A New Perspective on People - Our Interview with Jeff Ikler
Last week we interviewed Jeff Ikler, a coach, consultant, and author of the book Shifting: How School Leaders can Create a Culture of Change. We spoke with Jeff about what companies and organizations can do to create improvements that last. Beginning with hiring, and focused on how we help people grow during their time with the organization, all the way to what they take away from it, Jeff believes there are some new ways of thinking about things that leaders today would do well to adopt
Transitioning into Leadership
The first key takeaway we got from Jeff was that one of the primary issues many organizations face during recruitment is the expectation for individuals to make a significant shift in their roles without adequate preparation. For instance, asking educators to transition into administrative roles requires a drastic shift of focus from educational mechanics to people management. The traditional business model saw mentoring as the primary method for imparting wisdom and guiding employees. Consisting mainly of the 'been-there-done-that' approach, mentors detail their passage towards success, assuming it'll translate smoothly onto their mentees. But what if we replaced this with coaching?
Rather than dictating what to do based on personal experience, coaching is more engagement-oriented. The coach delves into their team's perception, exploring their thoughts and feelings about a particular issue. Admittedly, this approach demands patience, but the rewards significantly outweigh the cost. The result is ultimately that people LEARN the practices of being an effective leader - not doing things for everyone, but instead helping them arrive at the answer themselves.
Culture Transformation through Curiosity
Asking questions, showing interest and being genuinely curious - seem like simple enough concepts, right? In Jeff’s experience, these are traits that are often undervalued in the business world, where focus tends to lie on delivering assertive answers and immediate solutions. It's time we place more emphasis on the power of curiosity.
Jeff has observed that a company success often hinges on the firm's level of curiosity. Organizations that seize the opportunity to question traditional norms, challenge stale strategies and constantly innovate are the ones that can adapt and thrive in a world of change. An interesting element of business that frequently overlooks the role of curiosity is the process of culture transformation. Businesses often rush towards change without fully grasping what they're trying to solve.
Two key insights must be considered here. Firstly, chances are, a strategy that worked wonders for one organization might not necessarily translate into success for another. Secondly, businesses often fall victim to 'shiny penny syndrome', jumping at the latest trends without consideration of whether these are what their company genuinely needs.
However, by fostering curious leadership, businesses can shift away from this hasty behavior. This is where the 'ARC Model' comes into play.
Jeff’s ARC Model of Transformation: Assess, Ready, Change
The 'ARC Model' recommends a sequence of Assess, Ready and Change for initiating any transformation in business. Before diving headfirst into a trend, companies must evaluate their organizational capabilities and identify what problems they're attempting to solve.
This approach calls for an analysis of:
The organization's ability to undertake the proposed change
The team's capability to handle the transformation
The readiness of the management to navigate through the metamorphosis
Taking the time to dissect these aspects can help businesses approach change more systematically, equipping them with the understanding to better anticipate the challenges and potential outcomes.
Fundamentally, the central idea is to shift from the top-down, command and control decision-making model to a more collaborative approach. Encouraging the team to participate in the transformative decisions collectively fosters a culture of curiosity.
The Benefits of Reflection in Business
We also spoke with Jeff about the power of reflection. Many people and leaders themselves wrongly believe that the leader is supposed to have all the answers. The truth is that vulnerability and willingness to learn from others actually produces many more answers and better results. Many businesses, often caught up in the pressure to deliver short-term results every quarter, unintentionally neglect the practice of reflection. Concerns of appearing vulnerable and not having all the answers at once may lead corporate leaders to skip valuable reflection time. This oversight may hinder the growth potential of not only the company but also the individuals who constitute it.
Reflection, however, holds tremendous value. If incorporated effectively, it can prove to be a key strength that drives business success. It allows us to identify the gap between our "espoused theory of action" - what we say we do - and the "enacted theory of action" - what we actually do. Successful companies have learned to pay attention to this difference - they either adjust their actions or modify their plans based on reflective insights. You say one thing, do another, and reflection helps you realize this. The practice brings in consistency and alignment between your actions and goals.
So how can businesses and individuals foster reflection? It all starts by building time into your process for reflection. Give yourself the necessary window to think critically about your actions, results, and experiences. As reflection advocates, our role with clients revolves around this principle. We help them understand the value of setting aside time to reflect, to assess inputs and outcomes, and to measure the difference between their enacted and espoused actions. Adapting this practice elicits a growth-oriented mindset, leading to the enrichment of both businesses and individuals.
Conclusion
Our interview with Jeff Ikler shed light on several key strategies for creating lasting improvements within organizations. Jeff emphasizes the importance of shifting from a mentorship model to a coaching approach, where leaders focus on helping individuals learn and grow through engagement and self-discovery. He highlights the power of curiosity in driving culture transformation and urges businesses to embrace the ARC Model—Assess, Ready, Change—to approach change systematically and collaboratively. Above all, Jeff emphasizes the importance of reflection, challenging the notion that leaders must have all the answers and highlighting the value of vulnerability and learning from others. By incorporating reflection into their processes and fostering a growth-oriented mindset, businesses and individuals can achieve greater consistency, alignment, and success. Watch the full interview with Jeff on our YouTube channel, GoMobi Coaching at Work!
You can watch our coaching conversation here.
