Archive: October, 2015

office politics blame game

Office Politics – 5 Steps to End the Blame Game…
Posted on 26th October 2015 in Communication Skills Training, Critical Conversations, Emotional Intelligence, Employee Engagement, Executive Coaching

“Hell is other people” – Jean Paul Sartre

Office politics – we’re all used to this at least playing out in the background of the workspace like a constant din where different personalities crash into each other – if we’re not directly involved ourselves that is. So, how do we set about nullifying poisonous office politics and creating a more wholesome atmosphere?

1. Start with the heart – get everything out in the open. Yes, it’s easier said than done but what’s the alternative? To let toxic office politics get even worse until people start handing in their notices? Allow everybody to say what they need in an open a way as possible. Everyone in the team or department will either be involved or aware of issues and conflicts. So, it’s vital that everybody speaks and equally vital that you as a leader listen and accept that everybody has a right to their own perspective.

Emapthy is Key…

2. As with all conflict resolution, plenty of empathy and understanding is needed from the leader/manager in such situations. Also, it’s advisable to ask short, open questions to unearth information, get specifics and show that you care and want the best for all involved.
3. Then comes the hard part. Take responsibility for your failings that have contributed to the malaise of office politics. This will set a standard and shows that you’re human. Too many managers and leaders chuck edicts from the anonymity of their cosy managerial office without getting stuck in. In short, if you want them fixed then take ownership of the problems.

Re-Focus Goals…

4. Re-focus the goals – what were those organisational, team and individual goals that everyone was working towards or at least supposed to be working towards? Emphasise the individual goals – ie. what’s in it for everybody. This should be the main motivator to get things back on track.

No Repeat Office Politics…

5. Now everyone can see the wood for the trees and issues have been owned, it’s time to ensure that things don’t go the way of those toxic office politics again. The best way, once again is to involve all the team members in contributing to the best way forward. Once agreed it’s up to the manager/leader to take the reigns in monitoring how things are going and to offer coaching and expertise when/where needed. In other words, frontline leadership.
Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication

creativity learn improvise

Creativity – Learn to Improvise and Boost Your Creativity…
Posted on 1st October 2015 in Communication Skills Training, creativity, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development, Theatre & Drama

Creativity and true innovation are often cited as fundamental for any organisation wishing to grow and evolve. But just how do you get “creative?”

A lot of creative expression requires the will to break form and take risks. However, most corporate cultures are so control-minded that any true creativity is stifled from the outset. This then requires companies and leaders to take a very large step back to assess how they think and operate on a macro level and to make massive changes in order to dismantle existing cultures and nurture environments where creativity can actually take place. If creativity is essential for business, then most businesses need to change dramatically and soon.

Conscious and Subconscious Mind…

Much of creativity is about suppressing the conscious mind, thus allowing the subconcious mind to play and express thus resulting in new ways of looking at things and fresh perspectives. In other words it’s about turning off the critical, analytical brain. Not that the ability to critically assess and analyse isn’t valuable, just that in our world and especially in business those skills have been favoured over creativity for too long. What is needed is a happy balance.

Improvisation

Improvisation in the theatrical sense unleashes creativity of the participants yet has rules and structure, like any game, and so is not quite the creative free for all that many may think of it as. However, in improvisation rules aren’t rules as such, they’re more like guidelines. Those new to improvising often get caught up focusing on the supposed rules whereas if a freer, fearless, go with it attitude is adopted then then creativity is allowed. And that’s the key thing – to ALLOW creativity to bubble up, because believe it or not we are all creative beasts. It’s just that some of us have put more layers of stuff between us and that creativity than others.

Theatre and Actor-Led Games

How then, do you improvise? Well there are many actor led games that can be adapted from the world of theatre and the rehearsal room for the benefit of organisations. Most games are simple and can be played by anyone. These games can be entertaining and unifying. The more you are prepared to put your ego aside, the more you open up and the more creative you become.
“There are people who prefer to say ‘yes’ and there are people who prefer to say ‘no’. Those who say ‘yes’ are rewarded by the adventures they have. Those who say ‘no’ are rewarded by the safety they attain.”
― Keith Johnstone, Improvisation Guru
Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication