Cashing our reality checks…. what a great metaphor for a necessary leadership task at all levels of an organization! Itʻs all about risk management, change management and managing the organizational story — the narrative that needs to be able to deal with issues before they break something! Practical and clever. He writes:
“As a leader you can help your organization cash these reality checks.
Say what you are thinking.
Say what you think others might be thinking.
State the problem clearly.
Listen carefully.
Engage in open dialogue.
Ask open-ended questions.
Invite contrary opinions.
Challenge assumptions.
Make getting to the truth more important than being right.
Let others test your “hypothesis.”
Act on what you learn.”
Good advice — but itʻs not always easy, going against the narrative tide of an organizationʻs denial! Although there may be costs, there will also be benefits, especially if a leader can find a way to weave in a better story instead of applying shock therapy to a other leadersʻ fearful refusal to speak about what must be spoken.
