Imitation before creation – How does this play out in a team?
As part of my coaching assignment with an IT and BPO services provider, I remember seeing first-hand how the behaviour of their top rung was unashamedly copied by their subordinates. From a previous change intervention, they already had posters of “I will not shout” in many of the meeting rooms and the cabins. It was naive and so immature.
In my conversation with their team leaders and managers, I realised that so many of the behavioural nuances were being imitated top down. So many of them held open the door for me as I walked in. To one I asked- why did you do that? She said “that’s our culture”. That of course took us to a longer discussion about culture. But then I asked many of them why they held open the door and there were answers ranging from “I learnt it from my boss” to “I thought you’d like it” to “I also want people to hold open doors for me”.
It’s a very small incident, but that was how ingrained imitation was. If it can happen at an organisational level, it surely happens in a team level too.
So, when there are so many free flowing behaviours out there that people will pick up unconsciously, how do you go about “creating” desired behaviours in teams?
Expose them to ‘differences and variations’ and let them decide. Ask questions and motivate them to question back.
One of my earlier bosses was in the habit of saying “you decide”, every time that he wasn’t particularly bothered about the time frame. I have picked that up. Only I use it irrespective of the time frame.
I believe we need to give our people the opportunity and leeway to observe, analyse and experiment. Instead of just telling or showing what to do, ask ‘why do we do it’, ‘how do you feel about it’, ‘what can be a better way of doing it’.
The same boss I referred to earlier, often used to ask me, “What’s your thought process behind it?”, for my decisions and behaviours. The method was quite charming and motivating. In fact, one of the reasons it never appeared interrogative or manipulative was that he would explain herself too. It became a practised culture henceforth – to put all our thoughts on the table, without fear of judgment.
Limited exposure restricts our sense of ‘good’ and ‘better’ or ‘bad’ and worse’. Enable your team to experience different cultures and behaviours, methods and techniques and empower them to ask questions. Build a culture where there is comfort in discussing differences, where is it OK to deconstruct and synthesise old knowledge for discovery of newer perspectives.
