In my last post, I talked about linear and non-linear thinking and how they affect the practice of Middle Way Management™. I suggested it is possible to practice Middle Way Management as a non-linear thinker in the context of a linear-thinking, American-style organization. In this post, I discuss the role of reflective thought and how you can rely on it as a calming instrument during the course of your hectic day.
Reflections on Reflective Thought
We all engage in reflective thought at some level throughout the course of a day. As a manager, it can be quite difficult in the workplace to reflect on events immediately after they have happened. I know, I've been there. Attending meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting does not promote the kind of peaceful reflection one requires to absorb much, let alone the content of those meetings!
It is an absolute necessity that you take the time out of your busy day to reflect on events. Without this, you will carry past injuries into the present so that you are living in a fearful future that will most probably never come about. As Mark Twain so eloquently put it, "I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened."
Reflective thought is not a quick review of meeting notes or briefly glancing at your schedule in the morning before everything busts loose. Reflective thought is the intentional act of quieting your mind in a peaceful place so that you can not only reflect on the past, you can address the future in a non-reactive way by mindfully living in the present.
Since one of the main ideas behind Middle Way Management is the act of living in the Now while letting the past inform your present and planning for the future, this simple act of taking time to reflect on workplace events is crucial to your success as a Middle Way Manager™.
Vision: A Moral Imperative of the Middle Way Manager
As a leader who embraces Middle Way Management, it is important you understand the critical role played by vision in your daily management practice. Truly, without vision, the organization will perish. Vision is the anchor for the activities of the present; it is what drives us to create and understand the 'what' and it is what compels us to find innovative solutions for the 'how' and 'when' of our work.
Vision is what excites and motivates people to perform to the best of their abilities. The leader-manager who lacks vision provides no incentive to the team. For this reason, it is a moral imperative of the Middle Way Manager to foster mindful awareness based upon shared organizational vision. Vision cannot be developed without engaging in frequent, consciously mindful reflective thought. Hence, reflective thought that leads to a clear, concise, exciting vision for the team is an obligation of the Middle Way Manager.
Quiet Reflections
I once worked for an organization led by a Buddhist CEO. Upon arriving for a meeting at his office one day, I was told by his assistant that he was not yet available because he was "meditating or something." What a great reason to be left waiting. This CEO took time every day to engage in meditation based upon his personal religious beliefs, which informed every aspect of his management style. While it is my observation that he did not hold upper-level managers sufficiently accountable for their decisions, actions, and outcomes (a topic for a future post), he did manage with compassion, empathy, understanding and patience.
Along these lines, it is important for you to take the time to find a quiet place and reflect on events of the day, both past and upcoming. As a busy manager, I have had to block out time on my calendar as a meeting so that no one would book over the top of my reflection time. This may seem disingenuous, but if you book it as personal time and you work for a busy organization, your request will probably not be honored. Besides, it really is a meeting--with yourself.
Your place of restful thinking will offer you the peaceful environment necessary for you to calm your mind. In this case, an open door policy should be discarded for a few moments. You can use the breathing technique described in a previous post or simply sit with your eyes closed while listening to some pleasant music. It's probably not practical to light a candle in an office building, yet I do this when I am working in my own office at home.
I sit in a comfortable chair, close my eyes, calm myself with mindfully aware breathing and reflect. At first, your mind will wander. It always helps me before a session to review a few topics before settling in. This way, you can let your unconscious mind work on other topics as you review ones at the top of your mind. You should not take too much time to do this--it is not an exercise in mediation. Rather, it's an opportunity for you to quiet your mind and get organized so that you can charge ahead with renewed vigor. Ten minutes or so are quite enough for me.
Hopefully, this gives you a way to maintain a busy managerial work schedule without sacrificing too much of your physical energy. In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and life/work balance. The consciously mindful path of the Middle Way Manager treads carefully between work and home. We truly do serve others best by balancing our workload with our personal obligations.
Until then, reflect early and often!
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Middle Way Management and (Non-)Linear Thinking
In my last two posts, I discussed managing up and dealing with the difficult team member using Middle Way Management™. The key to managing relationships in both instances is compassion combined with empathy, understanding, sympathy, and a healthy dose of patience. This results in the creation of new, stronger links between you and those with whom you interact. In this post, I will be discussing how linear and non-linear thinking affect your Middle Way Management practice.
Linear vs. Non-linear Thinking
Linear thinkers see the world as a set of absolutes. There are no gray areas. Everything is black or white, you're with us or against us, I'm right and you're wrong. This type of thinking does not entertain more than two options or leave the door open for competing ideas to be held in the mind at any one time. Linear thinking is a fear-based, egoistic way of looking at the world. As you can imagine, this leads to a Middle Way Management practice that is focused upon and driven by expected outcomes that fall within a limited thought space. Rigidity is the norm. Flexibility is not the watchword of the linear thinker.
Non-linear thinkers see the world as a set of options. Nothing is set in stone. Gray areas abound and there is always room for debate, discussion, and dialogue. This type of thinking entertains multiple options at any one time and leaves the door wide open for those options to change as new information comes to light. Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." This is also the mark of a non-linear thinker who never feels the need to be right at the expense of others who are wrong. The non-linear thinker does not consider every conversation, meeting, or even competition to be a zero-sum game. The non-linear thinker truly believes everyone can win.
American-style Management
While it is not my goal here to judge one type of thinking as being better than the other, I do recognize that American-style management is all about linear thinking. Examine the language used by American-style leadership and management thinkers and writers and you will see that their metaphors are aggressive, even war-like. The playing field of organizational management is a zero-sum game and, by heavens, they are out to win at all costs.
With these sorts of managers, the end (profit) justifies the means (outright brutality), particularly in the case of people management. If someone doesn't fit into the organizational culture, don't take the time and effort to work with them, simply let them go. I believe the overtly competitive nature of capitalism has driven this attitude. I also believe there is room within capitalistic economic systems and the political systems tightly linked to them for Middle Way Management to flourish.
Thinking in New Terms
Middle Way Managers™ are non-linear thinkers. If American-style management is dominated by linear thinking, how can a Middle Way Manager be effective in an organizational management role? This is perhaps one of the most important questions someone who wishes to make the commitment to developing a Middle Way Management practice can ask herself. As I described in an earlier post, I was once terminated for "practicing servant leadership without a license." While I find humor in it now, believe me, it wasn't that funny back then as they walked me out the door. Rather than using Middle Way Management at the expense of your career or job, think about it in non-linear terms (which I did not do with my former employer).
I think of Middle Way Management as a meta-level approach which I can overlay upon other leadership and management approaches. For instance, organizational operations are largely driven by policies, procedures, guidelines, and rules. Since people are the primary constituents of all organizations, I can practice compassion, empathy, understanding, kindness, sympathy, and patience while still holding my team members accountable to operational constraints. In fact, it is one of the fundamental responsibilities of Middle Way Managers to hold team members accountable to the highest possible ethical and quality standards. In this way, you can practice Middle Way Management in non-linear ways while still maintaining linear organizational norms.
In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and reflective thought. While breathing can help us become centered in the daily storm, reflective thought produces the type of leadership vision that is a moral imperative of the Middle Way Manager.
Go now, and manage well!
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Linear vs. Non-linear Thinking
Linear thinkers see the world as a set of absolutes. There are no gray areas. Everything is black or white, you're with us or against us, I'm right and you're wrong. This type of thinking does not entertain more than two options or leave the door open for competing ideas to be held in the mind at any one time. Linear thinking is a fear-based, egoistic way of looking at the world. As you can imagine, this leads to a Middle Way Management practice that is focused upon and driven by expected outcomes that fall within a limited thought space. Rigidity is the norm. Flexibility is not the watchword of the linear thinker.
Non-linear thinkers see the world as a set of options. Nothing is set in stone. Gray areas abound and there is always room for debate, discussion, and dialogue. This type of thinking entertains multiple options at any one time and leaves the door wide open for those options to change as new information comes to light. Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." This is also the mark of a non-linear thinker who never feels the need to be right at the expense of others who are wrong. The non-linear thinker does not consider every conversation, meeting, or even competition to be a zero-sum game. The non-linear thinker truly believes everyone can win.
American-style Management
While it is not my goal here to judge one type of thinking as being better than the other, I do recognize that American-style management is all about linear thinking. Examine the language used by American-style leadership and management thinkers and writers and you will see that their metaphors are aggressive, even war-like. The playing field of organizational management is a zero-sum game and, by heavens, they are out to win at all costs.
With these sorts of managers, the end (profit) justifies the means (outright brutality), particularly in the case of people management. If someone doesn't fit into the organizational culture, don't take the time and effort to work with them, simply let them go. I believe the overtly competitive nature of capitalism has driven this attitude. I also believe there is room within capitalistic economic systems and the political systems tightly linked to them for Middle Way Management to flourish.
Thinking in New Terms
Middle Way Managers™ are non-linear thinkers. If American-style management is dominated by linear thinking, how can a Middle Way Manager be effective in an organizational management role? This is perhaps one of the most important questions someone who wishes to make the commitment to developing a Middle Way Management practice can ask herself. As I described in an earlier post, I was once terminated for "practicing servant leadership without a license." While I find humor in it now, believe me, it wasn't that funny back then as they walked me out the door. Rather than using Middle Way Management at the expense of your career or job, think about it in non-linear terms (which I did not do with my former employer).
I think of Middle Way Management as a meta-level approach which I can overlay upon other leadership and management approaches. For instance, organizational operations are largely driven by policies, procedures, guidelines, and rules. Since people are the primary constituents of all organizations, I can practice compassion, empathy, understanding, kindness, sympathy, and patience while still holding my team members accountable to operational constraints. In fact, it is one of the fundamental responsibilities of Middle Way Managers to hold team members accountable to the highest possible ethical and quality standards. In this way, you can practice Middle Way Management in non-linear ways while still maintaining linear organizational norms.
In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and reflective thought. While breathing can help us become centered in the daily storm, reflective thought produces the type of leadership vision that is a moral imperative of the Middle Way Manager.
Go now, and manage well!
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Middle Way Management and the Difficult Team Member
As you can imagine, this post will be similar to my last post in which I discussed how to manage up using the Middle Way Management™ attributes of understanding, compassion, empathy, and sympathy. Dealing with a difficult team member requires many of the same behaviors, along with a healthy dose of patience.
The Suffering Team Member
Over the years, I’ve worked with just about every personality type imaginable. Some of them have been difficult, most have not. Admittedly, I’ve even been the difficult one at times. Regardless of the situation, you can be sure the difficult person is suffering. And what is your primary Middle Way Management goal? That’s right, the relief of suffering (you’re starting to get it!), so consider the difficult team member a golden opportunity to walk the Middle Way Management talk.
As I think about the difficult people I’ve worked with (myself included), in every example I come back to a bruised ego. Since ego issues are based upon emotionalized perceptions, accurate or not, much of the relief of suffering is easily accomplished through clear managerial communication. Nothing creates disenchantment quicker than a lack of communication. In the absence of clear, respectful communication, people simply concoct the stories they feel they need to perpetually construct their own perceived value. And isn’t a majority of ego injury caused by the emotions created from a perceived lack of appreciation?
The Relief of Suffering
I wish I could say that I have specific answers as to why everyone suffers. I don't. Since our workplace interactions with difficult people are on a professional level, we only have insight into their behaviors, which are surface level indicators of deeper issues. As a difficult person's language and task quality reveals their suffering, it is your duty as a Middle Way Manager™ to relieve it.
How you go about relieving the suffering of the difficult team member is entirely up to you. Several factors come into play. How well do you know the person? Is it appropriate to delve too deeply to get at root causes? Will the person even accept your help? Regardless, as a Middle Way Manager in an organization, you can typically rely on organizational resources to help you address the team member's suffering. Sometimes, all a suffering person wants is to be heard - by anyone. This is why a suffering organizational member will often choose to voice their suffering to anyone and everyone, which is not good for them, the receiving parties, or the organization.
As a Middle Way Manager, it is your duty to recognize and then empathize with your suffering team member. Once you observe the behavior clues of suffering, you must move forward with compassion, empathy, sympathy, and understanding. Reacting with like behavior is not the way of the Middle Way Manager. Putting yourself in the position of the suffering person is the proper response, one that can work to reframe your relationship with the team member and the team member's relationship with the organization.
In the end, it's all about compassion and empathy, understanding and sympathy. A patient, kind response to the suffering team member is the only way to practice Middle Way Management and the best way to relieve their suffering; it's good for them, it's good for you, and it's good for the organization.
In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and linear thinking.
Until then...
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
The Suffering Team Member
Over the years, I’ve worked with just about every personality type imaginable. Some of them have been difficult, most have not. Admittedly, I’ve even been the difficult one at times. Regardless of the situation, you can be sure the difficult person is suffering. And what is your primary Middle Way Management goal? That’s right, the relief of suffering (you’re starting to get it!), so consider the difficult team member a golden opportunity to walk the Middle Way Management talk.
As I think about the difficult people I’ve worked with (myself included), in every example I come back to a bruised ego. Since ego issues are based upon emotionalized perceptions, accurate or not, much of the relief of suffering is easily accomplished through clear managerial communication. Nothing creates disenchantment quicker than a lack of communication. In the absence of clear, respectful communication, people simply concoct the stories they feel they need to perpetually construct their own perceived value. And isn’t a majority of ego injury caused by the emotions created from a perceived lack of appreciation?
The Relief of Suffering
I wish I could say that I have specific answers as to why everyone suffers. I don't. Since our workplace interactions with difficult people are on a professional level, we only have insight into their behaviors, which are surface level indicators of deeper issues. As a difficult person's language and task quality reveals their suffering, it is your duty as a Middle Way Manager™ to relieve it.
How you go about relieving the suffering of the difficult team member is entirely up to you. Several factors come into play. How well do you know the person? Is it appropriate to delve too deeply to get at root causes? Will the person even accept your help? Regardless, as a Middle Way Manager in an organization, you can typically rely on organizational resources to help you address the team member's suffering. Sometimes, all a suffering person wants is to be heard - by anyone. This is why a suffering organizational member will often choose to voice their suffering to anyone and everyone, which is not good for them, the receiving parties, or the organization.
As a Middle Way Manager, it is your duty to recognize and then empathize with your suffering team member. Once you observe the behavior clues of suffering, you must move forward with compassion, empathy, sympathy, and understanding. Reacting with like behavior is not the way of the Middle Way Manager. Putting yourself in the position of the suffering person is the proper response, one that can work to reframe your relationship with the team member and the team member's relationship with the organization.
In the end, it's all about compassion and empathy, understanding and sympathy. A patient, kind response to the suffering team member is the only way to practice Middle Way Management and the best way to relieve their suffering; it's good for them, it's good for you, and it's good for the organization.
In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and linear thinking.
Until then...
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Managing Up with Middle Way Management
A Couple of (Very) Good Bosses
I've been in the workforce just about all of my life. I started out picking berries, something that is generally too labor intensive for the present generation of pre-teens and teens. I don't begrudge them this attitude. Riding a bike or walking in the chill morning rain to spend the day up to my elbows in ice-cold berry plants, covered with mud and soaked to the bone was never my idea of a good time. Yet, I learned some good lessons over the course of those summers.
One lesson I picked up from spending years communing with nature for profit was that there are all kinds of bosses. The kindly couple who owned the berry patch where I worked were good bosses. They were tough, but fair and always worked as hard as any of their pickers. They were originally from Japan and it was said that during the shameful internment period of World War II, a neighbor cared for the deed to their farm until they could return to begin anew. I believe this lesson, and those from the culture in which they came of age, were not lost on them.
As I prepared to put my thoughts down here, it occurred to me that these people were probably the best bosses I've ever had. They rose early in the morning, worked hard all day, paid fairly and on time, and were always ready with a good ribbing. I believe their management style was the result of compassionate practice. They really did care about the kids who worked for them and it showed.
Missed Opportunities
Again, as I prepared my thoughts, it also struck me that there exists not one example besides the Japanese couple of a boss, or even an organization, for which I have worked that has given one whit about me as a person. Perhaps this is related to the industry in which I have mostly worked over the course of my adult life (Information Technology), yet I suspect it's something deeper, something endemic to Western capitalism and organizational management that considers me nothing more than a "human resource" to be exploited in the interest of maintaining a healthy bottom line. Likewise, I've had myriad opportunities over the years to interact with my bosses by showing compassion and kindness, yet I have passed these up for reasons I do not fully understand.
I'm beginning to get the idea that my vision was clouded by the environment in which I found myself and by the choices I made about how to play in that sandbox. I played by their rules and, most of the time, I lost. My resume is long and eventful with many jobs where I've played a key role in developing and delivering major technological initiatives, yet I do not consider myself successful. I may have at one time, but I do not today. For me, success can only be measured by the constant, mindful awareness that comes from walking the true Middle Way Management™ path.
Moving Forward - and Up
In the interest of moving forward by discussing the positive attributes and behaviors that are developed through the practice of Middle Way Management, I'm not going to detail the bad boss behaviors I've experienced over the years. One thing I've come to realize is that my work experience is in no way unique. Rather than belabor the characteristics of a bad boss, I will assume that we've all had at least one. I would rather detail what it takes to transcend the negative and manage up with kindness, compassion, and empathy.
Managing up is not about manipulating your boss to get what you want. Rather, it's about standing in the psychological and emotional space of your boss so that you can better understand any type of assignment, good or bad. Thinking back to my posts on ego and self-definition, I submit that a "bad" task assignment is nothing more than one that bumps up against your ego and definition of your Self. For instance, if you have worked in a certain position for any length of time and you have put time and energy into defining yourself, at least partly, as that position, a request by your boss that appears menial is probably one that is knocking at your ego.
If this occurs, you should step back to examine why you are feeling this way. This is not easy to do and requires a kind of mindful awareness that can only come with the daily practice of Middle Way Management. Once you can take this step back, it is another very short step to put yourself in the space of your manager. When you accomplish this, you will learn more about your boss that will be helpful to both of you in the future.
If you consider your manager to be good, this will be relatively easy and you may even be able to approach her to ask about the "question behind the question," or what's really going on. If you consider your manager to be bad, this will require some effort on your part. Regardless of your feelings about your manager, you must understand that she will often have insight critical to her request of you, and she simply may not have the time, energy, or permission to relay this knowledge to you.
At the heart of this practice of empathy and sympathy is the goal of fulfilling your manager's request out of a caring and compassionate heart. Remember, one of your primary goals as a Middle Way Manager™ is to relieve suffering within your organization at all levels. This is an opportunity for you to practice true Middle Way Management. As you engage in these sorts of behaviors, you will notice your relationship with your manager change over time.
The relief of managerial suffering is the essence of managing up with Middle Way Management.
I hope you were somewhat surprised by my ideas about "managing up." Making an effort every day to manage up, down, and sideways with compassion, empathy, and mindful awareness is what Middle Way Management is all about.
In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and the difficult team member. Hope to see you there!
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
I've been in the workforce just about all of my life. I started out picking berries, something that is generally too labor intensive for the present generation of pre-teens and teens. I don't begrudge them this attitude. Riding a bike or walking in the chill morning rain to spend the day up to my elbows in ice-cold berry plants, covered with mud and soaked to the bone was never my idea of a good time. Yet, I learned some good lessons over the course of those summers.
One lesson I picked up from spending years communing with nature for profit was that there are all kinds of bosses. The kindly couple who owned the berry patch where I worked were good bosses. They were tough, but fair and always worked as hard as any of their pickers. They were originally from Japan and it was said that during the shameful internment period of World War II, a neighbor cared for the deed to their farm until they could return to begin anew. I believe this lesson, and those from the culture in which they came of age, were not lost on them.
As I prepared to put my thoughts down here, it occurred to me that these people were probably the best bosses I've ever had. They rose early in the morning, worked hard all day, paid fairly and on time, and were always ready with a good ribbing. I believe their management style was the result of compassionate practice. They really did care about the kids who worked for them and it showed.
Missed Opportunities
Again, as I prepared my thoughts, it also struck me that there exists not one example besides the Japanese couple of a boss, or even an organization, for which I have worked that has given one whit about me as a person. Perhaps this is related to the industry in which I have mostly worked over the course of my adult life (Information Technology), yet I suspect it's something deeper, something endemic to Western capitalism and organizational management that considers me nothing more than a "human resource" to be exploited in the interest of maintaining a healthy bottom line. Likewise, I've had myriad opportunities over the years to interact with my bosses by showing compassion and kindness, yet I have passed these up for reasons I do not fully understand.
I'm beginning to get the idea that my vision was clouded by the environment in which I found myself and by the choices I made about how to play in that sandbox. I played by their rules and, most of the time, I lost. My resume is long and eventful with many jobs where I've played a key role in developing and delivering major technological initiatives, yet I do not consider myself successful. I may have at one time, but I do not today. For me, success can only be measured by the constant, mindful awareness that comes from walking the true Middle Way Management™ path.
Moving Forward - and Up
In the interest of moving forward by discussing the positive attributes and behaviors that are developed through the practice of Middle Way Management, I'm not going to detail the bad boss behaviors I've experienced over the years. One thing I've come to realize is that my work experience is in no way unique. Rather than belabor the characteristics of a bad boss, I will assume that we've all had at least one. I would rather detail what it takes to transcend the negative and manage up with kindness, compassion, and empathy.
Managing up is not about manipulating your boss to get what you want. Rather, it's about standing in the psychological and emotional space of your boss so that you can better understand any type of assignment, good or bad. Thinking back to my posts on ego and self-definition, I submit that a "bad" task assignment is nothing more than one that bumps up against your ego and definition of your Self. For instance, if you have worked in a certain position for any length of time and you have put time and energy into defining yourself, at least partly, as that position, a request by your boss that appears menial is probably one that is knocking at your ego.
If this occurs, you should step back to examine why you are feeling this way. This is not easy to do and requires a kind of mindful awareness that can only come with the daily practice of Middle Way Management. Once you can take this step back, it is another very short step to put yourself in the space of your manager. When you accomplish this, you will learn more about your boss that will be helpful to both of you in the future.
If you consider your manager to be good, this will be relatively easy and you may even be able to approach her to ask about the "question behind the question," or what's really going on. If you consider your manager to be bad, this will require some effort on your part. Regardless of your feelings about your manager, you must understand that she will often have insight critical to her request of you, and she simply may not have the time, energy, or permission to relay this knowledge to you.
At the heart of this practice of empathy and sympathy is the goal of fulfilling your manager's request out of a caring and compassionate heart. Remember, one of your primary goals as a Middle Way Manager™ is to relieve suffering within your organization at all levels. This is an opportunity for you to practice true Middle Way Management. As you engage in these sorts of behaviors, you will notice your relationship with your manager change over time.
The relief of managerial suffering is the essence of managing up with Middle Way Management.
I hope you were somewhat surprised by my ideas about "managing up." Making an effort every day to manage up, down, and sideways with compassion, empathy, and mindful awareness is what Middle Way Management is all about.
In my next post, I will discuss Middle Way Management and the difficult team member. Hope to see you there!
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Middle Way Management and Self-Identity
Revisiting Middle Way Management and the Self
In previous posts, I talked about how many of our non-Middle Way Management™ behaviors are born of our fears. I discussed how ego's sole aim is self-preservation, even at the expense of the very creature it inhabits - you! In this post, my intent is to examine self-definition while taking into consideration the content of those previous posts.
So, What Do You Do?
Most of us respond to the question, "So, what do you do?" with a simple answer: "I am my job." We might not say those exact words, but that's what we really mean. "I'm a software engineer." "I'm a dental technician." "I'm a Middle Way Manager." Wouldn't that last answer elicit a surprised look with followup questions!? I always have a hard time answering the "What do you do?" question because I think it's nothing more than a limiting qualifier intended to pigeonhole me into a group or judgment category for the person asking. I often answer, "A little of this, a little of that," which generally doesn't go over very well.
My main concern here is with how people typically answer this question. Most of us respond with our job title. I must admit the first response that often leaps to mind is what I do in my "day job", as well. I've been conditioned to respond this way based upon years of linear, non-Middle Way Management thinking. This thinking was centered around a self-definition based upon my ego needs. For many years, I thought I was an "IT guy." It turns out I'm more than that. Much more.
You Are Not Your Job
As you develop your Middle Way Management practice, always remember you are not your job. You are more than your job. You are someone with a purpose that may or may not have anything whatsoever to do with your job. We have all come to this place at this time for a reason and it is one of your primary duties as Middle Way Managers to discover this reason. Granted, some people know in their hearts that their mission on this planet is to accomplish as much as possible in their organizational positions. Yet, I would remind these people that they, too, are not their jobs.
If you are confident you are fulfilling your life purpose in your current organizational position, I wish you well on your journey. If you are choosing to develop a Middle Way Management practice along the way, even better. But, what about those who do not feel they are in the right organizational position at the right time? What if you are a manager who feels you have somehow fallen off track? What if you, in fact, hate your job, yet you are stuck because you must pay the mortgage, get the kids through school, etc.?
There is hope in Middle Way Management. As you increase the mindful awareness and compassion with which you manage others, you will notice positive transformations developing in every aspect of your life. Shifting the way you choose to define yourself (i.e., you are more than your job) will spill over into every other compartment of your life. There is simply no way it cannot. By practicing awareness through breathing and constant mindfulness as a reactionary safety net, your sense of inner calm and general self-awareness will grow, sometimes without you even knowing it is happening.
Discovering Your True Nature
Combining the breathing exercise (from a previous post) with the phrase, "I am more than my job," is a way to calm yourself and discover your true nature. As you develop your Middle Way Management practice and devote time to reflective thought and aware breathing, you will come closer to discovering your true nature.
You will find that your true nature is more than your job title; it is who you are in the deepest part of your being and who you are becoming. It is in becoming that you will discover your own Middle Way Management path of consciously mindful compassion and genuine empathy. It is through the purposeful practice of Middle Way Management that you will find your true self.
Got a bad boss? How about a good one? My next post considers how to "manage up" using Middle Way Management.
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
In previous posts, I talked about how many of our non-Middle Way Management™ behaviors are born of our fears. I discussed how ego's sole aim is self-preservation, even at the expense of the very creature it inhabits - you! In this post, my intent is to examine self-definition while taking into consideration the content of those previous posts.
So, What Do You Do?
Most of us respond to the question, "So, what do you do?" with a simple answer: "I am my job." We might not say those exact words, but that's what we really mean. "I'm a software engineer." "I'm a dental technician." "I'm a Middle Way Manager." Wouldn't that last answer elicit a surprised look with followup questions!? I always have a hard time answering the "What do you do?" question because I think it's nothing more than a limiting qualifier intended to pigeonhole me into a group or judgment category for the person asking. I often answer, "A little of this, a little of that," which generally doesn't go over very well.
My main concern here is with how people typically answer this question. Most of us respond with our job title. I must admit the first response that often leaps to mind is what I do in my "day job", as well. I've been conditioned to respond this way based upon years of linear, non-Middle Way Management thinking. This thinking was centered around a self-definition based upon my ego needs. For many years, I thought I was an "IT guy." It turns out I'm more than that. Much more.
You Are Not Your Job
As you develop your Middle Way Management practice, always remember you are not your job. You are more than your job. You are someone with a purpose that may or may not have anything whatsoever to do with your job. We have all come to this place at this time for a reason and it is one of your primary duties as Middle Way Managers to discover this reason. Granted, some people know in their hearts that their mission on this planet is to accomplish as much as possible in their organizational positions. Yet, I would remind these people that they, too, are not their jobs.
If you are confident you are fulfilling your life purpose in your current organizational position, I wish you well on your journey. If you are choosing to develop a Middle Way Management practice along the way, even better. But, what about those who do not feel they are in the right organizational position at the right time? What if you are a manager who feels you have somehow fallen off track? What if you, in fact, hate your job, yet you are stuck because you must pay the mortgage, get the kids through school, etc.?
There is hope in Middle Way Management. As you increase the mindful awareness and compassion with which you manage others, you will notice positive transformations developing in every aspect of your life. Shifting the way you choose to define yourself (i.e., you are more than your job) will spill over into every other compartment of your life. There is simply no way it cannot. By practicing awareness through breathing and constant mindfulness as a reactionary safety net, your sense of inner calm and general self-awareness will grow, sometimes without you even knowing it is happening.
Discovering Your True Nature
Combining the breathing exercise (from a previous post) with the phrase, "I am more than my job," is a way to calm yourself and discover your true nature. As you develop your Middle Way Management practice and devote time to reflective thought and aware breathing, you will come closer to discovering your true nature.
You will find that your true nature is more than your job title; it is who you are in the deepest part of your being and who you are becoming. It is in becoming that you will discover your own Middle Way Management path of consciously mindful compassion and genuine empathy. It is through the purposeful practice of Middle Way Management that you will find your true self.
Got a bad boss? How about a good one? My next post considers how to "manage up" using Middle Way Management.
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Middle Way Management and Organizational Culture
The Power of Culture
Culture informs our social interactions and how we construct societies and organizations at the collective level. It can determine the outcomes of our pursuit of personal goals and certainly affects our efficacy as organizational members. It is always there, yet it isn't because it's a reified concept of what we believe in the deepest corners of our hearts, and it determines how we behave in every context of our lives.
We belong to several cultures, and sub-cultures, at once. These cultures extend from the personal to the national and include just about every conceivable permutation between the two. Our cultural memberships largely determine our values (and our Values Intelligence), which determine our general and specific focuses in life.
For instance, I belong to the academic culture. Over time, I chose to participate in this culture by acquiring academic credentials and now must take certain steps and measures to maintain my standing in that community. Interestingly, I can opt out of this community in a passive way simply by choosing not to play. Conversely, other cultures are such a part of us that there is no way we can choose to let them go, passively or otherwise.
Some cultures are sodalities with fluid membership and some are so ingrained in us that they affect our decision making processes. A Harley-Davidson group is a sodality, while a religion is a deeply seated culture from which escape can be quite difficult. Regardless of its structural rigor, culture determines who comprises the "in-group" and the "out-group". Cultures are typically reified in hierarchical ways because humans harbor a biological need to organize mental structures hierarchically. It's just how we do things. This means that even within the in-group, sub-in-groups can exist.
The Meaning of Organizational Culture
Organizations as I consider them here are not necessarily profit driven enterprises. An organization is a collection of people committed to meeting agreed upon goals and objectives. Organizations can be created as the result of a culture's need for, well, organization. They can be loosely defined, but it's usually better if they are not. Specific definition provides the sort of clarity that removes barriers and creates common ground upon which organizational members can move forward with confidence.
As organizations grow and mature, even those with the best of intentions develop a unique culture. This can be based upon a shared worldview or preferred language, or, of course, both. I once worked at an organization where I was not allowed to use the word "but". But, I digress. Culture seems to be something that just happens; it is unavoidable. Based upon this reality, my concern here is with two things: (1) Is organizational culture hegemonic by nature and (2) if it is, does it cause suffering among organizational members?
Is Organizational Culture Hegemonic by Nature?
I've always made the assumption that culture is a good thing. As a student of archaeology, the recovery and analysis of material culture and the resulting inferences and assumptions about cultural norms and behaviors were the points of my studies. When cultural norms that challenged my sense of decency surfaced (e.g., cannibalism, slave holding, etc.), they were always viewed as interesting aspects of social-cultural groups long gone. Qualitative judgments about them were never a part of my analytical toolkit. Not so with organizational culture.
While some researchers such as Edgar Schein are content to describe and explain the levels and "dynamics" of organizational culture, others such as Geert Hofstede and Joseph Chilton Pearce have identified the constraint mechanisms of culture. Hofstede recognizes this in the title and body of his major work, Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Pearce writes at length about how culture acts as a constraint on individual behaviors--and not always in good ways. The common undercurrent among all of these is a tacit recognition of the hegemonic nature of organizational culture.
Cultural hegemony is about the domination of one group by another. In the case of organizational culture, the in-group will always dominate the out-group. Organizational culture is hegemonic by nature. Those who do not align with organizational practices and behaviors suffer the consequences; they are brought into alignment through non-sanctioned coercion by organizational members, through corrective managerial action, or they are selected for involuntary exit. Members who will not or cannot find their organizational sweet spot endure long days of frustration and outright anguish; they clearly suffer. So, the answers to my two questions above are "Yes" and "Yes".
Relief of Organizational Suffering
The daily, mindful practice of Middle Way Management™ is a way to relieve suffering by overcoming the hegemony of organizational culture. At the individual level, a mindful Middle Way Management practice will result in attention to the details necessary to align yourself with organizational goals and objectives, if this is really what you want to do. The increased conscious awareness of what the organization truly represents can help you make decisions about your career path with--or without--the organization.
The daily, mindful practice of Middle Way Management can help you work to relieve the suffering of those you manage. Behaviors and language are your clues to the cultural alignment of your team members. A consistently negative attitude and behaviors that determine poor task results are often unconscious indicators of an organizational member's need for change. Most of the time, this need does not care if the change is positive or negative. From the member's unconscious viewpoint, it is change that is required--any kind of change.
As a Middle Way Manager™, it is your duty to help relieve the individual suffering of your team members. By relieving their suffering, you relieve organizational suffering, as well as the suffering of anyone with whom your team member interacts throughout the day. This Ripple Effect perspective will help you manage people with compassion, empathy, and understanding. Now that you understand the hegemonic nature of organizational culture, you have added structural clarity to your already vibrant Middle Way Management practice.
Go now, and manage with compassion!
Onward! Darin
Resources Mentioned in this Post
Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural constraints in management theories. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 81-94.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Hofstede, G., & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.
Pearce, J. C. (2002). The crack in the cosmic egg: New constructs of mind and reality. South Paris, ME: Park Street Press.
Pearce, J. C. (2004). The biology of transcendence: A blueprint of the human spirit. South Paris, ME: Park Street Press.
Schein, E. H. (1990). Organizational culture. American Psychologist, 45(2), 109-119.
Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Culture informs our social interactions and how we construct societies and organizations at the collective level. It can determine the outcomes of our pursuit of personal goals and certainly affects our efficacy as organizational members. It is always there, yet it isn't because it's a reified concept of what we believe in the deepest corners of our hearts, and it determines how we behave in every context of our lives.
We belong to several cultures, and sub-cultures, at once. These cultures extend from the personal to the national and include just about every conceivable permutation between the two. Our cultural memberships largely determine our values (and our Values Intelligence), which determine our general and specific focuses in life.
For instance, I belong to the academic culture. Over time, I chose to participate in this culture by acquiring academic credentials and now must take certain steps and measures to maintain my standing in that community. Interestingly, I can opt out of this community in a passive way simply by choosing not to play. Conversely, other cultures are such a part of us that there is no way we can choose to let them go, passively or otherwise.
Some cultures are sodalities with fluid membership and some are so ingrained in us that they affect our decision making processes. A Harley-Davidson group is a sodality, while a religion is a deeply seated culture from which escape can be quite difficult. Regardless of its structural rigor, culture determines who comprises the "in-group" and the "out-group". Cultures are typically reified in hierarchical ways because humans harbor a biological need to organize mental structures hierarchically. It's just how we do things. This means that even within the in-group, sub-in-groups can exist.
The Meaning of Organizational Culture
Organizations as I consider them here are not necessarily profit driven enterprises. An organization is a collection of people committed to meeting agreed upon goals and objectives. Organizations can be created as the result of a culture's need for, well, organization. They can be loosely defined, but it's usually better if they are not. Specific definition provides the sort of clarity that removes barriers and creates common ground upon which organizational members can move forward with confidence.
As organizations grow and mature, even those with the best of intentions develop a unique culture. This can be based upon a shared worldview or preferred language, or, of course, both. I once worked at an organization where I was not allowed to use the word "but". But, I digress. Culture seems to be something that just happens; it is unavoidable. Based upon this reality, my concern here is with two things: (1) Is organizational culture hegemonic by nature and (2) if it is, does it cause suffering among organizational members?
Is Organizational Culture Hegemonic by Nature?
I've always made the assumption that culture is a good thing. As a student of archaeology, the recovery and analysis of material culture and the resulting inferences and assumptions about cultural norms and behaviors were the points of my studies. When cultural norms that challenged my sense of decency surfaced (e.g., cannibalism, slave holding, etc.), they were always viewed as interesting aspects of social-cultural groups long gone. Qualitative judgments about them were never a part of my analytical toolkit. Not so with organizational culture.
While some researchers such as Edgar Schein are content to describe and explain the levels and "dynamics" of organizational culture, others such as Geert Hofstede and Joseph Chilton Pearce have identified the constraint mechanisms of culture. Hofstede recognizes this in the title and body of his major work, Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Pearce writes at length about how culture acts as a constraint on individual behaviors--and not always in good ways. The common undercurrent among all of these is a tacit recognition of the hegemonic nature of organizational culture.
Cultural hegemony is about the domination of one group by another. In the case of organizational culture, the in-group will always dominate the out-group. Organizational culture is hegemonic by nature. Those who do not align with organizational practices and behaviors suffer the consequences; they are brought into alignment through non-sanctioned coercion by organizational members, through corrective managerial action, or they are selected for involuntary exit. Members who will not or cannot find their organizational sweet spot endure long days of frustration and outright anguish; they clearly suffer. So, the answers to my two questions above are "Yes" and "Yes".
Relief of Organizational Suffering
The daily, mindful practice of Middle Way Management™ is a way to relieve suffering by overcoming the hegemony of organizational culture. At the individual level, a mindful Middle Way Management practice will result in attention to the details necessary to align yourself with organizational goals and objectives, if this is really what you want to do. The increased conscious awareness of what the organization truly represents can help you make decisions about your career path with--or without--the organization.
The daily, mindful practice of Middle Way Management can help you work to relieve the suffering of those you manage. Behaviors and language are your clues to the cultural alignment of your team members. A consistently negative attitude and behaviors that determine poor task results are often unconscious indicators of an organizational member's need for change. Most of the time, this need does not care if the change is positive or negative. From the member's unconscious viewpoint, it is change that is required--any kind of change.
As a Middle Way Manager™, it is your duty to help relieve the individual suffering of your team members. By relieving their suffering, you relieve organizational suffering, as well as the suffering of anyone with whom your team member interacts throughout the day. This Ripple Effect perspective will help you manage people with compassion, empathy, and understanding. Now that you understand the hegemonic nature of organizational culture, you have added structural clarity to your already vibrant Middle Way Management practice.
Go now, and manage with compassion!
Onward! Darin
Resources Mentioned in this Post
Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural constraints in management theories. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 81-94.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Hofstede, G., & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.
Pearce, J. C. (2002). The crack in the cosmic egg: New constructs of mind and reality. South Paris, ME: Park Street Press.
Pearce, J. C. (2004). The biology of transcendence: A blueprint of the human spirit. South Paris, ME: Park Street Press.
Schein, E. H. (1990). Organizational culture. American Psychologist, 45(2), 109-119.
Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Walking the Middle Way Management Talk
Approaching Ego and Fear with Mindful Awareness
In my last post, I talked about the role of ego and how to face your fears and limitations as a way to enhance your practice of Middle Way Management™. When you recognize that ego is pushing your emotions to the limit or that your fears are getting the best of you, you can take immediate, proactive steps to relieve your own suffering.
By relieving your own suffering, you relieve the suffering of those you lead and manage in both tangible and unforeseen ways. By relieving your own suffering and the suffering of those around you, you relieve suffering throughout your organization via the Ripple Effect.
As a busy Middle Way Manager™, you can accomplish this in two ways, both of which will bring you to a settled place of conscious awareness in the midst of organizational chaos.
The First Approach: Breathing in Awareness
You have one thing in common with everyone else currently living on the planet: You breathe in and you breathe out. When you stop doing this, you've reached what system scientists call the "terminal state." This is not good for your Middle Way Management practice or for your health in general, so do keep breathing.
Recognizing that you breathe in and out on a regular basis, you can use your breath as a way to increase your mindfulness. By coming back to an awareness of your breathing, you are acknowledging your place in the world, that you are vital and alive, doing what you enjoy - managing people in an organization. In this way, you can not only return to your personal island of calm when everything is busting loose around you, you can use it as a way to increase your awareness throughout your busy day.
One of the best ways to practice mindful breathing is to silently recite a phrase or two while breathing in and breathing out. The phrase(s) you choose can be anything you find meaningful and should be something positive that calms you and helps settle your racing mind. For instance, I use two brief phrases: "I am breathing in here, now," and "I am breathing out here, now."
Very simple.
And it helps me focus (those of you who know me well will appreciate this). This is not a mystical or religious practice; it simply brings me back to an awareness of where I am and what I am doing so that I'm living NOW, rather in a "coulda woulda shoulda" space. In my own case, this activity has led me to an increasingly mindful approach to life in general, but that's another post for another time.
Choose two meaningful phrases right now and give it a shot - practice mindful breathing that brings you back to a calm place of awareness. Easy stuff.
The Second Approach: Anchoring a Calming Association
I understand that not every situation will allow you to stop what you're doing to calm your breathing and increase your mindful awareness. Believe me, I've been in those meetings where the fur is flying and it's not a terribly pleasant experience. Typically, the last thing on my mind is coming back to my breathing. Recognizing this brings us to the second approach: Anchoring a calming association.
Anchoring a calming association requires a little more effort than mindful breathing, but not too much more. Anchoring is a proven Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) technique that has been used quite effectively for many years now. Anchoring yourself to a calming association is something you can accomplish very quickly, certainly within the time it takes to read this blog post.
The key to anchoring is your ability to put yourself into a positive emotional state. I do this by thinking of a specific pleasant event I enjoyed with my children. This state does not necessarily have to be overwhelmingly intense, yet it should be something more than a pleasant thought. You must emotionalize your state so the anchoring has a chance to "take." Once you're in a positively emotionalized state, pinch (not hard) the muscle of your hand between your thumb and forefinger. Repeat this exercise until pinching the muscle under just about any circumstance puts you into your chosen pleasant state. Congratulations, you're anchored.
Now, when someone is treating you in a not-so-mindfully-conscious way, you have an unobtrusive anchor you can use to diffuse your own emotional reactions, thereby relieving your own suffering and, probably, that of the person with whom you are interacting. Out of a mindful awareness created by referencing your anchor, you will not be reactive, your voice will be low and calm, and you may even smile (if appropriate).
As you did with your mindful breathing, try this now. It's not hard to do and you can begin using your anchor immediately (why wait?).
That's it for this message. In my next post, I'll discuss how to transcend the hegemony of organizational culture through mindful awareness and the compassionate practice of Middle Way Management. This is important for the Middle Way Manager as a way of maintaining a consciously mindful awareness in the midst of an organizational culture that emphasizes the less compassionate aspects of Western-style capitalism.
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
In my last post, I talked about the role of ego and how to face your fears and limitations as a way to enhance your practice of Middle Way Management™. When you recognize that ego is pushing your emotions to the limit or that your fears are getting the best of you, you can take immediate, proactive steps to relieve your own suffering.
By relieving your own suffering, you relieve the suffering of those you lead and manage in both tangible and unforeseen ways. By relieving your own suffering and the suffering of those around you, you relieve suffering throughout your organization via the Ripple Effect.
As a busy Middle Way Manager™, you can accomplish this in two ways, both of which will bring you to a settled place of conscious awareness in the midst of organizational chaos.
The First Approach: Breathing in Awareness
You have one thing in common with everyone else currently living on the planet: You breathe in and you breathe out. When you stop doing this, you've reached what system scientists call the "terminal state." This is not good for your Middle Way Management practice or for your health in general, so do keep breathing.
Recognizing that you breathe in and out on a regular basis, you can use your breath as a way to increase your mindfulness. By coming back to an awareness of your breathing, you are acknowledging your place in the world, that you are vital and alive, doing what you enjoy - managing people in an organization. In this way, you can not only return to your personal island of calm when everything is busting loose around you, you can use it as a way to increase your awareness throughout your busy day.
One of the best ways to practice mindful breathing is to silently recite a phrase or two while breathing in and breathing out. The phrase(s) you choose can be anything you find meaningful and should be something positive that calms you and helps settle your racing mind. For instance, I use two brief phrases: "I am breathing in here, now," and "I am breathing out here, now."
Very simple.
And it helps me focus (those of you who know me well will appreciate this). This is not a mystical or religious practice; it simply brings me back to an awareness of where I am and what I am doing so that I'm living NOW, rather in a "coulda woulda shoulda" space. In my own case, this activity has led me to an increasingly mindful approach to life in general, but that's another post for another time.
Choose two meaningful phrases right now and give it a shot - practice mindful breathing that brings you back to a calm place of awareness. Easy stuff.
The Second Approach: Anchoring a Calming Association
I understand that not every situation will allow you to stop what you're doing to calm your breathing and increase your mindful awareness. Believe me, I've been in those meetings where the fur is flying and it's not a terribly pleasant experience. Typically, the last thing on my mind is coming back to my breathing. Recognizing this brings us to the second approach: Anchoring a calming association.
Anchoring a calming association requires a little more effort than mindful breathing, but not too much more. Anchoring is a proven Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) technique that has been used quite effectively for many years now. Anchoring yourself to a calming association is something you can accomplish very quickly, certainly within the time it takes to read this blog post.
The key to anchoring is your ability to put yourself into a positive emotional state. I do this by thinking of a specific pleasant event I enjoyed with my children. This state does not necessarily have to be overwhelmingly intense, yet it should be something more than a pleasant thought. You must emotionalize your state so the anchoring has a chance to "take." Once you're in a positively emotionalized state, pinch (not hard) the muscle of your hand between your thumb and forefinger. Repeat this exercise until pinching the muscle under just about any circumstance puts you into your chosen pleasant state. Congratulations, you're anchored.
Now, when someone is treating you in a not-so-mindfully-conscious way, you have an unobtrusive anchor you can use to diffuse your own emotional reactions, thereby relieving your own suffering and, probably, that of the person with whom you are interacting. Out of a mindful awareness created by referencing your anchor, you will not be reactive, your voice will be low and calm, and you may even smile (if appropriate).
As you did with your mindful breathing, try this now. It's not hard to do and you can begin using your anchor immediately (why wait?).
That's it for this message. In my next post, I'll discuss how to transcend the hegemony of organizational culture through mindful awareness and the compassionate practice of Middle Way Management. This is important for the Middle Way Manager as a way of maintaining a consciously mindful awareness in the midst of an organizational culture that emphasizes the less compassionate aspects of Western-style capitalism.
Onward! Darin
Copyright © 2009, Darin R. Molnar, PhD. All rights reserved.
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