Busyness is not effectiveness. Are you just reacting, and doing lots of stuff, but not thinking of the consequences? “Looking at the big picture and the context is hard to do on the run,” says Lourey.
This step is not just about prioritising. “That is the skill set,” says Lourey. “Slowing down is the mindset. It is the difference between the architect and the builder. The architect designs the system that gets the best result. The builder just says let’s whack up a wall or the window.”
Fix the root cause, not the symptom. For example, a leader has a problem such as high turnover. She starts throwing Friday afternoon drinks, or having one-on-one conversations with the team, to make them happy. “Perhaps the root cause of the turnover is that the individuals are not aligned to the purpose of this businesses. They are undermanaged so no-one knows what the hell they are doing. Or they are over-managed and end up being dependent,” says Lourey.
Systems thinking is the middle ground, where all the parts of the organisation – one on one, team to team, department to department, company to customer or stakeholder – are communicating with one another.
Develop a good capacity for relationship. If systems thinking is about relationships in action, leaders need strong relationship skills – a documented weakness for most Australia leaders, study after study has shown. So, where to start? “The first step, I would say, is to pause before you respond,” says Lourey. “Listen first. Don’t think about what you want to say while you are ‘listening’. Just stop and ask yourself, what needs to happen here?
“Press the pause button.”
Kath Walters is the editor of LeadingCompany and an award-winning journalist of 15 years’ experience. Kath was previously a senior writer and editor at BRW magazine covering management, strategy, finance, entrepreneurship and venture capital across all industry sectors. In 2006, Kath won the Citibank Award for Excellence in Journalism (General Business). Follow her on Twitter.
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