The faster we go and the busier things get the more we need to slow down. Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao in their book, Scaling Up Excellence: Getting To More Without Settling For Less (Crown Business, 2014), write “Slow down to scale faster - and better - down the road.” On one level, this makes total sense. On the other hand, most leaders haven’t a clue about how to do this. Their addiction to speed and acceleration has overwhelmed their capacity to slow down. Thus, they believe the only solution is to go faster. The problem is that going faster only makes things worse over time.
If we seek to build an adaptive and shared mindset, then we must recognize the value of structured unstructured time. Martine Haas and Mark Mortensen in their article called, “The Secrets of Great Teamwork” in the June 2016 issue of the Harvard Business Review, write “… promote shared understanding through a practice called “structured unstructured time” - that is, time blocked off in the schedule to talk about matters not directly related to the task at hand.”
Many leaders I have worked with over the years have shared with me privately that they do not know what to do with themselves and others during structured unstructured time. It makes them feel uncomfortable. They also feel it is a great waste of company time.
When I encounter this line of thinking, I remind these leaders and executives that successful organizational change is the sum of two things, namely personal change and the change of relationships within the company. When people change their perspective and understanding, it is the result of a great deal of thinking, reflection, and the development of new perspectives and understandings. Furthermore, when they change the health and dynamics of their relationships with others, this also takes time, energy, and space. Thus, structured unstructured time is a force multiplier, i.e. it gives us the capacity to create better outcomes with our limited resources of time and energy. And that is a powerful choice during this post pandemic time period.
Recognizing this insight, many leaders and executives will share privately: “I get this. That makes sense. But what do I actually do if I were to give myself permission to slow down? And what would I do with my team? The idea of taking time for reflection seems so nebulous? It just feels like navel gazing, and I am an action oriented person.”
“First, we need to realize that creating time and space is not inaction,” I respond. I then point to the writing of John Paul Lederach in his book, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul Of Building Peace (Oxford University Press, 2005). As Lederach writes, “The paradox is this: Stillness is not inactivity. It is the presence of disciplined activity without movement….It is that platform that generates authenticity of engagement, for it is the stage that makes true listening and seeing possible.”
Second, I explain that choosing to pause and reflects is powerful. Admiral William McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired and former Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces) in his book, The Wisdom Of The Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy) (Grand Central, 2023), explains that those who dare win, but that this needs to be backed up by those who are willing to plan and prepare. As he writes, “It was only through extensive planning and preparation that the special operations leaders were able to identify the major risk factors and develop options for addressing them. To those on the outside looking in, the risks appeared great. However, to those on the inside, the risks were manageable.” And the first step to extensive planning and preparation is to create time and space to reflect, think, and share at both the individual and group levels.
For those who struggle about what to do with their team during structured unstructured time, I often recommend that they explore the following six critical questions proposed by Patrick Lencioni in his book, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business (Jossey-Bass, 2012). They are the following: “Why do we exist? How do we behave? What do we do? How will we succeed? What is most important, right now? Who must do what?” It is always good to review questions of this nature because it helps us all get on the same page about what we are doing and what is most important as we do it.
I would also add one of my own favorite questions to this mix, namely” What should not change as the company changes?”. Having led many company retreats over the course of 35+ years, this question has generate amazing discussions, great sharing, and important levels of clarity. Because when we commitment to creating and then give ourselves permission to participate in structured unstructured time, we are building relationships and clarity, which is at the heart of a shared adaptive mindset.
FYI: To be continued on Monday.
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