Working Remotely
Yesterday I was in two places at once. Working from my home studio on the edge of the world in Auckland, New Zealand while coaching a Learning & Development Leader in Bangalore, India.
As we talked I learnt about the scale of challenge she was facing right now. Constrained to working remotely, while supporting leaders with fixed mindsets – who were now confronted with complex challenges they’d never before experienced.
So my advice for creating the shift needed was... a glass of water.
Not for drinking. But for thinking.
When working in-person with leaders and teams we’ll often have walking meetings. Whether it’s stepping outside for some literally out-of-the-box thinking, or spontaneously talking to others in the workplace – to break down silos while exploring greater diversity of perspective.
However it’s not about the specific techniques. The key development principle is the underlying Mindflex that allows leaders to continuously innovate, while deepening learnings and building capability. So regardless of whether your team is constrained in remote locations or sitting alongside you, you’re able to create experiences that inspire and guide others forward.
In this case I explained some of the ways we’ve been using a simple glass of water to shift constrained mindsets…
Using online chat to explore far deeper than the classic half-full, half-empty perspective – by visually demonstrating the diversity of perspectives and descriptions of others. Seeing first-hand how this opens up possibilities (“I see the infinite space at the top of the glass”) while highlighting potential risks to overcome (“How can I be sure it’s safe to drink?”)
Energising and breaking screen fatigue by purposefully getting the team to physically shift and get their own half-full glass of water each – rather than simply putting up an image on screen. Which would be so much more convenient for the minds of all concerned… just as sitting on our couches and not exercising can feel so much more convenient for our bodies.
Literally going a step further and suggesting that on their way back from the tap, if there is someone else in their house, to pause and ask them how much they see in the glass. So that the team arrives back even more refreshed through conversational connection – already with an alternative perspective to their own, while having practised a Futuready leadership habit.
As we continued to talk, I realised that while we were times and oceans apart, water was now not only separating us, it was connecting us.
Remote no longer meant… remote.
Need to step into the revolutionary?
To schedule a call with Futurist Dave Wild to explore our facilitation approach please contact our Business Manager at andrea@dave-wild.com