Scenari•I linkedin

scenari•I
L E A D E R S H I P S T R AT E G Y
C A R D D E C K

CREATED BY
LEADING FORWARD CLASS OF 2015-2016
David Allen
Tim Cochrane
Lauren Dodge
Breanne Ertmer
Bradley Foster
Zach Goines
Deanne Johnson
Kimberly Meenen
Julia Miller
Howard Milton
Kevin Noland
Pattie Smith-Philips
Eileen Prillaman
Jason Quackenbush
Holly Rushakoff
Jon Salvani
With special thanks to the Office of the Vice
Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and
to Elizabeth McGreal Cook for her leadership
and guidance.

1. Draw a Scenario card.
> If indicated, draw a Stakeholder card(s).
2. Considering our core values in Advancement,
discuss the ways your Scenario can be
handled. (Time limit: 3 minutes.)
3. After discussion, draw a Resource card. (If it
isn’t the best fit, feel free to draw another.)
4. Discuss your Scenario again to determine
how this Resource further informs your
approach.
5. Which of the five values were considered?
RULES
CORE VALUES TO CONSIDER
INTEGRITY • CIVILITY • COLLABORATION •
INNOVATION • IMPACT
1. DrawaScenariocard.
Ifindicated,drawaStakeholdercard(s).
2. ConsideringourcorevaluesinAdvancement,
discussthewaysyourScenariocanbe
handled.(Timelimit:3minutes.)
3. Afterdiscussion,drawaResourcecard.(Ifit
isn’tthebestfit,feelfreetodrawanother.)
4. DiscussyourScenarioagaintodetermine
howthisResourcefurtherinformsyour
approach.
5. Whichofthefivevalueswereconsidered?
RULES
COREVALUESTOCONSIDER
INTEGRITY•CIVILITY•COLLABORATION•
INNOVATION•IMPACT

The Leading Forward Class of 2015-2016 has created
a leadership discussion card deck to accomplish the
following two goals:
1. To share information that was part of our
meetings, discussions, and readings.
2. To provide the opportunity for discussion
about leadership. Our discussions were
particularly valuable to us as we participated
in the program.
The game is designed to address scenarios that may
present themselves in the professional environment,
scenarios that can help build the character of a
leader. Should you be facilitating discussions around
the cards, please note that the University of Illinois
Advancement values are prominently displayed. Note
to participants that they should consider these values
throughout their discussions. Discussions can be
focused or modified by asking the group to consider a
specific value within discussions.
Instructions tell participants to draw a scenario card.
The scenario cards have been developed to provide a
variety of situations that could be encountered in the
workplace. Some are advancement specific. Some are
not. Instructions on the card may ask them to draw
stakeholder cards. Stakeholder cards are individuals
with whom we might engage in professional work
within our roles. The purpose of the stakeholder cards
is to give participants the opportunity to examine
how their styles and choices might change given the
partner(s) we work with. Discussions should last
about three minutes. If a card doesn’t work for the
group, that is OK. Let them draw another. The goal
is productive discussion. If a card doesn’t provide it,
move on.
Instructions follow asking the group to draw a
resource card. This card will reference one of
the lessons that was part of the Leading Forward
experience. It should add dimension, depth, and focus
to the discussion. Again, if the resource card doesn’t
seem to be a good fit, try another!
At the end of the session, you can distribute a
bibliography for further reading. All reference material
used in these cards is available here if anyone wants
more information on any of the topics addressed in the
resource cards.
Ultimately, our hope is that this card deck can provide
for others a bit of the rich experience that we believe
we have had as members of this program.
Thank you,
LEADING FORWARD CLASS OF 2015-2016
David Allen
Tim Cochrane
Lauren Dodge
Breanne Ertmer
Bradley Foster
Zach Goines
Deanne Johnson
Kimberly Meenen
Julia Miller
Howard Milton
Kevin Noland
Pattie Smith-Philips
Eileen Prillaman
Jason Quackenbush
Holly Rushakoff
Jon Salvani

One of your staff members routinely talks
about her big plans to pursue a career
completely unrelated to her current job.
She makes statements about feeling like she
is better suited to be on a career path that
allows her to explore her artistic interests. As
supervisor, you are in a position to significantly
influence this person. What do you do?
After discussion, draw a Resource card.
What new ideas might you have to approach
this scenario?

You happen to overhear two stakeholders you
work with commenting that, as a manager, you
are good at giving feedback but not at receiving
it. You understand the importance of being able
to both give and receive feedback, so how might
you address this issue with each stakeholder?
Draw two Stakeholder cards.
this scenario?

A donor is finally ready to make their
first major gift, but it is a rather low-level
endowment fund. This is disappointing to
many within your unit.
Draw four Stakeholder cards. Which one of
these might be an unhappy camper and why?
this scenario?

You are discussing an existing endowment
fund with a faculty member in your college
who is instrumental in spending the proceeds
of the fund. She tells you that the terms of
the endowment make it so difficult to spend
that her strategy is to wait until the donor
is deceased, and then spend the fund on
other priorities. What do you do with this
information?
this scenario?

A stakeholder tells you that s/he recently had
a chance meeting with a donor who is known
to have a large revocable gift with your unit.
The stakeholder says that the donor, who is
advanced in age, appeared to be exhibiting
dementia. You know that Advancement officers
are planning to put an additional proposal in
front of this donor soon. Discuss your options
and obligations regarding this information.
Draw one Stakeholder card.
this scenario?

Two employees in your unit avoid each other
and generally do not get along. Through your
interactions with them you have learned that
one (type D) is more competitive, direct, and
takes charge while the other (type S) is more
methodical, patient, and needs preparation for
proposed changes. How could you help these
two better understand each other?
this scenario?

You are the new team leader. How would you
set out to learn and understand your team
members’ styles as it relates to approachability
and engagement? What would be on your list of
dos and don’ts for your communication style?
Identify the top three ways you prefer and
prefer not to be approached or interacted with.
this scenario?

You are a new hire to a team that is under
new, hands-off leadership. The team is not
used to functioning without a strong leader
and is now falling apart. How would you go
about empowering this team to function as a
cohesive unit?
this scenario?

The team you are leading is a tight, cohesive,
high-functioning unit. You are then absorbed
by a larger unit and asked to report to a
new leader, with a completely different
management style than you are accustomed to.
For your direct reports who sense a change in
workplace culture, what is the best leadership
advice you would provide, in order to stay at a
highly successful performance level?
this scenario?

You are responsible for a key strategic
project that will significantly change
how your organization and its employees
operate. A stakeholder in your project
team is consistently missing deadlines and
undermining the project. How would you
resolve this issue to ensure this employee is a
contributing member of the project?
this scenario?

Two stakeholders have been working on a
special project for your upcoming campaign.
They have worked into the night and several
weekends to make the deadline. Now the strain
of the approaching deadline and extra work
has the stakeholders burnt out. As the leader of
this work team, what would you do to help keep
your team motivated and appreciated?
this scenario?

A long-time leader of your institution is retir-
ing. You have always admired his excitement
to lead after steadying the ship during rocky
times, and his love for the people who do the
work, what the organization produces, and the
stakeholders. If you were to ask him to reveal
his leadership motivations, what do you think
he would say? How could you model such be-
havior and boost your own leadership impact?
this scenario?

Your staff has a tendency to create email
strings that get very long and often stray off
the original topic. What sort of simple rule
could you construct that would make staff
communication more concise and effective?
this scenario?

You have a new colleague that tends to speak
before thinking about the implications or
outcomes of what they are saying in important
meetings. What simple rule or rules could
you share to help this stakeholder maintain
professionalism?
this scenario?

Someone who reports to you is clearly
interested in work outside of the scope of their
job and consistently seeks it out while not
addressing key components of their current job
description. How would you address this with
this individual?
this scenario?

A stakeholder in your unit has a “great” idea
for fundraising. Unfortunately, it doesn’t
align with the unit’s priorities and will stretch
personnel resources greatly, How do you
respond?
this scenario?

You and a stakeholder arrive at your
fundraising event one hour early. Many of the
necessary components are missing, including
tablecloths, a lectern, and a PA system. How do
you respond?
this scenario?

Rather than criticizing a staff member for
handling a donor situation in an inappropriate
manner, you want to provide a meaningful
and effective lesson. Is it possible to reshape
and deliver your criticisms in the form of
questions? As a leader, what storytelling skills
can you use to deliver criticism?
this scenario?

With some hesitation, you accept a career pro-
motion that expands your responsibilities and
increases your direct reports. As a proponent
of collaborative leadership and transparency,
you share your doubts with your new team. You
also share your willingness to tackle this job
with their help. Your candor backfires; you lose
confidence with your new team. How do you
regain your team’s confidence?
this scenario?

You are very interested in a recently posted
position. In your mind, this opening could
represent a positive career change/upgrade for
you. Do you discuss this with your supervisor?
this scenario?

Stakeholder #1 is unhappy with their
interactions with stakeholder #2—with whom
you have a strong working relationship. Do you
offer advice on how to approach stakeholder
#1? How do you suggest an approach that
doesn’t leave stakeholder #2 feeling like their
reaction to the situation is not warranted and
without inflating the situation?
this scenario?

You have just taken a leadership role in a new
unit. Three of your stakeholders have had little
direction and are not meeting their individual
or departmental goals. Using your knowledge,
experience, and previous success, how will you
help your team to turn things around?
Draw three Stakeholder cards.
this scenario?

It’s brought to your attention that a stakehold-
er does not agree with your leadership style
or approach. It has never been brought to your
attention directly and you work with this indi-
vidual on many projects, where this impression
has not come across. You know that you will
be working together closely in the future. How
do you resolve this issue without involving the
people that gave you the information?
this scenario?

One of your top donors is upset about the
recent change in top administration. They are
asking to revoke their six-figure pledge. What
steps will you incorporate in your strategy to
address this conflict?
this scenario?

A donor is increasingly angry about the slow
progress toward selling her gift of real estate.
Really, she received sloppy attorney work that
inadvertently severed legal access to the prop-
erty. Significant time and expense is required
to re-establish legal access to the property so it
can be sold and her endowment funded. How
can you defuse the conflict and help the donor
see that a positive effort is being made?
this scenario?

You are familiar with campus branding rules,
which doesn’t allow logos for units. So you are
surprised to learn that a faculty member hired
a designer to create a new logo for your unit
and has used it on some items. He/she has a
corporate background and is used to taking
charge as seen fit. How would you handle this
conflict, knowing that your unit already has
branding standards in place?
this scenario?

Your boss asks you to call a meeting to get
everyone on the same page about a plan
you’ve been working on for a unit. Despite not
receiving feedback from a top administrator
for that unit, she shows up 20 minutes
late and—without reading your handout—
announces there are new priorities, shifting
the tone and negating your agenda. How do you
proceed running the meeting?
this scenario?

You are attempting to implement a new
process for managing a donor portfolio.
Evidence suggests that the new process will
be more effective. However, there are several
individuals who are struggling with letting go
of the “old way” of doing things and are slow
to accept the new process. What strategies
can you implement to help overcome this
conservatism bias?
this scenario?

You’ve been assigned to head up a committee
that will decide a new process that directly
impacts five areas of your operations. The
primary decision maker for one of the areas is
historically difficult to work with and tension
is present before the first committee meeting.
How do you approach the other members of the
committee? How do you approach the individ-
ual “difficult” member?
this scenario?

You are the lead on a project and there may be a
significant change to how it will be implement-
ed. You have been alerted to the possibility, but
no final decisions have been made. Who should
you communicate with and in what order? Are
there any stakeholders who should be “kept out
of the loop” at this point?
this scenario?

You are a major gift officer working with a
donor and finalizing the terms of their gift. The
donor has very specific requests on how the gift
is to be used, but it will have little impact on
the receiving academic unit. You have reached
an impasse with the donor in trying to broaden
the scope of the gift. What stakeholders can
you bring in to assist in the discussion with the
donor in creating a gift that has great impact?
this scenario?

You have been given the task to increase the
philanthropic culture of the current students
in your department. Who would you reach out
to in initiating conversation? And who would
you ultimately have involved in the process?
this scenario?

It’s been determined that the academic unit
that you represent will be creating a new
addition to your building during the next
campaign. All the funding must come from
private sources. What stakeholders would you
include in coming up with your strategic plan
for the addition?
this scenario?

After a few years of participating in an of-
fice committee whose goal has evolved from
improving strained internal relationships to
organizing internal get-togethers, you want to
move on. You’re more excited about a campus
committee you recently joined. Your boss’s
boss is the leader of the group and loves how
much you bring to the table. What would you
say to express that you want to leave the group?
this scenario?

You have a reputation of being successful,
competent, and approachable. A stakeholder
comes to you every time he/she has a question,
usually asking if you have a minute and can I
run this by you. What is your response? How do
you feel when this happens to you? What are
the outcomes if you a) help your stakeholder or
b) deny help to your stakeholder?
this scenario?

In order to improve trust and camaraderie
among employees, upper management wants
to promote a stronger “giver” culture. You and
two stakeholders have been tasked with cre-
ating peer-bonus and peer-recognition pro-
grams. Discuss a few ideas.
this scenario?

You are a giver by nature, and your daily
work hours are being consumed by constant
meetings from stakeholders across campus,
asking for your advice, expertise, and input.
While this makes you feel useful, the meetings
and requests for help are beginning to impede
your daily work. How do you manage the
requests while balancing your job duties?
this scenario?

You are planning an emeritus faculty luncheon
to encourage a continued connection to your
unit. Explain how you would involve three
stakeholders in the event and prepare them to
help meet your event goals.
Draw three Stakeholder cards.
this scenario?

In developing a campus visit for a major-gift
donor, a stakeholder asks for a one-on-one
meeting with the alumnus. Your goals for
the visit do not align with the reasons the
stakeholder makes the request to meet. How
do you handle so that you can continue the
relationship with the stakeholder?
this scenario?

A stakeholder lets you know that his/her
corporate contact has requested a proposal for
Illinois funding needs, and asks for your help.
The only guideline is that the proposal be a
five-year plan and include support for students.
What is your approach for collecting and
narrowing the options for consideration?
this scenario?

Your phone rings at 5:30 p.m. and a stakeholder
asks for your help in arranging a tour and
meetings in your unit for an alumnus that
is visiting campus in two days. How do you
respond? Does your response change with the
second stakeholder? How so?
this scenario?

You have been working for years to secure a gift
with a major gift prospect. This prospect has
always been skeptical of our mission, and has
said many times, “All you want is my money.”
While your goal is to indeed secure a gift, how
does one respond to this question? How does
one advise his/her teammates to address these
kinds of issues?
this scenario?

Your unit has the highest diversity
representation on campus. Women and people
from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds
make up more than 50% of the unit’s
population, yet the ethnic and gender makeup
of the Advancement staff does not reflect this
diversity. Some stakeholders have questioned
you about this, and you do not have an answer.
How do you evaluate the importance of this
issue, and explore it in this context?
this scenario?

You have worked with a principal gift prospect
for several years, securing multiple gifts
from this person, and developing the best
relationship of anyone at your institution. The
University President has a multi-million dollar
campaign to build a new center on campus and
has informed you that he and his staff will be
visiting the prospect regarding support. You
were NOT invited. Is it appropriate for you to
request participation in this visit?
this scenario?

scenari•I
S TA K E H O L D E R S

Alumni Relations
Special Events

University
of Illinois
Chancellor

University
of Illinois
Provost

University
of Illinois
Foundation
President

Stephen Covey writes, “Seek first to
understand, then to be understood.”
Active listening encourages you to encourage,
clarify, restate, reflect, and validate when
speaking to someone else in a conflict
situation.
Consider what you would say to accomplish
that in your scenario. What might you say and
how might you say it to make the other parties
involved feel heard?

A “D” personality is competitive, enjoys a
challenge, is a problem solver, direct and to the
point, and takes charge.
Do not ramble on or waste their time, be brief,
stick to business, less chit chat. Disagree with
the facts, not the person.
How would you share communications with
this stakeholder. Does this change your
communication style?

An “I” personality has a strong need to interact
with others, is talkative, may have difficulty
listening, positive sense of humor, may be
disorganized, optimistic, and enthusiastic.
Allow time for relating and socializing. Put
details in writing. Do not leave decisions
undecided. Provide testimonials from
people they see as important or prominent.
Listen and let them talk but do not get lost in
conversation.
this stakeholder. Does this change your

An “S” personality is a great listener,
methodical and patient, will want to finish a
project before starting another, has a need to
serve others, needs preparation for proposed
changes.
Start with personal comments to break the ice.
Do not rush into business or the agenda. Listen
and be responsive. Slow down and allow time
for them to decide. Build and maintain trust—
do not promise something you cannot deliver.
this stakeholder? Does this change your

A “C” personality is extremely organized,
pays attention to details, likes to have
supporting evidence, and may worry about the
consequences caused by change.
Prepare your case in advance. Do not be
disorganized or messy. Provide facts and
supporting information. Do not force a quick
decision. Do what you say you can do. Allow
them their space and avoid touching them.
this stakeholder? Does this change your

Model the way.
Exemplary leaders know that if they want to
gain commitment and achieve the highest
standards, they must be models of the behavior
they expect of others.

Enable others to act.
Leaders know that they can’t do it alone.
Leaders understand that mutual respect is
what sustains extraordinary efforts; they strive
to create an atmosphere of trust, strengthen
others, and make each person feel capable and
powerful.

Celebrate accomplishments in public.
James Kouzes and Barry Posner state that
by making celebrations a public part of
organizational life, leaders create a sense
of community and build commitment, both
among the individuals being recognized and
among those in the audience.

Strengthen others.
The most effective leaders help people both
feel and be more powerful and able to make
things happen on their own. Creating a climate
in which people are fully engaged and feel
in control of their own lives is at the heart
of strengthening others, according to James
Kouzes and Barry Posner.
Applying this principle, how would your
scenario’s outcome have changed?

Self-reflection is the willingness to seek
feedback. The ability to then engage in new
behaviors based on this information has been
shown to be predictive of future success in
managers.
Feedback needs to be specific, not general;
focused on behavior, not on the individual
(personality); solicited rather than imposed;
timely rather than delayed; and descriptive
rather than evaluative.

Set the example.
Leaders must align their actions with our
shared values. Publicly request feedback
about how leadership actions are perceived.
Then take action and make adjustments based
on the feedback in order to keep the honest
communication flowing.
How can this approach have a positive impact
on the scenario under discussion? How
important is sincerity to the success of this
strategy?

Challenge the process.
Leaders are pioneers. They are willing to
step out into the unknown. They search for
opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve.
Try to identify one aspect of your scenario in
which experimenting or taking a risk could be
beneficial.

Leadership in not an affair of the head.
Leadership is an affair of the heart.
James Kouzes and Barry Posner interviewed
U.S. Army Major General John J. Stanford
in “Remember the Secret to Success in Life.”
Stanford’s advice as to how he would go about
developing leaders (whether in universities, in
the military, in government, in the nonprofit
sector, or in private business) was unexpected.
His secret to success is to stay in love. Of all
the things that sustain leaders over time, love
is the most lasting. Leaders who are really
talented and successful never lose their love of
leading.

Create a climate of trust...be the first to trust.
Building trust is a process that begins when
someone is willing to risk being the first to
open up. It shows vulnerability and the ability
to let go of the control. If you expect high levels
of performance, you will have to demonstrate
your trust in others before asking them to trust
you.

Foster accountability.
“The power to choose rests on the willingness
to be held accountable. The more freedom
of choice people have, the more personal
responsibility they must accept.”
—James Kouzes and Barry Posner

“By viewing ourselves as works in progress and
evolving our professional identities through
trial and error, we can develop a personal
style that feels right to us and suits our
organization’s changing needs.”
—Herminia Ibarra
How well does your role in your scenario
fit you? How might you have to alter your
personal style to handle it?

In the area of leadership transitions, Herminia
Ibarra observed that career advances require
all of us to move beyond our comfort zones.
Executives facing new expectations struggle
with authenticity in these common situations:
• Taking charge in an unfamiliar role.
• Selling your ideas (and yourself).
• Processing negative feedback.
Ibarra’s research suggests that the moments
that most challenge our sense of self are the
ones that can teach us the most about leading
effectively.

Sell your ideas and yourself.
“Leadership growth usually involves a shift
from having good ideas to pitching them to
diverse stakeholders. Inexperienced leaders,
especially true-to-selfers, often find the
process of getting buy-in distasteful because
it feels artificial and political; they believe that
their work should stand on its own merits.”
—Herminia Ibarra

Don’t stick to your story.
“Most of us have personal narratives about
defining moments that taught us important
lessons. Consciously or not, we allow our
stories, and images of ourselves that they paint,
to guide us in new situations. But the stories
can become outdated as we grow, so sometimes
it is necessary to alter them dramatically or
even to throw them out and start from scratch.”
—Herminia Ibarra

“The idea that you can improve your
performance by relaxing and ‘just trusting
your gut’ is popular. While it may be true that
intuition is valuable in routine or familiar
situations, informed intuition is the result of
deliberate practice. You cannot consistently
improve your ability to make decisions (or
your intuition) without considerable practice,
reflection, and analysis.”
—K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula,
and Edward T. Cokely
What aspects of your role in this scenario,
if any, do you think could be improved with
practice or experience?

“The journey to truly superior performance
is neither for the faint of heart nor for the
impatient. The development of genuine
expertise requires struggle, sacrifice...[and]
a decade to achieve expertise, and you will
need to invest that time wisely, by engaging in
‘deliberate’ practice—practice that focuses on
tasks beyond your current level of competence
and comfort.”
—K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula,
and Edward T. Cokely

Donald Sull and Kathleen Eisenhardt suggest
that simple rules are small in number, tailored
by particular people in particular situations,
well-defined, and concrete without being
overly prescriptive.
Consider your three simple rules for providing
leadership in your professional life and return
to your discussion.

Simple Rules, authored by Donald Sull and
Kathleen Eisenhardt, offered four pieces of
advice:
1. Find what will move the needles.
2. Choose a bottleneck.
3. Craft the rules.
4. Change the rules when the facts on the
ground change.
Think about these rules and how they might
contribute to the success of your current
scenario or team.

In Simple Rules, the book talks about how
to make better decisions. One way to do so is
using Boundary Rules. Judges use it to guide
the yes-or-no decision of whether to grant
bail. Doctors use it to decide whether or not a
patient is suffering from a particular disease.
Boundary rules narrow down the alternatives,
helping people decide on which opportunities
to pursue in the face of overwhelming number
of choices.
What boundary rules exist in your work
environment that can help in making better
decisions?

It was discussed in Simple Rules that people
are more likely to create relevant rules based
on values important to them. When individuals
invest the time to reflect on their experience
and codify it into rules, they typically do so to
achieve a goal that matters to them.
What values influence you at work? How
would you convey this process to your staff?

How-to rules are the most widely used rule
when solving problems. They are very helpful
when dealing with deadlines, they tend to
foster creativity and they provide a guidance
when navigating difficult projects.
In your scenario, how would how-to rules
assist in the process?

Life is complex and when the details get
overwhelming, take a step back and simplify
your response to the problem. Develop your
own simple rules to operate such as: Show
respect for a person’s perspective (even if
you don’t agree). Or: Listen to all sides of the
discussion before making a decision.

Leaders can practice “radical candor”
effectively when they show that they care
personally about employees and are willing to
challenge them directly.
For radical candor to work, it needs to be
HHIPP:
Humble
Helpful
Immediate
Private (for criticism)
Public (for recognition)

Radical candor requires that leaders build
in their teams the ability to hear and take
criticism well and that people are internally
prepared to cope with it. Consider how you
would build a team that hears and accepts
radical candor.
What characteristics would you need to train,
foster, and grow? How would you accomplish
that?

Find opportunities for impromptu feedback
The goal with day-to-day guidance is to push
toward radical candor. “You’ll be surprised
how clear people will be with you about their
reactions to the kind of guidance you’re giving
them.”
Make backstabbing impossible. “This is one of
the most important things you can do to foster
a culture of guidance between the people who
work for you.”
Bosses also need to avoid acting as well-
meaning but ultimately harmful go-betweens.
Avoid “shuttle diplomacy.”

The ethics of storytelling:
1. If you have a critique, ask it in a question
format (i.e., Did you mean to leave out
the third pig in “The 3 Little Pigs”).
2. It’s common courtesy to credit the
source of your story.
3. Think of the audience first and then tell
the story.

Four factors John Gardner lists as essential for
effective leadership are:
1. A tie to a community or audience.
2. A rhythm that includes isolation and
immersion.
3. A relationship between the stories
leaders tell and the traits they embody.
4. Arrival at power through the choice of
the people rather than through brute
force.
How would storytelling enhance your
scenario?

John Gardner talks about effective leaders
putting words to the formless longings and
deeply felt needs of others. They create
communities out of words. Leaders are able
to articulate and clarify what many of us have
been thinking on the subject for a long time.
How would you effectively share your goal with
others to get them to buy-in, through the power
of your words?

At a leadership retreat, a colleague was
asked to bring an item that best represents
his “story.” He presented an arrowhead. He
explained to the group that many years ago an
individual lost this arrowhead while simply
attempting to put meat on the table for his
family.
Every day, when you prepare for your day, be
sure to focus on the most basic reason for going
to work.

Cal Newport states that the happiest, most
passionate employees are not those who follow
their passion into a position, but instead those
who have been around long enough to become
good at what they do.
In your scenario, would the stakeholder’s
experience change the outcome?

The concept of deliberate practice is a method
for building skills through relentless and
often uncomfortable repetition. Athletes and
musicians are famous examples of those who
apply deliberate practice. People who author
Cal Newport calls “knowledge workers” can
build their career capital by applying deliberate
practice to their work.
Could your scenario be solved or improved
if the players involved simply had more fully
developed skillsets?

Self-determination theory says intrinsic
motivation for work comes from three
factors—autonomy, competence, and
relatedness.
Autonomy is the feeling of control over day-
to-day to work and that your actions are
important. Competence is the feeling that you
are good at what you do. Relatedness is the
feeling of connection to other people.
In your scenario, would identifying what
motivates this person be helpful in your
conversation?

The Law of Remarkability states that for a
mission driven project to succeed, it should be
remarkable in two ways.
First, it must compel people who encounter it
to remark about it to others. Second, it must
be launched in a venue that supports such
remarking.
How does this apply to your current scenario?

Instead of focusing on conflict reduction,
managers should encourage mindfulness,
improvisation, and reconfiguration as
responses to conflict that enable learning,
adaptive behaviors, and innovation.

Entrepreneur Jason Fried, as reported in his
article for Inc., has found through experience
that when his team members dig in and defend
their positions on a contested matter, a more
complete understanding of the problem is
possible.
Delving deeply into the core issues will help
reveal if someone is defending a genuine idea
or if pride is getting in the way.
Are the stakeholders in your scenario arguing
truly defendable positions? Is any idea short on
facts and possibly driven by pride and ego?

In “Managing Conflict,” Jason Fried offered
three ways to turn conflict into something
positive and get stuff done. One way is the
“I’ve got this one; you get the next one” model.
Someone will eventually cede the decision
to someone else: “Okay, we’ll go with your
idea this time. Next time, it’s mine.” A second
resolution is asking “Who really wants it
more?” early in the process. It’s rare that two
people share the same degree of passion about
a problem. A third way is to ask who is willing
to take responsibility if the idea goes wrong.
When someone is willing to shoulder that
burden, there’s a good chance he or she has the
right idea.

Prior to a contentious conversation, take a
Listening Stance:
1. Take a deep, cleansing breath and relax.
2. Remove distractions, as much as
possible.
3. Sit (or face) the other person directly,
with an open body posture.
4. Focus on listening as your first priority
in the conversation.
5. Attempt to (i) encourage, (ii) clarify,
(iii) restate, (iv) reflect, and (v) validate.

In “Managing Conflict,” Jason Fried states
that, “As long as people are defending a genuine
idea and not just their pride, much can be
learned.”
What strategies can be implemented to
encourage stakeholders to examine whether
they are defending thoughtful ideas, and not
personal pride?

“Until everyone’s looking at the same thing,
it can be hard to reach actual agreement. Five
people may read the same paragraph, but
they often interpret the words differently. But
when you look at a picture, a mockup, people
are more likely to reach agreement—or valid
disagreement. Whichever way they go, at least
we know where they actually stand, not where
we think they stand. Pointing at something real
cuts through to the truth.”
—Jason Fried, “Managing Conflict”

Kathleen Kennedy and Emily Pronin’s
research suggests that perceptions of bias
play a key role in “path from disagreement to
conflict, and that perceiving someone as biased
increases the chances that they will act in ways
that are competitive, aggressive, and conflict
escalating.”
Consider what biases you may have perceived
and how they informed your decisions
in interaction. What strategies can you
implement to cope with what you perceive to
be bias—whether it is or not?

Susan Fiske, author of “What We Know
Now about Bias and Intergroup Conflict,
the Problem of the Century,” concluded that
bias can be reduced through education and
economic opportunity. Moreover, studies by
social psychologists show that constructive
intergroup contact can increase mutual
appreciation. When this contact features:
equal status within the immediate setting;
shared goals; cooperation in pursuit of those
goals; and authorities’ support, it provides
a bias for intergroup friendship. Genuine
intergroup friendships noticeably reduce
stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.

College of Business Senior Assistant Dean
Ron Watkins suggests that there are three
constraints to producing quality outcomes in
projects: time, resources, and scope. Of the
three, the least clearly defined is scope (how
much time we have to accomplish something).
Our human and financial resources are often
well-delineated.
Determine what information you need from
your scenario to clearly define the scope of the
issue and your work within it.

There are no universally accepted ways to
solve any one problem, however, it is essential
to consider the following steps:
• Ensure that all aspects of the problem are
considered, so as to avoid overlap.
• Identify the number of primary and
secondary questions that need to be
addressed (dependent upon the issue being
decomposed).
• There are no “right” ways so long as
all questions are: mutually exclusive,
collectively exhaustive.

According to Rob Cross, Reb Rebele, and
Adam Grant, the time spent by managers
and employees in collaborative activities has
increased sharply in the last 20 years, but
the distribution of collaborative work is very
lopsided. They believe that organizations
should start hiring “chief collaboration
officers” to manage teamwork thoughtfully and
resource it effectively.
If such a “CCO” were available during your
scenario, how do you think he or she could
help?

As collaboration takes over the workplace,
one must be mindful of helpful employees
becoming institutional bottlenecks.
In your scenario, how can you provide help at
three different levels of effort:
• Informational resources are knowledge and
skills that can be recorded and passed on.
• Social resources involve one’s awareness,
access, and position in a network.
• Personal resources include one’s own time
and energy.

Collaboration adds value to projects or tasks.
But when is it a hindrance to accomplishment?
People can offer three kinds of “resources”
when working in a collaborative situation.
“Informational resources are knowledge and
skills—expertise that can be recorded and
passed on. Social resources involve one’s
awareness, access, and position in a network,
which can be used to help colleagues better
collaborate with one another. Personal
resources include one’s own time and energy.”
Reallocation of the kind of resources and
expectations can help the burden on “in
demand” colleagues.

Adam Grant states that by encouraging
employees to both seek and provide help,
rewarding givers, and screening out takers,
companies can reap significant and lasting
benefits. In giver cultures, employees operate
as the high-performing intelligence units do:
helping others, sharing knowledge, offering
mentoring, and making connections without
expecting anything in return. In taker cultures,
the norm is to get as much as possible from
others while contributing less in return.
Did you decide to create a giver or taker culture
in your scenario?

Nathan Podsadoff’s research found higher
rates of giving were predictive of higher unit
profitability, productivity, efficiency, and
customer satisfaction, along with lower cost
and turnover rates.
In your scenario how would you encourage
your stakeholders to be givers?

How to identify a Taker:
• Takers tend to claim personal credit for
successes (use pronouns like I and me
instead of us and we).
• Takers tend to follow a pattern of “kissing
up, and kicking down,” so references should
come from colleagues/direct reports.
• Takers sometimes engage in antagonistic
behavior at the expense of others, i.e., bad
mouthing a peer who’s up for promotion or
overcharging an uninformed customer.

Peer-Bonus and Peer Recognition Programs:
When employees witness unique or time-
consuming acts of helping, they can nominate
the givers for small bonuses or recognition.
Incentives should be small and spontaneous.
One common model is to grant employees an
equal number of tokens they can freely award
to colleagues.

According to Adam Grant, “Takers” in the
workplace are fixated on getting more than
they give. “Matchers” are obsessed with
fairness and perceived equality. “Givers” give
of themselves without keeping score.
In the transition from individual contributor to
leader and manager of other people, Grant says
givers need to learn how to ask others to help in
order to stay sane, but also to learn and grow.
Talk about the opportunities there might be
in your scenario to lead by giving, or to lead by
enlisting the help of others.

Adam Grant shares an anecdote where
salesmen with a “giving” personality often
put the needs of the customer above their own
sales targets. This results in shortfalls in the
short term, but overall higher revenue in the
long term. This points to the idea that a giving
mindset may be the most beneficial for all
involved.

To help get at the root of a problem, where you
feel out of control, Dr. Henry Cloud advises:
1. Take a piece of paper and divide it into
two columns.
2. In column one, write down all of the
things you cannot control that are
affecting you.
3. In column two, write down all of the
things you do have control over.
4. Begin to share, brainstorm, and take
action on the things you can control
during the rest of your hours at work.

Allan, P. (2015). Twenty cognitive biases that affect your decision-
making. Lifehacker. Retrieved from: http://lifehacker.com/this-
graphic-explains-20-cognitive-biases-that-affect-y-1730901381
Amabile, T., Kramer, S. (2011). Four reasons to keep a work diary.
Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2011/04/
four-reasons-to-keep-a-work-di
Ariely, D. (2012). What makes us feel good at work? Retrieved from:
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_what_makes_us_feel_good_
about_our_work?language=en
Be so good they can’t ignore you: Steve Martin. (2007). Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teAvv6jnuXY
Bennis, W. (1996). Harvard Business Review. Retreived from: https://
hbr.org/1996/01/the-leader-as-storyteller
Cross, R., Rebele, R., Grant, A.M. (2016). Collaborative overload.
Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2016/01/
collaborative-overload
Cuddy, A. (2015). Your body language shapes who you are. Retrieved
from: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_
shapes_who_you_are?language=en
Dominus, S. (2013). Is giving the secret to getting ahead. The
New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.
com/2013/03/31/magazine/is-giving-the-secret-to-getting-ahead.
html?_r=0
Dubner, S.J., Levitt, S.D. (2006). A star is made. The New York
Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/
magazine/07wwln_freak.html?_r=0pagewanted=all –
Eight steps for conflict resolution. (2015). Retrieved from: https://
www.ohrd.wisc.edu/onlinetraining/resolution/stepsoverview.htm
Ericsson, K.A., (2007). The making of an expert. Harvard Business
Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2007/07/the-making-of-an-
expert
Evans, L. (2014). Why you should keep a journal at work. Fast
Company. Retrieved from: http://www.fastcompany.com/3031889/
why-you-should-keep-a-journal-at-work
Fiske, S. T. (2002). What we know now about bias and intergroup
conflict, the problem of the century. Current Directions in
Psychological Science Current Directions in Psychol Sci, 11(4), 123-128.
doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00183
Fried, J. (2010). Managing Conflict. Inc.. Retrieved from: http://www.
inc.com/magazine/20100701/managing-conflict.html
Gallo, C. (2014). Talk like ted. New York, NY. St. Martin’s Press.
Givers, takers, and matchers. (2014). Retrieved from: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=zxEzJFvO2oE
Grant, A. (2013). Givers take all. McKinseyCompany. Retrieved from:
http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-
insights/givers-take-all-the-hidden-dimension-of-corporate-culture
Grant, A. (2013). In the company of givers and takers. Harvard
Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2013/04/in-the-
company-of-givers-and-takers
Grant, A. (2014). How to succeed by helping others. The
Atlantic. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/
archive/2014/03/how-to-succeed-professionally-by-helping-
others/284429/
Ibarra, H. (2015). Act like a leader, think like a leader.
Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/
danpontefract/2015/03/24/if-you-act-like-a-leader-you-will-think-
like-a-leader/#555529517513
Ibarra, H. (2015). The authenticity paradox. Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-authenticity-paradox
Jennings, P., Ponder, L. (2015). Folktale openings. Retrieved from:
http://www.folktale.net/openers.html
Kennedy, K. A., Pronin, E. (2008). When disagreement
gets ugly: Perceptions of bias and the escalation of conflict.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(6), 833-848.
doi:10.1177/0146167208315158
Kouzes, J. M., Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge (5th ed.).
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Cloud, H. (201). Necessary endings. New York, NY. Harper-Collins
Publishers.
Newport, C. (2012). So good they can’t ignore you: Why skills trump
passion in the quest for work you love. New York, NY: Business Plus.
Porath, C. (2016). An antidote to Incivility. Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2016/04/an-antidote-to-incivility
Radical candor. Former googler lets us in on the surprising secret to
being a good boss. (2016). Fast Company. Retrieved from: http://www.
fastcompany.com/3054668/lessons-learned/former-googler-lets-us-
in-on-the-surprising-secret-to-being-a-good-boss
Riordan, C., O’brien, K. (2012). For great teamwork, start with a
social contract. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.
org/2012/04/to-ensure-great-teamwork-start
Segrin, C., Hanzal, A., Domschke, T. J. (2009). Accuracy and bias in
newlywed couples’ perceptions of conflict styles and the association
with marital satisfaction. Communication Monographs, 76(2), 207-
233. doi:10.1080/03637750902828404
Shachtman, N. (2013). In silicon valley, mindfulness is no fad. Wired.
Retrieved from: http://www.wired.com/2013/06/meditation-
mindfulness-silicon-valley/all  
Sull, D. N., Eisenhardt, K. M. (2015). Simple rules: How to thrive in a
complex world. New York, NY. Harcourt Publishing Company.
The Dan Plan. (2015). Retrieved from: http://thedanplan.com/
What is disc. (2015). Retrieved from: https://www.discprofile.com/
what-is-disc/overview/

Scenari•I linkedin

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Scenari•I linkedin

Similar to Scenari•I linkedin (20)

Scenari•I linkedin