Leadership Limerick: The Whole and My Role

Every Monday, I offer a leadership limerick, highlighting an idea or strategy about effective leadership in limerick form. Searching for leadership limerick will identify previous posts.

How can you expect me to start?

When I don’t yet understand my part

Give me a sense of the whole

And then my specific role

Knowing both will help me feel smart

At last week's Art of Facilitation workshop which I led for the American Society of Association Executives, about half of the "what if?" scenarios participants asked about involved either some role confusion or ambiguity about the purpose or desired results for some efforts.  We sometimes forget the amount of information individuals may require to feel comfortable and confident in what they are being asked to do. Sometimes it's a matter of different communication styles (think Myers-Briggs or DiSC); sometimes it is assuming people connect the dots on their own more than might be the case.

To help contribute to the success of a team, project, or organization, individuals must possess a clear understanding of (1) their specific roles and (2) how their efforts connect with others' efforts, as well as contribute to the overall results.