APM WiPM Conference 2019 speaker Paul Erricker's presentation: Thinking style - and its impact when leading change.

1. Thinking style – and its impact
when leading change
Paul Erricker
Director at The Project Academy Limited

2. The Project
Academy
The Objections to Change
Some objections to an unwelcome idea:
1. Do not need
2. No problem
3. No resources
4. Too difficult
5. Other priorities
6. Tried and failed
7. Being done now
8. Not suitable here
9. Doing well, why risk
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All these objections were made by one person in
one interview! They seem defensive.
Typical of a person fending off an idea they do
not understand. It could be that the solution
being discussed was outside of this person’s
relevant paradigm.

3. The Project
Academy
KAI – Impact on change initiatives
KAI helps us understand and solve
personality challenges around:
• Relationships with sponsors
• Take-up and compliance with project controls
• Collaboration within teams
• Delegating to those with different styles
• Managing diversity to solve problems
• Influencing change across organisations

4. The Project
Academy
360 Reviews – All leadership attribute: relative strengths
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A1 A9 C10 A5 C1 C7 C8 A10 B2 A8 A3 C5 A6 C2 B4 C4 C3 C11 C12 A7 B5 A4 C6 B10 C13 B6 C9 B3 B7 B8 B1 A2 B9
Relative Comparison - All Behaviours
Leadership of Self attributes
Leadership in Project Management attributes
Leadership of Others attributes
360 questions are based on how
frequently, when situations
require, does the participant
exhibit the desired behaviours
360 Example – collective data

5. The Project
Academy
360 Reviews – Leadership of Self Domain: relative strengths
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30
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Leadership of Self
360 – Leadership of self
A2 – Adapts style
to situations

6. The Project
Academy
360 Reviews – Leadership of Others Domain: relative strengths
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0
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30
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Leadership of Others
360 – Leadership of others
B9 – Adjusts style
to team needs

7. The Project
Academy
Style and Behaviour
 Cognitive style (which is stable) is not the
same as behaviour (which is flexible)
 I prefer to behave in my preferred style. I
can and do behave out of my preferred style:
this is called coping behaviour.
 But …coping requires extra energy and
extensive coping behaviour may cause
stress.
 As a leader ask for the minimum amount of
coping behaviour for the minimum amount of
time.
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8. The Project
Academy
Behaviour
Reptilian Brain
Primitive Brain
(Emotional machine)
Human Cognitive Brain
Cognitive function
(creative problem solving),
including Adaption - Innovation
Basic Schema
Fight, Flight, Freeze
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9. The Project
Academy
View of current paradigm
My view of the
current paradigm and
my level of need to
retain it
Your view of the
current paradigm and
your level of need to
retain it
The current paradigm – our view of the
World, the system or the culture

10. The Project
Academy
The Paradox of Structure
The Paradox :
How much structure is
actually needed to solve
the challenges we are
facing?
Governance
Controls
Culture
Hierarchy
Rules
LIMITINGENABLING
Structure is both enabling and limiting –
depending on your personality and the
problems we need to solve
Contracts

11. The Project
Academy
Problem A – Problem B
PROBLEM A PROBLEM B
The agreed common
problem for which any
team is formed
Is any problem that
impedes progress
towards resolution of
Problem A
e.g. managing the team’s
style diversity

12. The Project
Academy
KAI – Summary Traits
45 95 14512070
MAIN SCORE
IDEA GENERATION
• Offer fewer, more relevant ideas
• Presented with good timing
• Enhanced by introversion
• Improve on current systems
• Many ideas, only one may pay off
• Group may not be ready for ideas
• Enhanced by extroversion
• Ideas break the mould
METHODOLOGY
• Prefers big picture to details
• Approach work from unsuspected angles
• May lose track of essential information
• May do things differently
• Masters detail
• Works systematically
• May stick with outdated systems
• Meticulous and orderly
RULE / GROUP CONFORMITY
• May challenge group cohesion
• Rules tend to be “guidelines”
• Can be much needed catalyst
• May tend to work alone
• Solves problems with group
• Kind to all but rebels
• Respect rules and norms
• Anchor for the group
INNOVATOR TRAITSADAPTOR TRAITS

13. The Project
Academy
The A-I Continuum
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Population Mean = 95
Male Mean = 98Female Mean =
91
32 160
Theoretical Range
45 145
Normal Population Range
More InnovativeMore Adaptive
Quantity of
people with
a particular
score
30/09/2019

14. The Project
Academy
Aligned Part Scores

15. The Project
Academy
Style gaps within small groups

16. The Project
Academy
Personality in teams
Adaptive Personality Group Innovative Personality Group
Same goal, instructions, rules and ambiguity
Very different
observable
approaches to
achieving the
same goal

17. The Project
Academy
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s 130s 140s
More Adaptive Style
Project Leader Style Skew
Mean score of a
normal population
distribution
Key population skew
towards innovative
thinking style for
project leaders
More Innovative Style
Sample size > 1,000

18. The Project
Academy
Project Leaders v normal distribution
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0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
PLP versus Normal Distribution
PLP Normal
This is a significant skew of PLP participants with a
cognitive style more innovative than a normal distribution

19. The Project
Academy
Project Leader v Civil Service Style
19
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
PLP versus General Civil Service Distribution
PLP CS General
Civil service populations globally tends to have a style skew towards
Adaption. Therefore, the cognitive gap between project leaders and
civil services grows. This can have a huge implication on how well (or
not!) change is brought about

20. The Project
Academy
Example - Cognitive Gaps in Style
Operational
teams
Policy Team

21. The Project
Academy
Communication tips
• When discussing ideas with adaptors:
– Emphasise the details
– Show how the proposed change relates to existing ways of doing things
– Provide a clear plan for implementation complete with monitoring and
control procedures
– Show how risks will be contained
– Provide information in advance, do not introduce anything unexpected
– Ensure that the proposed changes have been well thought through
– Be on time and stay within time!!
21© Arthur Tullett – International Journal of Project Management

22. The Project
Academy
Communication tips
• When discussing ideas with innovators:
– Show where the change initiative fits into the big picture
– Show new directions and procedures
– Identify opportunities for novelty which are at the leading edge of the field
– Identify future trends and directions and show how the change initiative sets the
pace
– Highlight “breakthrough” aspects of the change initiative as well as opportunity for
novelty in the future
– Relate the proposal to emerging issues and possibilities which are unique and
exciting
– Use visual aids that stimulate imagination
22© Arthur Tullett – International Journal of Project Management

23. The Project
Academy
Project Magazine Article
www.project-academy.co.uk/
resources

24. The Project
Academy
Personality Masterclasses
London :
10th October – 0900 to 1300
20th November – 1300 to 1700

25. The Project
Academy
For further information / support:
• If you have any queries related to today’s talk, then please
contact me at the following:
Paul Erricker - Director
The Project Academy Limited
paul@project-academy.co.uk
07799 436126
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