Week 4 & Week 5

For the bulk of my reflections on weeks 4 & 5 I chose to supplement this blog with a video entry.  These past two weeks have been professionally exhausting for me largely related to me leaning in heavily to leading in complex situations. 

When introduced as part of my plan I conceptualized that I would proactively focus my development of leading in complexity in the area of self-awareness by doing the following:

• Identify a late stage mentor both inside and outside of my current organization and ask each of them to talk through 1-2 scenarios based on current organizational situations I am experiencing from their advanced perspectives.
• Explore the viability of taking Susanne Cook-Greuter's Leadership Maturity Assessment (LMA) or the Leadership Agility 360 created by Bill Joiner

What has actually occurred over the previous two weeks is that I have been in a heat situation, characterized by the following:  

• I am in a first time experience (new institution, new role supervising non-entry level staff), 
• Results matter (dealing with this situation could have termination implication for a staff member), 
• It is extremely uncomfortable (no one likes consistently giving critical feedback to one person, and then on top of it having them not view any of it as a true issue with them but with others).

The video accompaniment to this blog serves to describe some of the supervision situation I have been facing and what I have learned.  I wanted to reflect on the dissonance that can be the reality when as a supervisor you are expecting a more advanced stage of development than what you are faced with in an employee. 

WATCH VOICE THREAD VIDEO 

I would have to say the staff member I am working with is between socialized mind and self-authoring.  They try to verbally entice you to believe that they are more between self-authoring and self-transforming, but are invisible to how their actions do not align with anything but socialized mind.  

In relation to my personal learning and development from leading in this complex situation I am struck by how my self evaluated different developmental stages has actually almost hindered me in being able to effectively provide him with some very basic guidance and supervision that may have set him up for success more initially. I would also say that I am trying to embrace the characteristics of an individualist by attempting at multiple points to offer the opportunity for the staff member to resolve gaps and enhance performance.  I am also seeing a disconnect because I have been able to hold and understand/validate multiple perspectives and contradictions, while being faced with a staff member who is seeking direction and only looking to prove himself right or to get out of something difficult rather than just sit with the felt impact of situations. 

Ironically enough, as I type this I get a message from my supervisor saying I know it has been a tough week but it will get better.  I guess that is the point of a heat situation, you feel it, learn and get through it and are better for it.  At least that is my approach.