This is an approach that can be used when looking at a person, team or organisation. It is to focus on their style, their substance – or lack of it – and whether or not they achieve success.
Imagine that you want to use elements of this approach. Let’s explore how you can follow this in your own way.
Style
There are many ways to recognise the way that a person, teams or organisation operates. One approach is to focus on their style. This covers the following themes.
The way they actually behave – such as the way they operate, communicate and treat other people – and the consequences of this behaviour.
Imagine that you are looking at a person. How can you identify their style? One approach is to ask the following questions.
What is their attitude? Are they positive, negative or a mixture of both? How do they demonstrate this attitude? What are the effects that their attitude has on people?
How do they behave? What are the actual things they do? How do they relate to people? Are they supportive, stimulating or sapping? What are the effects that their behaviour has on people?
How do they communicate? Do they communicate in a caring, cruel or another way? Are their communications clear or confusing? What are the effects that their communicate style has on people?
Imagine that you are focusing on a team or organisation. How can you identify their style? One approach is to ask the following questions.
What is their purpose? What are the principles they say they aim to follow? What are their goals? How do they try to work towards achieving these goals?
How do the leaders behave? What is their approach to leading people? How do they believe they can get the best from people? How do they translate this into action? What are the effects this has on people?
What are the words you would use to describe the culture of the team or organisation? What are the reasons why you would use these words? What is the effects that this kind of culture has on people?
Imagine that you have clarified some elements of the style demonstrated by a person, team or organisation. You can then focus on the next theme.
Substance
Some people, teams and organisations profess to follow certain principles. Some actually do what they say they are going to do. They translate the words into action and add substance.
Some fail to take this step. They use lots of slogans and concepts but do not translate the words into concrete actions. There is little substance to what they say.
Imagine that you are focusing on a person, team or organisation. If appropriate, you can explore the following questions.
What are the specific principles or values they talk about? Do they actually translate these into action? If so, what the specific things they do to add the substance?
What are the concepts they talk about? Do they also give specific examples about how to translate these into concrete actions? Do they then take some of these steps?
On a scale 0-10, to what extent would you rate them as adding substance? What are the reasons for giving this score? What are the specific they could they do to maintain or improve the rating?
Imagine that you have clarified whether a person, team or organisation goes beyond having a certain style and adds substances. If appropriate, you can then focus on the following theme.
Success
Some people, teams and organisations do what they say they are going to do. Whilst you may or may not agree with their goals, they deliver the goods and achieve their desired picture of success.
Imagine that you are focusing on a person, team or organisation. You may want to explore the following themes.
What are their goals? On a scale 0-10, to what extent do they deliver these goals? What are the effects of them doing this – both for themselves and other people?
What do they do well to help them to achieve their goals? How can they do more of these things in the future? What can they do better in the future and how?
Looking ahead, how can they continue to set clear goals? How can they follow the right strategy with the right people in the right way? If appropriate, how can they achieve sustainable success?
There are many ways to understand a person, team or organisation. One approach is to focus on their style, their substance – or lack of it – and whether or not they achieve success.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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