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
To help contribute to the success of a team, project, or organization, individuals must possess a clear understanding of their specific roles and how their efforts connect with others' efforts, as well as contribute to the overall results.
At last week's Art of Facilitation workshop (download handouts here) 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.
You can find a list of 20 simple reminders for enhancing group results and maximizing individuals' contributions to them in this PDF download.
ASAE next offers this workshop publicly in August 2012. Contact me anytime if you'd like a half-day or full-day session for your staff, volunteers, or members.
