The world around us is constantly changing and the number of changes in it is constantly increasing. Companies and businesses that do not notice the changes and do not make changes in the nature of their business activities accordingly are expected to suffer heavy losses and even risk closing down operations. Are you a manager in crisis? Or a manager broken by everything that is happening.
In management development workshops that I conduct in companies and organizations, I often identify a lack of openness on the part of managers to recognize the change happening before their eyes, to change accordingly, and to lead the organizational development process in new directions.
One of the important things every manager needs to do, regardless of the coronavirus crisis, is to examine the suitability of the organizational management approach. Does it advance us or hold us back? Is he a manager who is passionate about managing changes and crises, or a manager who is in a crisis himself?
Two large companies I worked with recently have begun a process of reorganization. Reality is forcing everyone, big and small, to improve, become more efficient, provide more precise solutions to customers, and adapt the company to the current era. But what does that really mean?
In the not-so-distant past, change involved mainly the introduction of new technology, changing work processes and computing, requiring employees and managers to learn new tools and conduct themselves differently. There was also a physical dimension to this. Now things are done differently. But what we have seen in recent times is a different process of change.
The significant difference is that the change that most organizations are required to make is first and foremost a mental, perceptual change. And at all levels – organizational, team, and personal. What does a mental, perceptual change mean? How do you convey the message, by management to teams, how do you measure it, how do you make sure that it happens right on the ground?
From me to us
When we met to prepare the management development workshops that accompany the process, a number of important points were raised that it would be appropriate to work on in the meetings of the managers and teams. But just before we get into the topics and how to convey each such message so that it penetrates the consciousness. The big question is whether the language we choose to use promotes change. Are the language, the words, the sentences, of the old version of the organization or of the new version that the organization seeks to adopt for itself?
Managers who want to change behavior and attitude from “I” to “we” need to change their language to “me” and “me” and “me” to “we.” This is a seemingly small but very significant shift.
In executive development workshops, I have people mark meaningful words they choose to use, and examine with them whether these words advance their desires and goals. Our speech is so automatic that we don’t really notice which words we have become accustomed to using so naturally, and whether it is right to continue using this language.
Why is this so important?
Because words affect us and the messages we convey consciously and unconsciously. If our desire is to create cooperation and commitment and we focus on “I did it, I created it, I moved it…” etc., people’s experience may be admiration for a moment, perhaps admiration, but it is highly doubtful whether this will motivate them to take part and feel significant in the action. Language changes behavior, ways of communication, language creates energy in an organization, language changes focus and enables change.
So it is true that in leadership development workshops , executive development workshops , these are meetings where it is important to address a number of significant issues related to the movement that the organization seeks to promote, but at the same time, if it is not done in the right language, the message will not get across and people will not connect with the change that is being sought. Something there will feel inauthentic, not with real intention.
One way to help this process run better is to prepare the managers leading the change in terms of consciousness with the help of management training . The manager’s connection to himself, his understanding of the organizational change process, and his personal coping with the challenge that this change creates for him before he conveys messages to everyone, is a good and progressive way that allows managers to speak from an authentic personal place, and with clear language that harnesses change.
Understanding change is the beginning.
In management development workshops, we create the initial platform that enables open dialogue between managers and teams, about understanding the meaning of change. The change required is not necessarily external to my behavior but also an internal change in perception, a change in the position I hold in relation to myself as a manager in the organization, in my ability to influence, in my ability to deal with a new reality.
Understanding these changes opens the mind to thinking about new possibilities, and allows us to see blind spots, fixed worldviews, and more. Management and team development workshops deal with creating a shared entity. The more the parts of it speak a progressive language, the more the parts of it see the importance of the other different parts, the more it will be possible to create good moves in any reality of change and any complex reality.
What do executive development workshops look like in this way?
The executive development workshops , leadership workshops, and communication workshops that I conduct have an emphasis and place on human connection, group dynamics, language, and communication. The relationships within the group, the ways of discourse, the language, and our behaviors also in executive development workshop meetings show who we are, and therefore what happens in a meeting is very significant and instructive. It is important to pay attention to what comes up in the group and promote understanding and awareness of the impact of our behaviors, language, and energy on others and the way they work alongside us. Experience shows that good and meaningful group interaction teaches better than any other learning.
Why do executive development workshops?
Because well-structured executive development workshops allow for a shared sitting and interaction that teaches us a lot about ourselves in the managerial role and as a team member. There is no better way than this to understand how our behaviors affect others, how our language sounds, how we are truly perceived without having to interact with others.
What topics are covered in executive development workshop meetings?
Of course, the focus is according to the needs of the team, the organization, and the community in which the process takes place. The main issues that I see as burning in organizations lately are issues such as:
- Understanding the meaning of change – external, internal, personal, organizational.
- Personal empowerment to promote change – How I work to promote change, being proactive and dealing with what is not always to my liking. Raising the sense of competence, focusing on strengths, team morale and belonging
- Collaboration and harnessing – how do you connect people to the organization, how do you identify the difficulty point of each team member and how do you help them move and progress? What gets teams and organizations stuck in the process and how can you identify and help?
- Of course, the corporate language
What are the benefits of executive development workshops?
- Improving communication within the team and organization
- Strengthening the sense of belonging and trust
- Deepening understanding of strengths and a sense of personal and team competence
- Expanding the perception of the various resources, solutions, and capabilities we have around us
- A more personal acquaintance from a different perspective that creates closeness and the possibility of authenticity
- The valley, the sense of connectedness, and more.
Is there a place for executive development workshops in the days of Corona?
There is no doubt that this is one of the intriguing questions: Is there room for development and rethinking during a crisis? And will the organization look the same at the end of the Corona days and to what new reality will we return? In any case, there is no absolute answer, but one of the clear things is that organizations that are able to reorganize with their managers and teams will survive and flourish. What will it take for them to survive and flourish? Curiosity and creativity and a new language. And what are the conditions required for a person so that his curiosity and creativity can function well? An environment in which he feels significant, belongs, and has trust in those around him.
Workshops can take place in a variety of ways and formats. On Zoom, in a human meeting led by the managers themselves and by external guidance. Any format is possible (on normal days), and each format provides and enables a different development. In any case, depending on the situation and the way you choose, I would be happy to assist you in thinking about and organizing the meetings themselves. Talk to me.
