to WHAT & HOW). When I feel like my perspective
+is understood, I feel included.
+
+How are WHAT & HOW used to develop the _ability to learn?_ Coaching is one of the most effective ways of teaching;
+especially as skillsets diverge. Leading someone to _their_ answer develops critical thinking and makes the answer
+stick. If a leader does the critical thinking for them and provides the final answer, it doesn't develop the person. It
+also runs the risk of only using the leader's perspective instead of the diverse perspectives of everyone. What does
+coaching someone look like? You guessed it! Lots of WHAT & HOW questions while actively listening to the problem and
+guiding the other person to find _their_ answer.
+
+How are WHAT & HOW used to create the _saftey to contribute?_ Effective feedback is one of the three core pillars to
+developing a team of high performers. Different versions of the 
+[SBI framework](https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/closing-the-gap-between-intent-vs-impact-sbii/)
+Lara Hogan's take on the SBI framework--the [_Feedback Equation_](https://larahogan.me/blog/feedback-equation/)-- is an
+effective way to deliver feedback, focusing on making the feedback actionable by adding a request at the end. One
+example could be: "Can you include more information in your messages so that I can make sure I can fully understand you
+upfront?" After getting an affirmation on the request, a WHAT or HOW question can show that the person is supported in
+making this change. "HOW can I support you in growing towards this?" or "WHAT can I do to support you in this area?"
+This helps build more trust in the relationship. This request is not just a "this needs to change" but is also a "you
+are not on your own. There is support to make this change".
+
+How are WHAT & HOW used to create the _saftey to challenge the status quo?_ The ideas behind it being _safe to challenge
+the status quo_ is continuous improvement. When "why don't we do it this way?" is asked or when "we need to do it this
+way" is stated, the person is pushing for improvement from their perspective. WHAT & HOW become really important tools
+in persistently chasing after that other perspective. While in the chase, bringing the ideas of 
+[WHAT & HOW in Organizational Leadership](./posts/what-how-organizational-leadership) into the conversation becomes a
+powerful teaching tool (for both parties). We might be convinced that we can't actually do what is being suggested, but
+through WHAT & HOW questions we discover that we can (we learn something by discovering their perspective). Or maybe we
+are headed in that direction but we see a lot of steps that we need to take to get there from where we are today. WHAT &
+HOW are amazing tools to help grow strategic thinking skills in the team (they learn something by us communicating our
+perspective through WHAT & HOW). 
+
+---
+
+WHAT & HOW are the main tools for effective people development and management of a high performance team. WHAT & HOW
+leads to understanding the perspectives of direct reports to provide insights and opportunities for development for
+them. It also affords us the opportunity for self-development as we are required to put aside our perspective and learn
+about someone else's. They are the main tools that drive building trust on a team through inclusion, learning, feedback
+culture, and pushing for continuous improvement. 
+
+---
+
+## Resources 
+
+1. [Harvard Business Review: The Neuroscience of Trust](https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust)
+2. [Dr. Timothy Clark: The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/617259/the-4-stages-of-psychological-safety-by-tim-clark/)
+3. [MindTools: The Situation-Behavior-Impact :tm: Tool](https://www.mindtools.com/ay86376/the-situation-behavior-impact-feedback-tool)
+3. [Lara Hogan: The Feedback Equation](https://larahogan.me/blog/feedback-equation/)