Page 15 - IFV_Issue 3_March_2022
P. 15

so learning agility becomes incredibly
           important.  We’re talking about micro
           learning, and just-in-time learning. How
           do we provide bite-sized pieces that
           people can self-learn and self-teach?


           WE DELIVER CHANGE
           DIFFERENTLY, WE LEAD
           DIFFERENTLY
             We need to deliver change differently.
           We  need  to  test  and learn,  use
           human-centred design,  roll out  small
           increments of change and scale them
           up. This ultimately means that we have   PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MONTGOMERY, UNSPLASH
           a very different way of leading  in the
           organisation of today. It means that our
           superpowers as organisational leaders
           have the ability to embrace ambiguity.   the numbers  one to five. On the left,   now, we need a beginner’s mindset
           This is part of keeping calm.     above the lines, put ‘Weak’ and on the   because your assumptions and your
             There’s a  beautiful  quote in  Nance   right, put ‘Strong’.     experience are going to get in the way.
           Guilmartin’s  The Power of Pause: “I’m                               If we are truly operating in
           not here to make you comfortable   SHIFT 1: FROM EXPERT MINDSET    unprecedented times, how can we hope
           with change, I’m here to help you be   TO BEGINNER’S MINDSET       to have experience and assumptions
           comfortable with discomfort.”      The shifts that we’re going to talk   that  will address those  unprecedented
             That ability to calm ourselves and   about can be difficult, really difficult   times? We need to gather as many ideas
           calm our workforce will enable us to   because, in the past, we recruited   as  possible.  We do  this  by  applying
           sit with the discomfort of change that’s   and rewarded according to the old   a beginner’s mindset to overcome
           coming through. It will really create   types of mindsets. And when you   our biases - questioning everything,
           a strategic advantage for us when it   grew up in the context of your family   suspending judgment, and listening
           comes to agility.
                                             unit, at school, in organisations, you   properly.
                                             were  rewarded  for your expertise,   If  you  have  children  in  your  family,
           THE AGILE MINDSET                 and  for  being gifted  at  what  you   you will know how possible it is for a
             At  the  Agile  Change  Leadership   do.  To be better able to handle the   young mind to come up with different
           Institute, we like to look at an agile   disruptiveness of our environment   opportunities. You give a four-year old
           mindset. We think that it is important
           that these shifts, these five shifts that
           leaders  need  to make really  start with
           how we think and what’s going on in our
           heads. The agile mindset can be defined
           as a capability, and I tend to see it as a
           strategic capability.
             “It demonstrates the ability to
           recognise failures and challenges
           as opportunities for learning and
           improvement,  along  with resilience to
           evolve and adapt.”
             What are these five mindset shifts?
             I would like you to do an exercise –
           you’ll need a piece of paper and a pen   PHOTOGRAPH BY SEAN MALONE, UNSPLASH
           for this. It’s a test to see where you think
           your mindset is. Start by drawing five
           horizontal lines on the page. And write


                                                                                   The Villager  •   Issue 3  2022  •   13
   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20