Transforming organisations

First position

If director development points from their appraisals invariably involve behaviour of one sort or another, what bit of behaviour are we talking about? After all, when we meet another person we only have our words, our voice and our gestures with which to communicate.

I think that one common theme is that we don’t always consciously realise the impact of our words or our tone of voice or our gestures on others.

It is said that there are three ways of looking at the world: first position is simply through our own eyes, second position is through the eyes of someone else and third position is to see the world from an impartial, ‘fly on the wall’, perspective. It is also said that great leaders, people of influence and wisdom have this quality, the ability to see circumstances from all three positions.

And when I think about it, a lot of the work I do with executive coaching is to try to help people see things from second and third position. Most of us don’t have a problem with first position.

Another variable is that circumstances are never the same, so what was appropriate behaviour once, no longer is. So for example, if you are divorced it is unlikely that you will greet your former partner today in the same manner that you once did just before you got married!

Answers on a postcard please.

posted by Tim @ 11:15 AM