Organizational Growth: The new beginning.

In the last two articles we discussed the first 2 phases of a transition. In this last article in this series, our focus is on the new beginning.

New beginnings are exciting, whether it is moving to a new town, starting a new job or entering a new phase of life. When the first two phases of a transition is dealt with effectively, the new beginning will bring healthy growth and new found habits.

Organizational Growth: The neutral zone

As mentioned in the previous article, organizational health and resilience depends on the effectiveness of transition management. In this article we will focus our attention on the neutral zone in the transition management process.

During the Ironman race, the neutral zone was a place of freedom for me. Why? Because I had time to change shoes and rest. I was not out cycling or running yet. It was a time where I could create the way I wanted to tackle the cycling and running stages.

Organizational Growth: The importance of transition management

The reason why organizations are able to grow healthy is their ability to go through transitions and not just manage change but see beyond change into transitions. Many executives in businesses and Not-For-Profit organizations wonder why employees, and sometimes themselves, still talk about the “good old days” when the organization has just gone through a major transition. Have you heard them say “I like the way we used to have meetings”, “I wish we could go back to the old way of reporting”, “Why did we need to relocate, the old offices were better”. I could go on and on and on with such examples, and you could probably add many more as well. Well the short answer is, they manage the change, but definitely not the transition.

Millennials in South Africa have itchy feet

In a 2016 worldwide study among millennials Deloitte found that many millennials have one foot out of the door. Millenials, also called the Millennial Generation or Gen Y, are those who were born roughly between the year 1980 and 2000. Their current age ranges from 16-36 years old.

Awkward about your underlings?

Ever felt that horrible awkwardness when you were first put in a position of leadership? You might have felt like you were too small to fill the expectations that the job came with. Or the awkwardness stemmed from feeling you had to be different than the normal you. Or maybe you felt awkward because you now had to ‘perform’ amongst people who used to be your colleagues. Now all of a sudden they are your underlings, but you feel bad even thinking that word.

A team without any conflicts!

Wouldn’t that be nice! Just having fun working together with people that never nag, always look for constructive solutions and really enjoy getting to work. Well, unfortunately that is not how it usually, or at least not always goes. When people are working together there are multiple perspectives, various ways of working, different wishes and needs and irritations.

The universities of Utrecht and Heidelberg published (all the way back, in 2000) results on a joint study about working in teams. This was one of their key findings:

Mohlomi: the inspirer of the next generation leaders

Mohlomi, as he was an older man, met the future king Moshoshoe as he was still young. Mohlomi saw the future in the young man, and gave him an earring. Moshoshoe then asked Mohlomi: 'what is the medicine for building a great empire?' Mohlomi answered him and said 'there is no such medicine! The only true medicine is the heart! Let me give you 3 wisdoms to become a truly great leader: 

1. Love your people 

2. Know your people 

3. Honor your people.'

Mohlomi: Doctor and Patriarch

Since Mohlomi was initiated at the age of 13 he felt that he was called to become a doctor, to heal the sick and care for the weak and needy. He studied nature, man and soul. He was famous to combine physical medicine with psychological treatment.

Mohlomi: Chief and Philosopher

Mohlomi was an extremely intelligent but also wise man. He loved to discuss the truth and topics of wisdom with all the people he would meet. These included men, women and children.

A few of his basic questions where:

• Where does the universe begin and where does it end?
• What is life?
• How is life created?

Mohlomi: the South African Chief who loved his people!

Mohlomi, son of Monyane, who was the son of the great Bakoena Chief Monaheng, was born in the year 1720 in Fothane, a little village close to Bethlehem. As he was born, his grandfather, Chief Monaheng greeted him and said: ‘This boy is going to be a great chief one day. He will be the founder of many new villages.’

Mohlomi: an Inspiring South African Leader

Sitting on my porch in the Netherlands, looking over green pastures, 450 year old windmills and water canals everywhere. I am enjoying the spring with our family, relaxing during the eastern weekend.

I am thinking about Mohlomi, the inspiring chief who lived between 1720 and 1815. Why should a Dutch family think about a South African Chief who lived in the 18^th Century? Well, this family, the Donders-Clan  (a normal old Dutch name, with a little strange connation for Afrikaners), is excited about South Africa, its history, its present and its future. Since 2011, we travelled 15 times to South Africa, started the xpand consultancy company in 2014.

Leading as a coach

100 leaders of a leading hospital gathered together for two days to think about ways to further develop a positive, inspiring and realistic culture throughout their organization. xpand has moderated those two days. We started off with dividing everyone into small groups of 7, and had an expectations-session.

The question was: ‘how would you lead yourself?’ After 2 hours of intensive and creative thinking, a hotlist with 7 main findings was made. The first and foremost topic was the need for coaching from within the organization: ‘I want to receive appreciation and feedback from my team-leader, and I want to receive it on a regularly basis.’

King Arthur: 8 lessons in a nutshell

During the past 8 chapters, I discussed some of the lessons on teambuilding that the story of King Arthur teaches us. Sure, it is nice to know that there are plenty of other great lessons to discuss. But as is often the case, it is only possible to understand some of them, at least to understand them well enough to be able to put them into practice. Therefore, I will summarize the previous 8 lessons in this chapter. I hope that this will enable you to choose which lessons seem – at the moment – most worthwhile to implement.

A healthy team: Merlin, the wise prophet

Merlin plays a rather important and unique role in nearly all of Arthur’s life. Not the most important role though, since Arthur consciously divided his attention between all his advisors. Merlin was a truly gifted and very loyal and honourable man. A combination of characteristics that one does not find easily. An interesting observation can be made here. Quite often, similar people attract each other. Narcissistic leaders often have narcissistic advisors. Manipulative leaders often have manipulative advisors. Fearful leaders often have fearful advisors. Just like a nation usually has the leadership that they (often unconsciously) desire and therefore deserve, it seems that a leader also has the advisors that he/she deserves.

A healthy team: Camelot, a home for everyone

After Arthur became High King, he chose not to settle in the castle of his recently deceased father Uther Pendragon. One of the most important reasons was that his father had practised a completely different style of leadership. Uther had reigned through power, fear and manipulation. He also realized great victories, in his own way. But he had never been a leader that was trusted and loved by his people. Arthur had enjoyed a Roman Celtic education, and he strongly believed in values like justice, equality, discipline, passion, the willingness to learn and friendship. Ector and Livinia gave him the priceless gift of healthy father and motherhood, of healthy man and womanhood. It was one of the things that enabled Arthur to develop a healthy self-image...

A healthy team: the Round Table of equal partners

A healthy team (unsurprisingly) consists of a healthy team leader and a group of healthy team members. During the next 3 chapters, we will discuss 3 more lessons on teambuilding that the legend of King Arthur presents us. Unlike the previous ones, these 3 lessons focus more on the team, instead of on the team leader.

King Arthur: how to stay healthy and successful

Later on, King Arthur married Guinevere, and they lived happily ever after. Eh, wait a minute. Unfortunately for King Arthur, things turned out slightly different. On the one hand, the legend of King Arthur tells us a lot about how to build successful teams; on the other hand, it also tells us how you can still ruin it all.

King Arthur: Excalibur, the central instrument

The King’s sword was the instrument and symbol of King Arthur during the first 100 days of his reign. It was his loyal companion in reuniting the British kingdoms and defeating the plundering hordes of the Saxons, Picts and Irish.

King Arthur: the first 100 days

A splendid education, training and a correct installment are an excellent start. It does not guarantee, however, that the new team leader will automatically gain the much needed natural authority from his team members...

King Arthur: inauguration as a team leader

Before Arthur was crowned High King at the age of 25, he had been a warlord in the service of the King for 7 years. In his youth, he already had a solid training in the arts of fighting. At the same time, he had immersed himself in the philosophy of various Roman writers. When he learned the hardships of the reality of being a soldier, Arthur quickly developed new important competences. Competences such as: strategic thinking, decision making, being an example for his team, courageously fighting in the forefront, encouraging, inspiring and comforting his men and women (indeed, the Celtic women were often also part of the fighting force). So, before he was crowned High King, he had already become quite a leader.

When Uther Pendragon died, his succession had not been arranged. Arthur was his son, yet nobody knew that (except, of course, for Arthur’s closest supporters, like Merlin and Lucius the Bishop of Glastonbury). The secret of the ‘baby Arthur’ had also been so well kept in order to protect the young Arthur from the other competing Celtic kings. And indeed, Arthur had been kept a secret. Now it turned into a little problem though. Nobody was just going to take Merlin and Lucius’s word for it, no matter how important and influential their voice was.