How is it like currently, really?

In the context of setting a big hairy audacious goal, Jim Collins talked about the need to confront the brutal facts. Its whether we know how is it like currently, really.

To be able to continually create the vision that you desire, Peter Senge mentioned that we must know the current reality. Again, its about whether we know hos is it like currently, really.

I believe that if we are looking at organizations as a collective sum of individuals; then perhaps it is important for us to examine issues at the individual-level, then scale it up to the organizational-level.

Going back to Senge's theories about learning organizations; one fundamental underlying factor that must be there is personal mastery. Because if we want to continually create the vision that we desire, he said we'd need to examine the current reality.

Now, imagine if we examine the current reality and all the issues that we surface are, what we call, other people's problem; then there are only two things left to do. One, sulk. Two, blame others or wait for others to fix those problems. How's that for personal mastery?

In Covey's language that would be a reactive habit of highly ineffective people, as opposed to being proactive as a habit of highly effective individuals.

Because someone who has personal mastery would then look at the current reality and ask; what are the issues and how can I influence it? Based on the core theory of circle of influence that's when we work on areas or work with people, which we have influence over. And work hard at it to gain the trust and establish engaging relationships with others to expand that circle of influence.

So, today I'll like to share with you a key tip from Philosopher Abraham Kaplan that we can apply immediately as a leader of self and/or as a leader of others.

First, identify if the issue at hand is a problem or a predicament.

Kaplan distinguished them as follows: a problem is something you can deal with, a predicament is something you have to endure.

A good way to do this is to ask ourselves:

The issue at hand, can we:

(a) change it - is it within my circle of influence? Can I do something about it?

(b) change self - if we cannot change it then we will change ourselves so as to deal with it.

(c) live with it - we might not be able to change it or change self, so can we live with it? If we can't, then that leaves us with the final option, which is to

(d) leave it.

One thing to note is, whatever choice you make, you have to be happy with the decision. :)
Your friend,
Melvyn
(Sent from my Blackberry Bold)