The Death of Strategy

Strategy is the art of creating a “Roadmap” of where you want to go, in either (or both) Personal or Organizational terms.
To be a Peacemaker, you need a Personal Strategy. You need to map out all the things you need to do to acquire the skills you require to make Peace.
To work in any Organization, you need both a Personal Strategy, and an Organizational Strategy. If you don’t know where you are going, how on Earth are you ever going to get there?
A Personal Strategy is no more or less than a series of statements about what you think you most want to do, and all the elements associated with making those pictures come true, in the context of a timeframe.
As we said previously, Time is not the enemy, it is the focussing mechanism for your planned actions.
If you are thinking in Organizational terms, we have agreed that for the Organization to be successful, you must first become successful. So you need to know (warts and all) what you really think the situation is - from your unique perspective.
You need to be able to assess your Strategic needs to achieve the Profit potential you desire – and this potential can be any of the multitude of different definitions of Profit that has meaning for you.
Creating a Strategy is your chance to discover exactly how you feel, and what you believe to be important about how things work, how they should work, and what you think should be done to progress either yourself or the Organization to your specific and direct benefit.
Either way, for a Strategy to work, you need to understand the relationships within which you are presently working, and wish to work within, in the future. This is sometimes referred to as a “Gap Analysis”, and is essentially simple.
Imagine three circles, where you are in the centre, your immediate environment is in the next ring, and the outside world is represented by the third ring.
So, starting with you (the inner ring), consider these seven questions :
1. Where are you now?
2. What is working for you?
3. What is not working for you?
4. What resources do you have (or you can get access to)?
5. Where do you want to be?
6. When in Time do you want to be there?
7. What resources will you need to get there?
Simple, isn’t it? The “Gap” of course is what you determine lies between the WWWW portion and the WTW. When we get People to complete this exercise we find that most don’t usually take account of themselves and their resources very often, and are usually surprised at how much they have going for them. The important thing is for you to describe your Picture in your words, and understand the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be.


When you are comfortable with this, try the next step – asking these same seven questions but this time with you as the centre of your immediate environment (the second circle) – this can by your Family, Home, Social, Professional or Organization environment. It might be the immediate Team of Group with whom you work closely.
1. Where are you now?
2. What is working for you?
3. What is not working for you?
4. What resources do you have (or you can get access to)?
5. Where do you want to be?
6. When in Time do you want to be there?
7. What resources will you need to get there?
Now, how different were your answers? Were they a long way apart? Where did the famous four “D’s” crop up? (Remember the discontinuities, divergences, dichotomies, and discomforts?)
Before you venture further, have a really good look at the Gap between your expectation for yourself, and your expectation for your immediate environment. Is this a recipe for Stress? Does it need a Peacemaker? Is there some amount of work to be done to bring the two Gaps closer together? Might your Strategy be to close these gaps before you set your sights on something grander?
When you’re completely happy with your observations and analysis, complete the next step – asking these same seven questions but this time with you as the centre of your larger environment (the outer circle), the outside world in which you, your Team, Group, Organization, or structure plays. In this case, you might be describing the whole Organization, a larger structure than your Team or Group, or just the outside world from your perspective.
1. Where are you now?
2. What is working for you?
3. What is not working for you?
4. What resources do you have (or you can get access to)?
5. Where do you want to be?
6. When in Time do you want to be there?
7. What resources will you need to get there?
And now you have yet another Gap, and possibility another set of the dreaded “D’s” to work through. But when you stop and look at this exercise in hindsight, you will quickly be able to identify where your greatest threats are likely to come from, and hence your greatest potential for the killer Stress!
We have found that the simple application of the WWWW + WTW process to be a foolproof way of involving every type of Personality Style in a Strategic process - from the charming Person who answers the phones, all the way up to the People who think they already know all the answers (without making the phone call!).
Interestingly, every Person who uses this process comes away thinking about all the things that they need to "make better" in order to fix the areas that they believe are not working. The process also seems to unlock a lot of the negative Attitudes about what can, and what they perceive can't, be done within themselves or their Organization.
Attitudes are the result of three things - the infor­mation upon which the Attitude has been formed (whether or not it is true or false); your feelings towards the object; and your intent for action. A close, almost introspective examination of your role within your environment or Organization tends to "loosen up" such Attitudes, the first vital step in any managed Change Program. And of you don’t change, then everything stays the same.
“If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got”.
The key element of any Strategic Plan is a clearly defined and stated Objective (or series of linked Objectives). It is imperative that any Objective be literal and singular in definition and intent, because People change slowly, and can only focus on one thing at a time when under Stress. If you do nothing else beyond this point, you at least have the basis for a future Strategic Plan, one that will enable you to march a long way down the road towards the Profit objective you have set – that of being a Peacemaker.
Getting your Strategic plan up and running can also be a simple process.
If you remember, to create any successful managed Change Process, you need to achieve four simple things - you need to establish exactly what it is you really want to achieve (Literal Objective), and by when (Timeframe); what everyone’s Attitude is (current Mindset and belief structure); and what Motivates them to do the things they do well. Then you need to link these four things together using Self-interest and Self-worth, so that every Person fuels your success with their Ego.
Because everyone has different needs when they are in the Learning mode, we have developed a Model that we call the “Barrier Process” to assist you in visualizing what your Strategy might look like.
The Barrier Process has eight levels of activity, starting with what we have called the “Hypothetical Construct”. A Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do, so it seemed appropriate that our Strategic Model should start with the hypothetical statement that we would use as our Strategic Objective, or Vision Statement, or Mission Statement.
We have defined it as follows :
Hypothetical Construct - this is your agreed and verbalized Prime Objective, and may be expressed as a Mission Statement, Vision Statement, or Strategic Objective. It must have a time frame, and a metrics element, and it must be achievement orientated and focussed on a position in the future where you currently are not.
The essence of involving metrics is that unless something can be measured, it cannot be changed, modified, or improved, and if we have learned anything over the years it is that a Strategy needs to be flexible, and constantly reviewed
An example might be, “Within two years, I will have developed my skills so that I can will be regarded as an excellent Peacemaker in my environment.”

Now, in any real Strategy or Strategic process, there will be barriers to your progress. Some will appear to be functional (systems, processes, and such like) and others will be purely Emotional. In truth, even the practical barriers will become Emotional, as you develop the ability to manage your Attitudes and Behaviours, and to master the processes and systems that you will need to force multiply your ability as a Peacemaker. We define Barriers as the reasons, perceived and actual, that will prevent you from achieving your Objective. We look at seven areas (you can add to these if necessary, but this is the minimum to be scrutinized).
Relationships - internally, externally.
Beliefs and attitudes - internally, externally, and levels of TRUST.
Processes - internally, externally, dependencies, and alignments.
Systems - internally, externally, dependencies, and alignments.
Communication - internally, externally, bi-directional genuine exchange of ideas with acknowledged feedback mechanisms.
Organization - internally, externally, what are the structural issues.
Environment - internally, externally.
Now, every Communication is an opportunity to Motivate, and the success of every transaction will be your ability to develop Relationships, Communicate, and Motivate.
The next element in the Barrier Process is therefore the Attention Getting Mechanisms - To make any significant Change, you have to get the attention of your Target Audience - internally, and externally. You must have credibility, Trust, deliverability, and sustainability. The AGM's also need to be expressed in the language and frame of reference of your intended audience - they must see the ATM's as important and relevant to them, not necessarily you. How will you firstly get, and then hold, the attention of your Target Audience?
Then there are the Trade Items - Every Relationship, internally or externally, is built on the exchange of perceived value - either Rational, or Emotional. What TI"s are you going to bring to the table, in the form of ideas, knowledge, values, expressions, vision, Motivation and Communication? What will you "trade" your TI's for? What does your Target Audience expect? What don't they expect? What would be of great benefit to them?
The next two levels are self-explanatory :
Information Management - Information is data, about things, People, events, relationships, opportunities, and transactions. How are you going to manage your Information in this new environment? What values will you ascribe to it? How will it be processed? Accessed? Updated?
Knowledge Management - Knowledge comes from doing something with information - experiential learning, interpretation, analysis, and applied tactics. Knowledge is the wealth and future of any Organization. How will you collect it? Store it? Value it? Access It? Update it? At what point will you share it, and towards what end? Is KM you potential for creating a significant competitive advantage?
Any Strategic process is involved quintessentially in the hearts and Minds of People, and People orientated processes, so we need to break our normal systems and pattern thinking models and venture far into the meld of “Mind over Matter”! And what matters next are Insights - Understanding where the Vested Power is, and what the Literal Truth is about your process, what Insights can you generate that will fuel your motivation, direction, and determination to succeed? How will you express these values to your Target Audience? How will you measure you progress against these Insights?
And last, but not least, we have The Three Critical Icons - An Icon is a picture or representation of something that we interpret and assign values to - and here we deal with the big three - the Rational, Emotional, and Transitional values that you will ascribe to your desired Process. What are they? How will you measure them? What do they mean?
When you can complete this picture, you will have an incredibly powerful Strategy. Making Peace will be easy, and influencing all those around you will appear to be so easy you may find it hard to remember what used to Stress you!
Now, back to the Organization viewpoint for a minute.
From an Organizational perspective, how well an individual is regarded by their peers, and subsequently rewarded within an Organization, depends entirely on his/her perceived and/or demon­strated Behaviour within the Organization. It is mostly other People who make these critical value judgements, and very few People in any Organization Trust the value judgement of others, even when – and particularly - they are in a position of authority.
Mostly the value judgement is based on some form of numerical achievement level - profit achieved, units per hour, hours worked, etc. It is often perceived that Organizations have a tendency to "stack the figures", casting great doubt on the credibil­ity of numerical targets. Organizations that strive overtly for bottom-line per­formance do so at the expense of the Emotional satisfac­tion of their People - and often at the expense of their jobs.
Consequently, People are rarely Motivated by numerical targets. For this reason, we developed a patented cognitive system of value measurement (CBVI) where each Person is encouraged to rate themselves, from their perspective (but with an eye on how they believe others might see them to be).
In effect, this produces a "Truth" table, which ena­bles you to honestly track your real value to the Organization, outside the normal but severely limit­ing numerical tendency of trying to measure achieve­ment by counting things. Better still, it is a "Self" evaluation, not one done as part of a review or other formal process. It is a critical adjunct to any Strategic process, in that it allows you to see where you really are within your immediate environment, and then within the larger environment of the Organization or the outside world.
The four elements that make up the Value Index (VI) Model are:
· Potential
· Performance
· Profit
· Behaviour
Using the VI Model, you judge your Value, not the "system".
Potential is the experience you brought to the Organization at the time of your initial hiring, plus the anticipated promise of your future perform­ance.
Performance is the level of contribution you are actually making to the Organization.
Profit is how well you really are doing within the Organization, but expressed over fourteen metrics, and not just financial.
Behaviour is how you go about the daily task of contributing your performance to the Organization.
We define Behaviour as those physical habits, activities, properties and Emotions displayed by a Person, as observed by another Person. The key word here is "observed". Behaviour that is not observed within the Organization is irrelevant to the Organization (but not necessarily irrelevant to the Person).
There are several immutable rules concerning Behaviour :
1. It is your observed Behaviour (as perceived by others) that cause the greatest problems within an Organization – problems that lead to Stress.
2. Behaviour can easily be changed. To change Behaviour, you must change belief structures and consequently Attitudes.
3. To want to change Behaviour, first you must believe in the need to change.
4. Only you can generate belief (in anything).
5. You can only believe (and will only believe) in things that suit your purpose.
6. The strength of your commitment to anything is derived from the strength of your belief in it.

When you use the VI Model :
- You can quickly see where there is potential for improvement.
- You are making the judgement, not someone else.
- You will be making the determination to make any Change, you will not be forced to do it.
- You will measure the degree of change, and
- You will assess the value of the change.
Use a scale of 6 or less, 7, 8, 9, and 10 for how you would rate yourself using the VI Model, and discover for yourself exactly where you are now, personally, within your immediate environment, and then within the greater environment of either your Organization, or the outside world.

POTENTIAL
At your primary interview for your job, how would you rate,
from <6 to 10, where 10 represents a maximum (or excellence), your...

Experience
Potential
Keenness for the position
Feeling for the Organization
Feeling for the interviewer
Belief in yourself
Belief in your ability
Vision for the future
Ability to fit in
Ability to become a "Star"
Ability to be a long-term employee
The interviewer's impression of you

PERFORMANCE
Today, how would you rate, from <6 to 10,
where 10 represents a maximum (or excellence) your...
Experience
Potential
Keenness for the position
Feeling for the Organization
Belief in yourself
Belief in your ability
Vision for the future
How well do you fit in
How much of a "Star" have you become
Are you a long-term employee
Do you contribute to the Organisational culture
Do you reflect the Organisational culture
How proud are you of the Organization
How keen are you to buy shares

PROFIT
Today, how would you rate from <6 to 10
where 10 represents a maximum (or excellence) your …

Monetary reward
Experience reward
Exposure reward
Challenge reward
Emotional reward
Stimulus reward
Vision reward
Potential reward
Market value
Organisational value
Self-worth value
Achievement value
Potential value
Realistic value


BEHAVIOUR
Today, how would you rate from <6 to 10
where 10 represents a maximum (or excellence) your …

Willingness to help your peers
Willingness to help your peers at the expense of your profit
Support for management
Support for Organisational goals
Support for Organisational culture
Loyalty to the Organization
Verbal support for the Organization
Verbal support for your peers
Contribution to the Organization beyond job description
Willingness to sacrifice self for your peers
Willingness to sacrifice self for the Organization
Willingness to sacrifice self for your subordinates
Trust in the Organization
Trust in your peers

VALUE INDEX INDICATOR (VI)
Today, how would you rate, from <6 to 10
where 10 represents a maximum positive feeling your propensity to...

Hire yourself for your current job
Hire your peers for their current job (by individual)
Peer # 1 (no names)
Peer # 2
Peer # 3
Peer # 4
Peer # 5
Hire your subordinates for their current jobs
(by individual)
Sub # 1
Sub # 2
Sub # 3
Sub # 4
Sub # 5
Purchase the Organization (assume capacity)
Keep the management intact
Keep all your peers
Keep all your subordinates
Keep the same culture
Keep the same Organizational objectives

To apply what you have discovered from the Collative Behavioural Value Index, simply mark any element that scores a “7” or less. These are areas that need your urgent consideration, in formulating your Strategy. Not to mention the fact that these elements are most probably the areas of greatest Stress to you!
By now it should have become obvious that developing a Strategy for anything requires you to really get down and dirty with things like Relationships, Performance, Communication, Group Dynamics, Profit, Motivation and Personality Styles.
When we considered the many facets of Motivation, we discovered that to understand how to Motivate someone, you first have to understand how to Motivate yourself. And because you are already highly Motivated, it does not mean that those around you are.
For a Person to be truly successful, they must achieve their goals as judged by themselves. To be truly successful, a Person must achieve the "Goal beyond the Goal".
While your vision of your ultimate destination is what fuels your effort, it is the journey that you will take to get there that will be the most satisfying.
The goal you must have beyond your goal, is one based on the satisfaction and majesty of this journey - otherwise you will get where you are going, and find a hollow victory!
There is nothing more soul destroying than standing on the pinnacle of success, and finding yourself alone and empty. Just ask any elite athlete who has worked for years to win Gold, does it, then finds that they are at a loss as to what to do with themselves next. What they lacked was a Strategy that included winning the Gold as a mere step in their Life journey to becoming a Peacemaker. People are who and what they see themselves to be. The sum total of their will, and what they do. To change the possibilities for a Person, you must change the way they see themselves and their prospects.
Like Making Peace, you must hold up the mirror and show them all that they could be. Then you must help them to plan a Strategy to get there.
The real business of Making Peace is Personality driven, not Profit or achievement driven. It is your strength of Personality, and the strength of your convictions that will make you successful against all odds. You respond to what excites you, not necessarily to what others may get excited about. You understand now how important a Strategy will be in shaping your World into the Peaceful environment you want it to be.
For the Organization (Team or Group) within which you work to become successful, you must either become the focussing Personality (the Leader), or learn how to:
- Teach others how to achieve their "Goal beyond the Goal"
- Create a non-threatening but positively competi­tive environment
- Guide them to their success for their reasons, not yours.
- Make Peace with everyone, and infect everyone with the need to in turn make Peace with everyone they come in contact with.

To achieve this task, you must:
- Help them to see themselves as successful contributors to the Peacemaking process
- Help them to judge their success by their standards.
- Help them to recognise their strengths.
- Show them how to Motivate those around them.

By example, show them how to be winners, and Peacemakers.
You can do this, all you have to do is choose to do so. The secrets of "Elite" Leadership are simple to discover - talk is soothing, action is invigorating, Leader­ship is inspiring, so your Challenge is:
- To Lead so that others might follow.
- To Motivate so that others might be inspired.
- To promote ownership, so that others might succeed for their reasons, in their Time.
- Understand that you having the solution is never the answer - giving Ownership of the solution is always the answer.

Make mistakes - remember Einstein believed he was right only 3% of the Time - and that the sheer quality of the 3% more than made up for the other 97%! Are you better than Einstein?
Attitudes are formed in respect to an Attitude object, and very much based on what you believe. Always check that you have the facts, and not a bunch of assumptions. How you feel towards the Attitude object is vital - because feelings always dictate how a Personality will act.
Your intent for Action is crucial, and is almost totally influenced by your "Attitude". So when you find it hard to do something, relate to another Person, or get enthusiastic about rising to the occasion, remember that you are the Peacemaker, you have your Strategy, so implement it.
Remember HOT, BREATHE, SMILE and that the difference between today and tomorrow is only what you make it to be.
Use your energy - the bright light always draws the Moth - as the bright performer always draws the willing support.
Provide your effort and energy selflessly, so that others are invigorated by your presence, and in awe of your performance.
A “you-before-me” Attitude fills the tank of Life, and because it feels so good, everyone will pass it on to all they meet.
And remember always that CONFIDENCE IS CONTAGIOUS!
Support roles can make or break a star performance. By taking the People in those roles for granted, you effectively depower your total potential, by standing alone in a crowded marketplace.
By embracing them, supporting them, and using them as force multipliers, your ability to make Peace is enhanced considerably.
In effect, they contribute their energy and skills to your effort, allowing you to maximise your ability and reach as a Peacemaker.
To maintain this synergistic relationship, you must always show them how they have contributed to your success, and reward them emotionally for it. The more vital a part of your effort they see themselves to be, the greater will be their support of you.
There has never been a successful Peacemaker in any generation who got there by magic. Magic does play a part, but in the preparation of your mind, and the positioning of your inner-stance. Magic can fuel your self-worth, self-image, and your ego, but it must always be seen for what it is - a powerful, addictive drug, with a long downside. Magic and luck always surround the "Elite" per­former - because the harder you work, the finer your skills, the more magic and luck you seem to generate!
Strategy is essential for developing all the skills and habits that lead to generating more than your fair share of Magic, and if you have your Strategic Roadmap out and ready, then you will truly be able to make Peace wherever you go.
And remember, Strategy is knowing what to do when there seems to be nothing to do – and there is always the opportunity to make Peace with someone, somewhere, sometime.


The Second Pregnant Pause


This Model illustrates the relationship between the “Head” and “Heart” elements of Performance, and how they all rely on the bedrock of Behaviour – Leadership. If you are to be a Peacemaker, then you will have to understand this Model, and be able to work your way around it as you create processes that are intended to promote Change and make Peace.
Leadership is the foundation upon which any process that involves People must be built. True Leadership is the critical ingredient in developing your skills as a Peacemaker, because as you move forward to Make Peace, you will have to lead from the front! In essence, it will be how you develop your True Leadership capabilities and capacities that will determine how good a Peacemaker you will become.
True Leadership is all about managing Change. In a way, it’s the only real hallmark of Performance - how well any Change Management process is actually implemented. How well People reflect ownership and commitment, and how much energy they put into realizing the Strategic Objectives you have set.
Change Management is probably the most difficult of all the Performance attributes. It is the one area where nothing can be hidden, and mostly everything will be scrutinized and potentially challenged. “Change” per se, is a hot topic! Everyone talks about it, has an opinion on it, but in truth, probably understands very little about what “Change” is really about. True Leadership is being able to sift out the hysterical and add in the value to any Change Management process - so that People immediately see the benefit to them in their terms – of participating in, and adding their energy, to the process.
And Making Peace is the greatest Change process of all!
How to get your Objectives and priorities right is covered earlier in the discussion on Strategy. The process is simple - ask these key questions - WWWW and WTW - then evaluate the differences between your two “Objective Terminals” and plan in your resultant Strategy.
True Leadership requires strong Strategic skills - as every successful Change Management process is determined by a clear, simple, literal set of Objectives. Objectives that Motivate others to give freely of their energy and commitment!
Remember, a Strategic Plan is a “roadmap” of your intentions to change your performance picture for the future. Your success will be totally dependent on how much you believe in your picture, and how emotionally strong you are, in the face of any obstacle.
In an Organizational context, Change Management can be “mapped” - as a series of stages, or processes :
1. Initiate the Process (Strategy – Picture of the future)
2. Understand the issues and processes involved (Barrier Process)
3. Evaluate the processes (Group Dynamics, Communication, etc.)
4. Review the assumptions and make decisions (True Leadership)
5. Implement the process (Making Peace)
You should review at every step, and be prepared to be flexible as you implement your Strategy.
At the Individual level, it is important for the True Leader (Peacemaker) to understand that the principles that apply to an Organization going through a Managed Change process are exactly the same as those the Individual should consider for any Personal Change Management process. If necessary, create your own map of potential Change activities.
There are eight immutable Laws regarding Change Management - the first is “The Power of One©”. This is a very simple concept in that the absolute success of any Change Management process can be accurately judged by the commitment, belief and input of the least involved Person in the process.
The second is “The Power of Sustainability©”. No Change Management process can survive and succeed if it cannot be sustained over Time. This is yet another test of True Leadership – shaping Time as the focusing mechanism, rather than the enemy!
True Leadership is understanding the difference between perception and reality, and being able to help others change their Attitude and beliefs. To make something come true for someone else, you have to put the context, information, possibilities, problems and opportunities in their terms. They have to have Ownership of the process - it has to be theirs - not yours - and the stronger their belief and Ownership, the greater will be your success.
The other six immutable Laws regarding Change Management :
3. Specific belief in the necessity for Change
4. Ownership of the process by everyone involved
5. Multidirectional real-time Communication
6. Vested authority and responsibility
7. Perceivable benefits for all concerned
8. The Change Strategy delivers on the promise
A successful Change Paradigm is totally consistent with the four elements of any successful Training Program :
1. Motivation / Reasons – Cause or need for Training (Action)
2. What to do (Strategy and Tactics)
3. How to do it (Processes and activities)
4. How well are you doing it (Review, Feedback, Relationships)
This is the essence of True Leadership - continual searching for improvement and added value, leading your People to fulfilment and reward. It is also the heart of any successful Change Management process and the essence of Making Peace.
The Chaos Theory and True Leadership go hand-in-hand! Hard to imagine, but true. Every Process that involves Human Systems is subject to the laws of Chaos Theory. People Systems can be managed, Motivated, and measured, but they can never really be “controlled”. True Leadership is about Empowerment, and Ownership - and they are the only two assets the True Leader has that have any real power in modifying the effects of the Chaos Theory on any Process.
True Leadership is about creativity, the exact opposite of the obvious! True Leaders seek out ways and means to make things work better - easier - and deliver more reward to all those who participate. True Leadership is Motivational - invigorating - stimulating - and always innovative.
Take time to review the “balance” issues that may be present in your Change Management process. This is a critical factor in obtaining the two imperatives mentioned earlier - “The Power of One©” and “The Power of Sustainability©”. Ownership by every Individual, and a sustainable program are very difficult to achieve if there are serious balance issues for either yourself or your People. True Leadership is about balance, and finding the “node of reality” in out-of-balance situations that lead to great Stress. And the heart of good balance and reality is Trust.
“The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.”
(Henry Lewis Stimson (1867–1930).
And …
“At the bottom of the heart of every human being from earliest infancy
until the tomb, there is something that goes on indomitably expecting,
in the teeth of all experience of crimes committed, suffered, and witnessed,
that good and not evil will be done to him.
It is this above all that is sacred in every human being. (Simone Weil 1909–43).

What you don’t believe in or don’t trust you can’t do. Trust is the tenth element of Individual Performance, and the first element of the “Truth” Table :
T – Trust R – Respect U – Understanding T – Truth H – Honesty
TRUST Is a two way street - I trust as much as I am trusted - I trust more AFTER I am TRUSTED - The more trusted I am the more I will trust - I like being seen as a trusted member of the organization.
There are three distinct levels of Trust and Performance expectation you must be aware of :
Self – How trusted you are as an individual

Organizational – How trusted you perceive you are within your Team, Group, or Organization.


And Environmental – How trusted you are as a result of being associated with your Team, Group, or Organization.
The four “D’s” crop up here often, and a Gap Analysis of the different levels of perceived Trust from one Level to another is often quite revealing. Needless to say, any inconsistency between levels of Trust generates massive Stress in the individual, and needs to be addressed immediately in any thing you do.

If you always maintain a HOT process – Honest, Open, and Transparent, then you will always inspire Trust, just as you will if you always do as you say you will do.
Perhaps the finest attribute of True Leadership is the ability to act and behave in a totally consistent manner, reflecting the espoused values and Behaviours that you and your Organization thrive on. It is this consistency that People sense, and consequently, leads to great Trust in the Individual. Without the Trust of everyone involved in any Change Management process (or Peacemaking process), it will fail.
This is the single most difficult aspect of Trust in any Organization, and where True Leadership really comes into its own. The perception of how well an Organization supports its People in times of crisis is directly proportional to the perception of Trust levels within the Organization. True Leadership is about ensuring that the Individual is supported with the appropriate resources and systems to maximize their Individual Performance under any conditions - to the benefit of the Organization and the Individual!
For example, what is Client Expectation verses Reality? Clients always seem to want and expect 100%!
Yet we know that any People System can never sustain 100% performance without extraordinary resources and support – and this becomes a real test for True Leadership. How can you deliver 100%, knowing the cyclic nature of Performance? What can you negotiate with your Clients that will enable you to meet their best expectations, without killing your People? What are the real, sustainable deliverables? How can you earn the Trust of your People under these circumstances? Do you understand the Stress reducing nature of these questions, and the potential for Making Peace?
Without Trust you have nothing. True Leadership is about Trust. Making Peace is about Trust.
Generating it. Nurturing it. Mothering its development Organization-wide. The Barrier Process can help you to establish what are your current levels of Trust; where your Trust paradigms are; where your Trust deficiencies are.
Once you have the Trust issues in hand, it is time for the True Leader to look at the Motivation required to achieve the individual buy-in to the Change Management process.
“Motivation - Let it be your constant method
to look into the design of People’s actions,
and see what they would be at,
as often as it is practicable;
and to make this custom the more significant,
practice it first upon yourself.”
(Marcus Aurelius 121–180).

Motivation is not what comes at you from the outside. Motivation is what you generate internally from what comes at you from the outside. True Leadership comes from understanding this critical distinction, and acting accordingly. You can provide external Motivational elements to any process, but it is what the Individual “takes” into their own value and Behaviour system that will ultimately determine their level of Motivation. And when Motivation is internalised it is sustainable.
Motivation is dependant on ten of the critical Elements of Performance :
VISION
Knowledge
Skills
Abilities
Training
Communication
Environment
Awareness
Trust
LEADERSHIP
Motivation is critical for True Leadership. With the advent of the “click-and-go” era, there is so much information available about seemingly everything that it is very easy to confuse Motivation with Attitude (Attitude formed around subjective beliefs). True Leadership promotes this distinction - and allows the Individual (and Group) to clearly understand the real Motivation for the Change Management process - and the benefits to all concerned - in their terms. It actively discourages Attitude formation around gossip, fiction and rumour, reducing self-induced Stress, and prolonging the quality of Life!
Back to Leadership for a minute –
“The real leader has no need to lead
he is content to point the way.”
(Henry Miller 1891–1980).

And
“All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common :
it was the willingness to confront unequivocally
the major anxiety of their People in their time.
This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.”
(John Kenneth Galbraith 1908 - ).

True LEADERSHIP is about tomorrow - True LEADERS attract the PEOPLE to their VISION - a VISION that carries all BEYOND TODAY. This is the very essence of creating a Strategy – a “roadmap” of your future picture.
True Leadership is ensuring that every aspect of the Change Management Process is congruent with the Vision, Direction, Motivation, and Strategy. One voice, one set of words, one story, singular, consistent belief generated by sustainable, single-minded attention to detail and delivery. Wherever anyone goes, they get the same story, feeling, attitude, and belief in the process by everyone concerned. This is a hallmark of True Leadership in action!
Remember the Communication Dictate - (C1) “It is the prime responsibility of every member of any Team structure (or Management) to either lead, follow, or get out of the way”.
There are four LEADERSHIP Styles, and you can easily position them on the Personality Grid.
1. Directing : Provides specific instructions and closely supervises task accomplishment
2. Coaching : Continues to direct and closely supervise task accomplishment, but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions, and supports progress
3. Supporting : facilitates and supports subordinates efforts toward task accomplishment and shares responsibility for decision making with them
4. Delegating : Turns over responsibility for decision making and problem solving to subordinates
True Leadership is about managing these styles in your People, and balancing them in the Teams or Groups you form.
The Stanford Model of Learning suggests that there are four “stages” we go through when learning something new – Awareness, Knowledge, Understanding and Action. Think back to the Four Learning Styles, and the Four Stages of Learning, and relate them to this model.
You will start to see a remarkable synergistic relationship evolve!


There are also four distinct phases we go through when Learning - Unconscious Incompetence - Conscious Incompetence - Conscious Competence - and Unconscious Competence. Coincidentally, there are also four different ways we learn.
Four stages. Four phases. Four different types. Two “truisms” - People only learn what they want to learn; and they only learn it when they want to learn
This is the real test of True Leadership! This is also why Motivation is so important in any Change Management process as well as having the commitment and ownership of everyone involved. The Learning process also underlines why any Strategy must be singular and literal in intent. Remember, People do things for their reasons, not yours, and People are unlikely to be Motivated by your needs and desires.
People learn only what they want to learn, and People learn only when they want to learn.
One of the tools available to the True Leader – the Peacemaker – is the concept of “Two Profits”. Earlier we said that to most People, the types of things that Motivate them are Emotional, and not Rational.
We also discovered that the different Personality Styles need different mixes of Rational and Emotional “cues” to be able to establish their belief systems, and build their Attitudes, and Trust paradigms
Delivering the “Two Profits” provides the perfect balance to enable every Personality no matter where they may be positioned on the Grid to “buy in” to your Change Management process.
And a fast track to Making Peace.

The concept of the “Two Profits” comes from the dichotomous relationships observed on the Performance Interaction Grid, where we constantly see the potential for conflict and Stress. In simple terms, True Leadership is understanding that there must be an Emotional “product” to match every Logical, Rational, or Physical “product”. Satisfaction is an Emotional feeling - a physical product is a thing - or Attitude Object. How we think and feel about this object becomes our driving force - the stronger the feeling, the stronger the drive. This is what True Leadership promotes - a strong, positive Emotional connection to every rational Change Management Process.
True Leadership is also the art of understanding Group Dynamics, and reducing the inherent Stress that is present in any Team or Group situation.
The simple truth is that the moment you have more than one Person involved in any Process, you invoke the Laws of Group Dynamics!
Groups tend to magnify any flaw or weakness in any Strategy, and invariably create a measure of resistance to any Change process that they do not have real and total Ownership of. Another Test of True Leadership!
And as we have discovered, in any Organization, achieving the “bottom-line” is the Motive force, financial control is the accelerator, and Teams of People (Groups) are the wheels on which the Organization runs.
Because Organizations don’t do things, People do, it stands to reason that an Organization’s success very much depends on how well its People do the things they do.
The basic property of any Group is its level of cohesiveness, or the degree to which members are attracted to it. What attracts People to Groups?
True Leadership! People group themselves by their Attitudes and beliefs. They link their minds, ambitions, desires, hopes, and actions by sharing a common Vision of what they might achieve together. True Leadership provides this linking Vision by providing the Strategy by which the Group can achieve their desired outcome - your Objective. To make this “leap” the Group must have real Ownership of the Strategic Process. It must be theirs, and they must believe that it is theirs.
When cohesiveness is high, members are Motivated to participate in the Group's activities and to help the Group attain its goals and objectives.
The management of Groups (Teams) is simplified by the application of the well-recognized and tested concept of (C3) - Command, Control, and Communication.
The Command (C1) hypothesis stipulates that :
- "In any Organization there is a visible hierarchical structure to which the individual can easily relate".
- “It is the prime responsibility of every member of this hierarchical structure to either lead, follow, or get out of the way”.

The Control (C2) imperative states that :
- “At every level of an Organization, there shall be sufficient structure to maximize efficiency, prevent chaos, disorder, and disharmony in work, while promoting the orderly and concise flow of information and smooth change of command from one level to another”.

The Communication (C3) dictate demands :
- "An accurate, clear, simple, and understandable exchange of information (ideas) at every structural level, irrespective of the capability or circumstances of the sender or the receiver".
- “A successful Communication (exchange of ideas) is said to have taken place only when the receiver can demonstrate that they can implement the required work to complete the object of Communication (by Feedback)”.
The Successful implementation of the (C3) Communication dictates, is in itself the precursor to a successful Strategy - and proof of True Leadership.
There is an interesting point that underlines these statements, and that is that the effectiveness of a decision is the quality of the decision multiplied by the acceptance of it.
Quality x Acceptance = Effectiveness of the Outcome
One last point on the concept of Change Management - it is easy to get lost in the detail of the process. That’s why you need Milestones (small, digestible steps with achievement markers) agreed at the outset to objectively measure your progress against. This is yet another reason why your Objectives must be singular and literal in intent. True Leadership is reflected by the smooth passage of Change within an Organization, and the demonstrated Ownership and commitment of the People involved.
Any Organizational development - Managed Change process - Personal development or Strategic Initiative - is made up of a series of processes - simple steps that involve research, People skills, and understanding of how People think about and react to Change. All bound inexorably together by True Leadership!
There is one other important skill you must develop as a True Leader on the path to Making Peace. And that is to understand the relationships that drive your Belief Structure – and underpin your Attitude formation and consequent Behaviour.


When you create your Vision, you are combining your Knowledge and your Values. Vision is always about the Picture of your future that you most want to make true. It is the prime driver in Performance, and it is the first thing a True Leader develops.
Your Intent is based on your Knowledge and your Behaviour, and if there is any inconsistency between these two elements, then you can expect to become Stressed.
Culture is a combination of your Values and your Behaviour, and again, any inconsistency leads to great Stress.
Because Identity is a combination of Intent, Vision, and Culture, it is easy to see where the greatest component of Stress might come from.
Use this Model when you are first thinking about your Strategy for any Change Management process, and make sure that you have consistency and sustainability in every element.
Ban the dreaded “D’s” forever – and make Peace!

The Death of Motivation

One of the most Stressful elements in most People’s lives is Motivation, or lack of it. That and the fact that may People confuse motion for Motivation, effort with achievement, and activity with Strategy.
Organizations are constructed of People, not balance sheets. However, if the balance sheet doesn’t, then neither do the People. And because it is the People and their actions that make or break the balance sheet, you need to understand what motivates your People to do the things they do. Or Motivates you to do the things you do.
Research shows clearly that Motivation is the cause of actions (Behaviour), and in any Organization, is the primary support for maximising Organization performance, profit, and success. It stands to reason then that to succeed you need the greatest quantum of controlled Motivation available to you in any restructuring, Organisational change, Team building, Peacemaking, Group or focussed performance program.
People are Motivated to work in an Organization because they believe that the Organization is (or will be) successful, and that their Behaviour will be seen as reflecting the positive attributes of the Organization.
The four primary attributes are:
# - A purpose beyond profit
# - A positive product or service differentiator
# - A dynamic working environment, and
# - Strong, focussed management.
Simply put, People want to get into the Organization, not out.
While this might seem overly simple, examine the Organization you currently work within. Does it have these positive attributes? Is the general environment Stressful? Do you have HOT processes? Good multi-directional Communication, well balanced Teams or Groups, and are you rewarded with positive, self-worth enhancing feedback?
Are you Motivated each and every day to burst out of bed, get yourself ready, and rush off to work?
The primary work on Motivation, in the fields of Applied and Cognitive Psychology commenced in the early 1930's, with major discoveries applied only in the last 25 years. The results of this work are now routinely accepted in the general areas of sports and industrial psychology, where Performance enhancement is crucial. Slowly, every so slowly, Organizational Psychology is catching up, the biggest barrier being Management’s inability to understand the true importance of People in any system, and the need to Motivate them beyond any Profit objective.
For an Athlete to win a Gold Medal, they have to deliver an Elite Performance on demand - on time, and in place. They are able to train for this Performance, peaking and resting as necessary, getting ready for the “big” event. It is accepted that they will give their all, strive beyond pain and performance barriers in their quest to be the best of the best. This is what we believe “getting the Gold” is all about.
In Organizational terms, to be the best of the best, you pretty much have to perform near the top of your ability every single day, and on that special occasion, pull out excellence on demand! You can’t rely on “peaking”, you’ll surely get fired if you’re caught “resting” too often, and it’s extremely Stressful trying to anticipate when the “big effort” might need to be pulled out of your hat.
This brief look at Motivation is designed to help you discover the real “horse-power” that exists in everyone, and how to “balance” your Performance attributes so that you are capable of presenting the best of your skills and abilities in a way that achieves excellence without the Life shortening Stress attacking you.
First, the bad news. There is no one accepted scientific theory of Motivation. Instead, several Behavioural Theories exist that can be described as “Motivational”.
Motivation is the hypothesised cause of Behaviour.
Motivation is the determinant of Behaviour's arousal, vigour, direction, and persistence.
Motivation is often considered an answer to the question of why an action is performed.
Is has been observed that every action, whether physical or cerebral, is the result of some degree of motivation, either positive or negative.
The four internalised "States" that explain actions are described as :
Needs – Drives – Motives - and Desires.

Motivates & Desires
PUSH
Needs & Drives
PULL
In common sense terms, Motives and Desires (Emotional) provide the "Push" for an action, Needs and Drives (Incentives) provide the “Pull”.
Every action requires a balance of both “Push” and “Pull” motives, for the action to be completed successfully. If this balance is not achieved, you quickly move into Stress, and the action will fail.
Marslow created the description of “The Hierarchy of Prepotency” in human Motivations. He observed that “man is a wanting animal”, and that one desire is no sooner satisfied than another takes its place.
He also noted sense and order in the succession of Motives, suggesting that there is a predetermined importance of certain Motives that must be satisfied.
There are five generally accepted Need categories (Maslow) :
1. Physiological
2. Safety
3. Love or Belongingness
4. Esteem or Status
5. Self-actualisation.
Clearly, there is a preponderance of “Emotional” forces at work in these five need categories
As we have already discussed, there are four accepted Personality Types, each with their own Emotional quotient.
The Director, who is described as High Involvement, Rational Behaviour.
The Socialiser, described as High Involvement, Emotional Behaviour.
The Thinker, Low Involvement, Rational Behaviour.
And the Relator, who is seen as Low Involvement, Emotional Behaviour.
Relator
Thinker
Socialiser
Director
Darwin (1872) concluded that Emotions help animals as well as People in the struggle for survival by Communicating information to others. The expression of Anger signals the likelihood of attack; The expression of Fear, the likelihood of retreat.
Freud said that unconscious Emotions could be identified on the basis of a Person’s Behaviour. If someone constantly frowns, grinds their teeth, or has dreams in which People are killed, they are most likely Angry, in spite of any verbalisation to the contrary.
American philosopher William James believed that the perception of a situation led to Behaviour (eg: running away) that created physiological changes, and that a Person’s recognition of these internal changes was the actual feeling of Emotion.
Notwithstanding all of this work, it is clear that when we are Stressed, we exhibit all the signs and symptoms of extreme Emotion, and that we often radiate this Emotion as a means of attempting to reduce the perception of loss of control, or force a change in our environment to achieve this reduction.
It is now universally agreed that Emotion is a complex State, and is a condition that affects the entire Organism and influences how successfully it interacts with its environment.
Although Emotion represents a change in a Person’s inner-State (inner-stance) it is also a change in Behaviour. Most importantly, this change in Behaviour is designed to have an effect on the People or the events around the Person that is broadcasting the Emotion.
Emotion can and does shape the environment, it influences Attitudes, and it can directly change the Behaviour of others!
The names given to our Primary Emotions are :
Anger
Fear
Joy
Sorrow
Acceptance
Disgust
and Surprise.
Secondary Emotions are complicated because they are a mix of Primary Emotions, and the names given are often the same as those used to describe Personality orientated Behaviour, for example :
Anger + Disgust = Sarcastic
Acceptance + Joy = Sociable
Simply put, Emotions are the biopsychological reactions of an individual to important events in his or her Life. These reactions involve special kinds of feelings, widespread physiological changes, impulses to action, and overt Behaviour.
If you play the “Memory” game, you soon come to realise how much Emotions “peg” our memories and feelings to specific events and memories over time. In fact, we now believe that your Emotions play a significant part in how well you remember events over time.
Emotions are the signals by which we let other People know how we are feeling about something, and what our intentions might well be. It is important to realize that Emotional reaction is always present in any Motivational situational, either negative or positive, and in any Behaviour that we may be exhibiting at any given time.
It is also important to understand that it is the Emotional projections that are the most observable of our Behaviour. If you relate this back to the three “V’s” discussed earlier, Visual cues make up 55% of any Communication, and Vocal 38%. It is reasonable to assume that if your are Emoting strongly, you will colour any Communication you may be involved in.
The different Personality Styles are going to react very differently to this projection of Emotion – The Director with distain and possibly embarrassment, the Socialiser with almost a mirror of the level of intensity of the Emotion, the Relator with empathy, and the Thinker with distrust.
An important component of Behaviour is Attitude, which we have discussed previously. We describe Attitude as a Person’s prevailing tendency to respond favourably or unfavourably to an Object, Person or Group, Institution, or Event (Attitude Object). Attitudes are hypothetical constructs, and because they cannot be directly observed, they must be inferred from an individual’s responses (positive or negative) toward the “Attitude Object” – and this response is always wrapped in an Emotional blanket to some extent.
Social Psychologists distinguish between three components of this response :
The Cognitive component – which is one’s knowledge about the Attitude Object, whether that knowledge is accurate or not.
The Affective component – which is one’s feelings toward an Attitude Object, and
And the Conative component – which is the Action, or the intent of Action, one will take toward the Attitude Object.
Cognitive Psychologists have created a model of Attitude Formation that shows a Person’s Subjective Knowledge (beliefs) about any Object determines their Attitude toward it. That’s why you must challenge any Attitude that doesn’t sit comfortably until you can establish exactly what the underlying Belief really is!
As we have discussed previously, the variables in Attitude change are :
1. Personality traits;
2. Credibility of the Source of different opinions or information countering existing Attitudes; and
3. Group Membership
The formal approach to understanding Motivation distinguishes between primary, survival, or viscerogenic sources, and the secondary, social, or psychogenic sources (of Motives).
Primary motivations such as hunger, thirst, and avoidance of bodily injury must be satisfied for the organism to survive.
Secondary motivations such as affiliation, sex, aggression, and achievement are important, but need not be satisfied for survival.
It is generally understood that you “autonomically” satisfy your Primary Motivations instinctively, to the best of your ability. However, you have to “work” consciously to satisfy many of your Secondary Motives.
The Primary Dynamic Principle in Motivational Theories is that deviation from a desired "State" leads to corrective measures - in this case Behaviour - to regain the original "State" (equilibrium). Emotion plays a large part in this correction, by allowing us to express our inner feelings in such a way that we can reduce any self-induced Stress. Emotion also allows us to broadcast to others exactly how we are feeling about any deviations from our “balance” State.
As an example of the Primary Dynamic Principle, if a person feels balanced at a room temperature of 24 degrees, when it falls to a significant level, the person will be Motivated to take action to correct the situation, and return the environment back to a comfortable level. They may not specifically understand or acknowledge the literal measurement (24 degrees), but they will always relay a level of “comfort” or “acceptance” in justifying their action – what “Motivated” them to act. They may even “act out” their discomfort Emotionally as a means of justifying their “corrective” Behaviour. This is an example of Psychological Motivation.
Psychological Motivation is more subtle. You can’t always predict how People will react to circumstances or events. Because we are driven to make our “picture” of reality come true, understanding individual Motivation is more complex.
The most ubiquitous assumption in the Psychological Theories of Motivation is the Optimal State of No Stimulation. Since needs or drives are sources of stimulation, the desired “State” becomes their absence. As an example, a high-achiever type salesperson is often found doing very little - as least from the perceptual point of view of the observer. Underneath, however, a veritable cauldron of mental activity is going on, as strategy, scheme, tactics, and volition all merge into a high-order level of cognitive application.
Freud believed the goal of the psychic apparatus to be the reduction of stimulation to its lowest possible level. Invariably, People do not like to be stirred up unnecessarily - or over stimulated, and our “elite” salesperson is a classic example of this type of Behaviour. If you examine the Personality Types closely, you will quickly see which are more comfortable in a stable, low energy environment, and which like the cut and thrust of pressure and change.
Lewin & Hull believe the presence of tension, and the presence of drive, are "States" the organism acts to eliminate. This is why so many elite performers are so often difficult to manage. They are often in their “zone”, and they resent being “pulled” out of it by casual or divergent Communication or stimulation.
Research clearly shows that these types of responses can be trained in (or out), simply by extending the physical and metaphysical comfort zone of the individual.
Festinger proposes that inconsistencies between two cognitions, or between cognitions and Behaviour, produce a "State" of dissonance that is reduced by bringing about consistency. Cognitive dissonance has become a study all to itself, as we try to figure out why People perform perfectly irrational acts while exhibiting all the signs of conscious, cognitive Behaviour.
A dysfunctional culture is the outcome of this State - and the cause of great Stress in any Group or Organization. In fact, it is believed that this aspect of performance may well be one of the greatest precursors of Stress imaginable. This “Dissonance State” drives changes in Behaviour, changes in Belief, and selective exposure to new information, and the formation of opinions (Attitudes) congruent with the desired “State”. The trouble is, this “State” is often formed on perception based on erroneous information or beliefs, leading to performance degradation and massive Stress in the organism.
As an example of this theory, Festinger hypothesised that the greater the difficulty a person experiences in making a decision, the greater the tendency to rationalise or justify that decision at a later time.
Look at this statement closely – what we are saying is that the degree of difficulty (Emotional expenditure) generates the need to post-rationalise the action even when it is proven to be incorrect, and understood to be incorrect by the participant! In other words, the participant feels a strong need to get an Emotional reward for his Emotional effort – in this case, the opportunity to rationalise his mistake.
Heider & Newcomb suggest that individuals often attempt to achieve “States” of balance between their own attitudes and those of other persons with regard to common issues. The Socialiser and Relator Personalities are known for this attribute, sometimes to their detriment. The whole process of Negotiation can often be seen as a means of achieving consensus, accommodation, or compromise. Notice that each of these “States” is a different degree of balance, and this can be very Stressful for Thinkers and Directors, who take a more “literal” view of their world.
Various so-called "Master Motives" have been postulated :
Adler believes striving for superiority is paramount. This has been expressed many different ways over the last twenty years, but none more powerfully that the statement, “People always aspire upwards!” They do, and so do you.
Brown believes most human actions stem from learned fear and its reduction.
White proposes competence as a major Motivational determinant.
deCharms suggests that man's primary Motivation is to be effective - to be an originator rather than a pawn.
Hubbard has shown that perceived harmony leading to a balanced inner-stance (“State”) is a significant motivational force. He also demonstrated the relationship between conscious external environmental stimulus and unconscious, autonomic Behaviour.
If you model a theory on man as a rational decision maker, then you can safely assume that Behaviour will depend on that course of action for which the subjective expected utility (SEU) is highest. This theory is cognitive as it involves expectancy as a construct, along with the assumption that alternatives and their consequences are considered in the decision-making process. It should also be noted that the SEU is a complex series of relationships between many different types of Motives, and that this area is one of the most researched in current work. The whole “commission payment” structure of remuneration is based on SEU - which is why primarily it does not always work with different Personality Styles!
Atkinson proposed the inclusion of Motives to account for individual differences in the value of certain consequences.
Heider, Kelly, & Weiner have firmly established a theory based on the common sense notion that how People feel and what they do depend on the causes they attribute to the consequences.
It is accepted that Motivation can be categorized by its intention and intensity - for example, Achievement Motivation is the tendency to strive to excel when a person knows that Performance will be evaluated in relation to a Standard (Metric). That Standard may be an Ideal, the Performance of others, or an internalised past Performance by the individual. This is what all elite performers are always doing - consciously, or unconsciously. Higher, faster, further!
In elite performance terms, there is an immutable “Law” of activity – if it can be measured, then it can be improved. The corollary also applies to any Management Process – if it can’t (or isn’t) measured, then it can’t be successfully changed or improved.
When Achievement Motivation is too strong, it can produce over-excitement that actively interferes with efficient Performance. We’ve all seen overstimulated People running around creating Chaos, in an effort to move things along too quickly for most to be able to participate at their best.
The synthesis of all this work on Motivation can be expressed in simple terms, and it is important to the Peacemaker to understand the critical role Motivation plays in the management of Stress. There is a strongly held belief by Consistency Theorists who stress the human need to keep beliefs mutually consistent and in harmony with feelings and actions. In even simpler terms, don’t say one thing, and do another!
And don’t allow any System to act one way, while expressing a different belief, or you will see Stress levels that defy gravity, shortening every Life it comes in contact with.
There are a number of interesting observations one can make based on all this work :
1. People do things for their reasons, not yours.
2. People are unlikely to be motivated by your needs and desires.
3. In any Organization (or Group or Team) Strategy, there must be a balance and recognition of the “Push” and the “Pull” motives. If the “Pull” motives detract or overwhelm the “Push” motives, the action will fail.
4. People learn only what they want to learn.
5. People learn only when they want to learn.
6. People naturally resist change.
7. People naturally regress to their prior "State" or Comfort Zone.
8. People will always move towards the least line of resistance.
9. People will always attempt to find their balance within a Group.
10.The attitudes and Motivation of the Group can and will affect the individual.
11.If the group is tightly focussed, then the individual will be drawn towards the common Attitude.
The majority of motivators are Mental stimulants (Emotional) not practical achievements (Rational). In recent Research work it was found that there are generally fourteen accepted “profit” Motivations People believe are realistic achievable, with monetary reward listed at the eighth spot.
People talk about other People, rarely about the financial realities or operational activities that drive any Organization (or might Motivate you).
People within an Organization (Team of Group) cannot treat People outside the Organization (Team or Group) any better than they are treated. This is particularly true of Sales People and their treatment of Customers or Clients.
Any negative Attitude People have will be transmitted to everyone else.
A balance between "push" and "pull" motives will maximise motivational stimulus.
Maximum Motivation will be obtained when it specifically affects the individual directly, and is expressed in their terms.
Every individual is a “Star” in their own minds, and they dislike being compared with others not of their choosing!
Because Motivation is the cause of actions (Behaviour), to succeed you need the greatest quantum of controlled Motivation available to you in any restructuring or profit orientated Organizational change program.
You need to be able to apply this Motivation at the individual level.
You must involve your People in any Change process, so that they can come to grips with it from their perspective, and relate their individual Motivations to the outcome.
To achieve this, you need to create an environment where the objective of your Organizational needs and desires become the "State" to which all your People naturally direct themselves.
As we pointed out earlier, empirically it has been clearly demonstrated that the natural tendency of People is to seek the minimum disturbance, and where possible, to actively resist Change. For this reason, in Organizational (Team or Group) terms, the redundancy, transfer, sacking or demotion of a single person can have a catastrophic and disproportionate effect on the whole Organization’s (Teams or Groups) confidence and Motivation. Such action must be framed in such a way that the People who are not touched perceive it to be critical, and therefore necessary, for the Group’s survival. This perception delivers the process into the domain of a Primary Need.
Any form of Organizational (Team or Group) restructuring needs to be positioned as a positive, innovative, creative and rewarding experience for all concerned. The feeling should be one of euphoria, the restructuring the result of the superior performance of the People (and therefore of the Organization).
In the psychology of the Organization, it should be seen as the taking advantage of an opportunity that will ultimately provide strong “Pull” motives, at the individual level. This “Pull” motive should be orientated towards an increase in the SEC (Subjective Expected Utility).
Again, in very simplistic terms, the “What’s in it for me?” syndrome.
Any reallocation of financial resources from one area to another within the Organization (Team or Group) needs to be perceived as a strengthening of specific areas, for strategic reasons, made possible by the satisfactory or superior performance of those areas from where the resources must come. The whole “bottom-line” drive must always be shown in the light of providing the maximum financial capability for the greatest area of performance (or Strategic need).
When the “bottom-line” starts to drive the Organization, People tend to lose contact with their Motivations. When Organizations live on their financial nerves, the People exhibit significant signs of stress, because the Organization’s financial problem always seems to be beyond the individuals’ ability to fix.
There is also often a significant misunderstanding and increase in Stress caused by the Attitude that some People “create” revenue, while others “spend it” within any Organization.
Any linking mechanism in this dichotomous achievement is the implementation Strategy you adopt.
You need to demonstrate to everyone three crucial aspects of a Strategic process :
1. You must create an objective evaluation process that relates the Individual Performance to the Organization’s (or Team or Groups) Performance. This evaluation must be related to both Primary and Secondary drives (motives) for both the individual and the Organization.
2. You must demonstrate the potential incremental growth in both the individual and Organization’s Primary and Secondary sources as a result of the deterministic action you take.
3. You must involve your People in the Change process, so that they can come to grips with it from their perspective, and relate their individual motivations to the outcome.

You must also empower your People with the Three Permissions - Permission to Listen, Permission to Speak, and Permission to Fail.
When these practical Motivational concepts are applied to any Organization change process you will find that it is possible to modify “Attitudes”, and get a successful objective orientated focus driven by your People’s self-interest. Remember, People only really do well what they want to do well for themselves, and are Motivated by things that reach them, not necessarily you or the Organization (Team or Group).
Every Communication is an opportunity to Motivate – take advantage of this adage, and us it as the catch-cry of your performance, by reducing if not eliminating the killer Stress from your Motivational processes!
Over the past thirty years, this somewhat epigenetic and deterministic view of Motivation has lead us to the creation of the “P” Principle.
“If you perform for People, and help them reach their potential, then People will powerfully and positively perform for you.”
As a Peacemaker, this is both a critical and illuminating statement.
Above all, BREATHE, remain HOT, be ready to RACE, and don’t forget to SMILE!

The First Pregnant Pause

If you’ve got this far, you are probably starting to think about how Making Peace might fit into your Life, and is related to things like Stress, Communication, Group Dynamics, Chaos, and Motivation. You have more than likely made the link between Stress and death, but you have probably been a little bewildered with the switching between the “personal” you, and the “organizational” you.
This is to be expected.
You are going through a learning process (and you know what that is now) and you are trying to link what we are saying here with your own Mental models, beliefs and Attitudes.
The simple truth is that unless you are suffering from a medical condition that brings with it physical and or emotional Stress, the only way you can become Stressed is if you “self-induce” it. You actually have to do all the work to become Stressed, and many People find this a difficult concept to grasp.
Self-induced Stress is the real killer. Self-induced Stress is the result of all the discontinuities, divergences, dichotomies, and discomforts that we have described so far. But it is Self-induced, and this in itself is worthy of further discussion.
In confronting the four “D’s” (discontinuities, divergences, dichotomies, and discomforts) it is critical that you understand, and believe, that these are the principle causes of Stress in the Human body. It is when your instinctive or trained-Behaviour becomes at odds with the environment that you induce the most Stress. When your actions are out of sync with your expectations. When you believe one thing, yet another is true.
If you don’t “self-induce”, then you can’t get Stressed. But most People find it almost impossible to not “self-induce” – it seems to be in their genetic code! But if you can develop the habit of mentally standing back from the action, long enough to mentally and physically prepare yourself for the required mental or physical activity, then you will find suddenly that you are not getting as Stressed as you once were, and that your ability to solve problems, help other People, and provide insightful commentary to those around you with increase dramatically.
Here’s a simple process to try the next time you sense that you might be stepping into a potentially Stressful situation.
First, take a few deep BREATHS, and deliberately calm yourself. Mentally review the situation, looking for the four “D’s”. Introduce HOT into the process immediately, and watch for Attitudes developed from flawed belief systems. Put yourself into the mental mode of a facilitator, negotiator, moderator, or Peacemaker.
Don’t immediately take sides. Don’t assume anything. Distance yourself from any Stressful Behaviour or over-boiled Emotional discussion. Calm everything down.
Managing Stress is, in our opinion, the second most important task anyone can take on, right after developing excellent Communication skills. It is a lack of consistency, and in most cases, a lack of Honesty, Openness, and Transparency, in either the process, Relationship, activity, or event, which leads to Stress.
Emotional discontinuity is also a great generator of Stress, in the way strong Emotions can directly affect other People. But you still have to do the work of self-inducing the Stress for it to affect you.
Being aware of this is the best defence – as a Peacemaker you must apply yourself to lowering the “Emotional” temperature around any event of action to that clear heads can prevail.
When you come across a situation where the Emotions have got out of control, stop it. Now. And make Peace.




The Death of Profit

Making a Profit can be one of the most Stressful activities you will ever be involved in.
Research tells us that there are at least fourteen different metrics that are used by the average person to measure their “Profit”. They range from monetary, experience, exposure, challenge, emotional, stimulus, vision, and potential reward to market, organizational, self-worth, achievement, potential and realistic value. Monetary reward has been identified as the eighth most important, and Self-worth as the first. People express this Self-worth value in terms of their peers and management recognizing them for their contribution to achieving the Organizational goals. In the case of an individual, it is an expression of their recognition by their peers that places them within the context of their environment positively.
Profit is critical to most Organizations, because if they don’t make one, then the doors don’t stay open very long. Individuals also believe Profit is important, but always express it in personal terms, as you, a potential Peacemaker, would expect.
The very latest understanding of Profit is that, when used at the Organizational and Individual level you take the Organizational Objective and marry it with the individual self-interest of every Person. This is done in such a way that their self-image (ego) provides the fuel for Organizational Success (Profit generation).
By “Profit” we mean not only the financial considerations of the Organization, but also the enhancement of the performance and potential of every person involved. If you are attempting a managed Change Process of any type, you must involve your People in the change process, so that they can come to grips with it from their perspective, and relate their individual motivations to the outcome.
You may remember that we said earlier that there are six critical elements that you must fulfil in any change Strategy :
1. You must generate specific belief in the necessity for change;
2. You must generate ownership of the process by everyone involved;
3. You must have multidirectional real-time Communication;
4. You must have vested authority and responsibility;
5. There must be perceivable benefits (profit) for all concerned, and
6. The change strategy must deliver on the promise.
Now, it is easy to argue that Motivation is getting mixed up here with Profit, and in a sense that would be correct. Research shows clearly that if the Profit goals are understood and accepted, then the Motivational goals tend to align themselves with the Profit expectation. This is not a value statement, but rather a process one.
The first Management Consultant - Niccolo` Machiavelli – put it into exacting words - “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”
Arthur Wyatt, the founder Wyatt & Co., said, “People and Culture - the Human Systems of a Company - are what make or break any Change Initiative”.
Current Research tells us that the most frequently mentioned barriers to Change are employee resistance, and dysfunctional Corporate Culture. Dysfunctional Culture is one whose shared values and Behaviour are at odds with its long-term health. In the majority of cases, this dysfunctionality is related to the Profit motives of the Organization, or at least to the perception of what they are or how they may be expressed. The Profit drivers get out of sync with the Performance drivers, remembering that People are Motivated by Emotional values, not Rational ones.
The Psychology of Financial Control is all about understanding just what Profit is to you and others whom you hope to Motivate, or make Peace with.
Research shows that many People see financial control as complex systems and reports that create fear, and that financial control can be compared to rocket science, subatomic physics, and quantum mechanics! The perception is that the individual can have absolutely no impact on any financial process at any level of activity.
Maintaining financial control shouldn’t have to be so difficult!
Making specific Profit can be as easy as understanding the relationship between Profit and Motivation, Communication and Group Dynamics, the four imperatives of any Organization success.
People are motivated to work in an Organization, because the Organization is (or will be) successful, and that their Behaviour will be seen as reflecting the positive attributes of this Organization. Sometimes it’s called the “Friday evening Bar Chat”, where you proudly tell your friends all about the Organization you work for, and bask in the reflected glory. However, it’s interesting to note that People rarely talk about Profit, but rather the Organization itself, in terms of the Organization being different and unique or having achieved some level of visibility due to overt Performance.
There are four primary attributes of a successful Organization :
1. A purpose beyond Profit
2. A positive product or service differentiator
3. A dynamic working environment, and
4. Strong, focussed management.
A purpose beyond Profit is essential for any Organization, Team or Group, as victory is always hollow if it is one-dimensional. Stories about people who have achieved great heights, only to discover that their achievement lacks substance are legendary. In this day and age, the “new” speak is about Triple Bottom Line, where Organizations are judged not just on profit, but also on social and environmental metrics.
Without a positive product or service differentiator an Organization has only price to market, and there will always be a competitor who either can sell at a lower price, or has a better capacity to sustain suicidal pricing strategies. Jack Welsh (the retired CEO of GE) put it aptly when he said, “If I can’t compete with a competitive edge, I don’t compete”.
Dynamic work environments are few and far between, but easy to spot. That’s the Organization that everyone else is chasing, trying to emulate, or living in fear of. Nothing is more Motivational or successful than an environment where you can make mistakes, fail, learn, and prosper. Where fear of failure doesn’t exist, and the only overt focus is the development of the People. As People develop, so too does the Organization.
There is also a dearth of strong, focussed, management in most Organizations. This is evidenced by the rapid rate at which they come and go, leaving nothing but a trail of financial and Emotional destruction behind them.
But where these attributes are present, the outcome is there for all to see.
Simply put, People want to get into the Organization, not out. Now, this is all very heavy stuff, as making a Profit can sometimes be. We need a lighter, more personable, People orientated approach.
Before any Organization can get rich - or maximise its Profit potential - first, you must get rich. Rich in spirit, rich in endeavour, rich in potential, and rich in performance.
You owe it to yourself to Be All You Can Be, because only in that way can you ever hope to achieve all that you most want in Life for yourself, your Organization, or those around you whom you love and cherish.
You can never become a Peacemaker sitting on the sidelines of Life.
Life is not a rehearsal - what you don't do now, you probably will never do. You can’t replay your intent like shooting a movie, what is done is done, and done forever.
Once you get "you" right, then it's relatively easy to get everyone else right - to force multiply yourself to achieve the bigger Profit picture for you or your Organization.
Don’t be scared of Profit. If you don’t Profit from your learning experiences and your mistakes, you might as well not have them in the first place.
There is no "fast-fix" or "magic bullet" to achieving a Profit - if there were, everyone would be rich, prosperous, happy, famous and extremely self-motivated, and genuine Peacemakers.
Profit is many things to different People - money, fame, fortune, wealth, health, happiness, self-worth, self-image, ego, participation, vision, recognition, and acclaim. To most Organizations, Profit is the magic "bottom line" performance, usually expressed in financial terms. It’s what they boast about to the Stock market and their shareholders.
Organizations that are not making the Profit they desire or deserve are dangerous, Stressful, unsatisfying, niggardly places to work, and demoralising in spirit. If this negative and destructive attitude is not changed, it ultimately causes People to focus on all the wrong things.
Excellence in Performance (and therefore excellence in Profit delivery) is obtained by excellence in thought and action, and you simply cannot achieve excellence by driving the numbers and crunching the People.
You see, Organizations don't do things, People do! And smart Organizations are rapidly starting to realise that real Profit is the result of managing three synergistic relationships - and you can't have one without the other two.
Every Organization needs to generate Profit - if it doesn't, either it shouldn't be in business, or it soon won't be.
But two other things must happen in concert with the delivery of this Profit potential - or the Profit genera­tion cannot be sustained, and will ultimately fail. The Organization must develop as a Performance focused culture, and the People who produce the Profit must develop as People.
The better the People are developed, and the closer this development is to their own self-image, the better the Organization is developed, and the better will be the Profit generation.
Profit comes down to People, People, and People.
It is often said that the only difference between a Military Person and a Civilian is Training – so always think of Profit in terms of developing the People involved in the process, so that through training and nurturing their growth and enlightenment fuel the Profit generation process from the inside.
Chase the bottom line by all means - be frugal, cost conscious, money wise and tight - but don't ever lose sight of the fact that you will make your Profit (or generate one for your Organization) only when you are focused on the real reason why you (and the People around you) do things. Remember also that making Profit once at the expense of a sustainable People-orientated process is no Profit at all.
The majority of things that Motivate you are mental stimulants (Emotional), not practical achievements (Rational). People talk about other People, they rarely talk about the financial realities that drive the Organization, or are likely to Motivate you. You talk about your success before you talk about other People's, or the Organization’s.
When the Organization is successful, you bask in the reflected glory of this performance - as one of the key contributors to it. And this "success" talk is rarely about Profit perfor­mance - how much money the Organization made - it's usually about achievement performance, the things that have gone right, worked out, made you or others look good.
Things you feel really good about!
When the "bottom-line" starts to drive an Organization, the People tend to lose contact with their real Motivations. Why would anyone work themselves to death so that a faceless Organization can make a few dollars?
When Organizations live on their financial nerves, the People exhibit significant signs of Stress, because the Organization’s financial problem always seems to be beyond any one individual's desire or ability to fix.
If we were to examine all the ways of shortening your Life by self-inducing Stress that we have discussed so far, trying to make a false Profit would be at the head of the list. You need to link the Communication process with your understanding of Motivation to put Profit in perspective.
The Communication Dictate (C3) demands “An accurate, clear, simple, and understandable exchange of information (ideas) at every structural level, irrespective of the capability or circumstances of the sender or receiver”.
The Communication Dictate is predicated on everyone in the Organization believing, “That what it is that needs to be achieved (action) is more important than what it is anyone thinks they have to say”.
From a Group Dynamic perspective, in any Organization, achieving the “bottom line” is the motive force, financial control is the accelerator, and teams of People (Groups) are the wheels on which the Organization runs.
The Gaia Principle of the Universal Linking Theory suggests that “Every individual person’s Behaviour impacts on, and in turn, is impacted on by, every other person’s Behaviour”.
It is universally agreed that Emotion is a complex State, and is a condition that affects the entire Organism and influences how successfully it interacts with its environment. Although Emotion represents a change in a Person’s inner-State (inner-stance) it is also a change in Behaviour. Emotion can and does shape the environment it influences attitudes, and can change the Behaviour of others!
Motivation is the determinant of Behaviour’s arousal, vigour, direction, and persistence. Motivation is often considered an answer to the question of why an action is performed. Is has been observed that every action, whether physical or cerebral, is the result of some degree of motivation, either positive or negative. The majority of motivators are mental stimulants, not practical achievements. People talk about other People, rarely about the financial realities that drive the Organization.
In simple terms, when the “bottom-line” starts to drive the Organization, People tend to lose contact with their Motivations.
Profit may well be the bottom-line, but to most of the People involved “Profit” will mean an experience, challenge, emotional stimulus, and vision reward, and will always be expressed from the point of view of “self-worth”.
Your Strategy has to become the linking mechanism between your Organizational objectives, and the enhanced “self-worth” prerequisites of the People with whom you are striving to make a “Profit”.
In a sense, you have to under promise, and over deliver.
Because Companies don’t do things, People do, and every Person sees things from a different perspective, what is essentially the same, is in fact, very different. If we understand how People think and how they differ, we can soon establish how to Motivate them to make the Profit you desire.
The Psychology of Financial Control comes down to understanding Personalities and learning how to Communicate with them, and how each Personality is likely to “see” Profit.
Remember, under Stress, it is the Prime Personality Type that will tend to dominate the attitudes and Behaviour of the individual. And making a Profit can be extremely Stressful as processes go.
The Director is seen as High Involvement, Rational Behaviour, and “lives” in the top left hand quadrant of the grid.
The Socialiser is seen as High Involvement, Emotional Behaviour, and sits opposite the Director.
The Thinker is seen as Low Involvement, Rational Behaviour, and sits in the bottom left hand quadrant.
And the Relator, who is Low Involvement, Emotional Behaviour, sits opposite the Thinker Style.
Now, by understanding the Behaviour of each Personality Type, we can establish how to maximise a Communication with them, and maximise their “Profit” potential.

Relator
Thinker
Socialiser
Director

If you remember, the Director Personality is :
- Self-contained, and direct
- Exhibits firmness in relationships
- Is orientated towards productivity
- Is concerned with The Bottom Line
- They accept challenges
- Take authority
- Go head first into solving problems
- Work by themselves
- Come on cool & independent
- They shape their environment
- And they demand maximum freedom
The negative side of The Director Personality is that they are stubborn, impatience, are tough, have low tolerance for feelings and attitudes, have bad listening habits, and are naturally competitive at any level of Performance. To get the Director to make your Bottom Line, they have to win, the numbers have to be exact, and covert financial support must be in the background.
The “rules” for talking to a Director were :
1. In the Communication, is the thinking, presentation, and attitude compatible with the importance of the action?
2. Does it somehow take into account the risk of wrong choice (or action)?
3. Does it provide enough food for thought?
4. Are the points made in the Communication logical and cogent?
5. Are the specifics, benefits or reasons-why real and important?
In simple terms, to get a Director Personality to take notice of your Profit Objective, you need to show them how important what you want done is - to them.

The Socialiser Personality is a very different kettle of fish. They tend to :
- Have a high tendency towards directness, and are open
- They are animated, lively and intuitive
- They are impetuous and excitable, and they are
- Not concerned about the bottom line at all.
- They keep a fast pace
- Act and decides spontaneously
- Are the classic “ideas person”
- Has little concern for facts, figures or detail
- Can motivate and influence others, and they
- Shape their environment
The Socialiser works quickly, constantly seeks approval and recognition, and they have a dynamic ability to think on their feet, and will use sheer energy as a means to getting acceptance.
The Negative Side of the Socialiser Personality is that they can be seen as manipulative, they tend to generalises or exaggerates facts and figures, and they are not interested in detail, work intuitively, and take risks. To make the Bottom Line the Socialiser must be implicitly engaged with detail support. They simply can never do it themselves, and are literally incapable of “seeing” all the detail that goes into a solid “Bottom Line” performance.”
Remember the Communication rules for the Socialiser :
1. Is the Communication compatible with the importance of the action?
2. Does it somehow take into account the risk of wrong choice (or action)?
3. Does it provide enough stimulation of the imagination, fantasies, and daydreams?
4. Does the Communication engender the right feelings?
5. Does it express the right personality values?
6. Does it play on the right sense (of the five senses) in the right way?
To get the bubbly Socialiser to deliver on your Profit requirements you simply must engage them emotionally in the process, and show them how they will feel with the success of the process.

The Thinker Personality, because they reflect the “Low Involvement, Rational” quadrant, tend to be :
- Indirect and self-contained
- Concerned with analytical process
- They are persistent and systematic
- They are security conscious
- Have a high need to be right
- An over reliance on data collection
- Ask about specifics
- They tend toward perfection
- Focuses on detail and the process of work
- Becomes irritated by surprises and glitches
- Emphasises compliance and working within systems
- Promote quality in products and services
- And they like organization and structure.
The Thinker works slowly, precisely by themselves, and is time disciplined. They prefer an intellectual work environment, and tend to be self-critical, sceptical, and they like to see things in writing.
The Negative Side of the Thinker Personality is that they can be seen as aloof, prickly, and critical, their actions and decisions tend to be slow and extremely cautious, and they can procrastinate. They also actively dislike People who are disorganised or illogical (as Socialisers and Relators tend to be) and they do not like contact.
To get the Bottom Line, Thinkers must have specific, precise, logical and measurable objectives, spelled out in great detail, with supportive evidence.
Remember their Communication requirements :
1. Does the Communication provide the energy that the personality will not provide?
2. Does it make one point inescapably clear?
3. Does the Communication demonstrate or prove its one point irresistibly, and irrefutably?

The Relator Personality sits on the opposite side to the Thinker, and have a completely unique set of Behaviours :
- They are open and indirect
- Relatively unassertive
- Warm and reliable
- They seek security
- They take action and makes decisions slowly
- They are the most People orientated of the four Personality Styles
- They has natural counselling skills and
- Are good active listeners.
The Relator has a strong desire to avoid risky or unknown situations, and they always consider the feelings of others before taking action or making a decision. Because of this trait, they tend to build strong networks of mutually supportive People, at many levels of any Organization.
The Negative Side of the Relator Personality is that they actively dislike interpersonal conflict so much that they sometimes say what they think others might like to hear. This is not a distortion of the facts as it were, but rather an overt concern for the other party to the degree that they will avoid any possibility of conflict or harm. Because of this, Relators are sometimes perceived as compliant and soft, and seen as unassertive, and overly sensitive.
To get the Relator to make the Bottom Line, they must understand and accept how the Profit process will impact on the People, and internally accept the consequences.
The Communication Rules for the Relator are :
1. Does the Communication provide the energy that the personality will not provide?
2. Does the Communication convey inescapably one personality?
3. Does the Communication work in, or on, the right sense, in the right way?
There is another critical issue in the process of making a Profit – and that is Empowerment. Getting other People to make a Profit for you is all about Empowerment, and anyone can do it, especially a Peacemaker.
Empowerment is a process - simple, fast, intuitive, and welcomed by everyone involved in making it happen. Companies that empower their staff do magic things - make more money, have more fun, and generally prosper. People who empower other People live rich lives, achieve great things, create great empires, and are looked up to as positive role models. Empowerment is as simple as giving control to the other Person unequivocally, and then supporting them as they do their best.
It's often said that "Money makes Money". Well, Companies and Organizations don't do things, People do, as we’ve mentioned many times before. So if you really want to make a Profit, you've got to discover how to get your People to make it for you - because they come to realise that what it is they most want to do, is to produce for you.!
Getting a Profit really comes down to excellence in Communication and Motivation, just like building a relationship. If you ask a hundred People what their view of Profit is, you are likely to hear any of the following observations :
- The Financial function is often seen as complex and confusing;
- It often cuts the legs out from under good People;
- It is time consuming, and often leads to criticism;
- Financial reports are seen as daunting detail and of little relevance to the writer.
In short, responsible Financial Control can generate fear of the System, instead of respect! The Peacemaker, always interested in how People think and feel, recognizes this, and designs any Profit process in such a way that the Stress is minimized, and the performance is maximized.
And that’s a Profitable solution for everyone concerned!

Take Three

The use of “Stories” has long been seen as a viable method of Communicating with People holding different views. Stories can engage People beyond their EGO needs, and beyond their present focus. They also allow you to get your point across in a non-threatening manner, because while your audience might relate to the theme and the message, more than likely they will not relate to any negative aspects of your tale.
Stories are also an effective method of Communicating Organizational or Company Histories, and form a critical part of Organizational Learning.
Unfortunately, in the “Click and Go” era, telling Stories has become a bit of a lost art. It’s also sometimes very hard to get People together long enough to be able to tell a decent Story!
Yet every Person has a wealth of Stories just waiting to be told!
Stories also serve another purpose – they force you to organize your thoughts in such a way that your Communication is invariably simpler, more “human”, more appealing, and your message all that much more the stronger for the easy way it is delivered.
In other words, Stories wrap information or data in “appetite appeal”.
Every Story should have a start, a middle, and an end, and you need to understand the one simple, clear message that you are trying to Communicate.
Make it simple, literal, and appealing, and you will find that the power of the Story will work for you as a Peacemaker.
Additionally, providing analogous or metaphorical Stories allows you to tackle very tough subjects in a way that might otherwise be difficult. Issues that might spark instant reaction can be approached “softly”, allowing the participants time to absorb the message, and not feel threatened by it.
One other thing.
People “hear” Stories differently to the way they “hear” formal Communications such as letters, notes, memos, emails, and such. The “picture” side of the Mind is engaged in listening to a Story, involving all three levels of the Mind – unconscious, subconscious, and conscious.
In a sense you are getting the information in via the “back door”, rather than confronting the Listener “in their face”.
Making Peace is all about finding ways to help People reach their true potential, to learn and prosper, to live full and rich Lives.
Try a Story or two the next time you have to make a point, and see what a difference it makes to the way you Communicate.


The Death of Group

It is almost impossible in this day and age for anyone to achieve anything without becoming involved in a Team or Group, and the Stress that is usually generated by the Behaviour that develops because of the Group Dynamic.
For this reason, you as the Peacemaker need to understand how Groups work, and in the context of what follows, look at the word “Organization” as being any collective vested interest of any size that is trying to achieve a specific objective by the use of People and Systems, working in Teams or Groups of more than two People.
In any Organization, achieving the “bottom-line” (or vested interest objective) is the motive force, financial control (or budget) is the accelerator, and teams of People (Groups) are the wheels on which the Organization runs. And because Organizations don’t do things, People do, it stands to reason that an Organization’s success very much depends on how well its People do the things they do. An understanding of the Psychology of Group Dynamics then becomes the critical essence of successful Team Building.
Group dynamics is the term was first used by Lewin (around 1943) to refer to the psychological and social forces arising from the interaction of People in Groups like families, committees, athletic teams and work-place organizations, based on his observations made at a Navy Shipyard during the Second World War.
He observed that the cultural imperatives inherent in any stable Group often changed when the mix of Personalities was different, or if the Group was allowed to form its own “sub-culture” sometimes in direct contrast with that of the Organization which was providing them with their infrastructure.
Significant subsequent work has been done by Brown, Cartwright, Dimock, Luft, and Shaw, leading to a positive understanding of Group phenomena to the point where we can now actively use Group Dynamics to modify or regulate individual Behaviour, and magnify potential performance. We can also predict with a high degree of confidence the actual output of most Groups, and their possible cultural stratification.
The basic property of any Group is its level of cohesiveness, or the degree to which members are attracted to it. When cohesiveness is high, members are motivated to participate in the Group's activities and to help the Group attain its goals and objectives, by either melding their own personal objectives into the Group’s activities, or sublimating their personal agendas in favour of that of the Group.
Highly cohesive Groups give their members a sense of security and identity and a feeling of personal worth (self-esteem). Over time, Groups develop social norms for the Behaviour, attitudes, and values of their members. Groups exert social pressures by rewarding conformity to these norms, and rejecting deviance from the norms.
The greater the cohesion, the greater is the pressure applied to its members by the Group to conform. However, the uniformity resulting from these pressures has both desirable and detrimental effects.
It can facilitate social interaction and the attainment of Group goals, but at the same time may foster a Group mentality that limits creativity, Communication, and Attitude formation.
Well established Groups have an internal structure that provides stability for interaction among members, who tend to enact particular roles, perform specific functions, Communicate more often with certain other members, and to form subgroups and cliques.
Most Groups have a status structure, or pecking order. In simple terms, some members have more prestige than others and exert more influence on the Life of the Group. These differences are almost totally related to the Personality Type and mix of the members of the Group. If you remember, it is most likely that the Director Style will tend to dominate, with the Socialiser exerting strong influence on the social structure. The Relator Style will be the natural “Peacemaker”, always seeing all sides of any argument, while the Thinkers amongst us will be a little withdrawn, almost unapproachable, uncomfortable with any rampant dynamics exhibited by the Group.
The productivity of problem-solving Groups is often impaired by this structure, since it tends to inhibit contributions by low-status members. It can be hard for Thinkers and Realtors to get a word in at the appropriate time, while often the Directors and Socialisers will be offended with the literal, detail orientated, seeming slow manner many of the decision processes may emulate. It all comes down to our ability to Communicate with the other Team or Group members, and their ability and willingness to Communicate with us.
A Group is a social infrastructure that entirely depends on its ability to Communicate (and therefore relate), in order to achieve its specific objective, and all the attitudes and Behaviours that may be observed of the Group, will stem from their success of otherwise of how they Communicate with one and other, and create their relationships.
A Group totally depends on the relational frame that is formed within the Group, and the consensual bridges that allow direct. specific, and literal Communication between members of the Group.
Look at the Communication Rules we discussed earlier, and imagine how each Personality Style is likely to impact on any Team or Group that you are a part of.
We discussed that the Director Personality is Rational - High Involvement, and “lives” in the top right hand quadrant of the Grid :
1. In the Communication, is the thinking, presentation, and attitude compatible with the importance of the action?
2. Does it somehow take into account the risk of wrong choice (or action)?
3. Does it provide enough food for thought
4. Are the points made in the Communication logical and cogent?
5. Are the specifics, benefits or reasons-why real and important?

The Socialiser Personality is Emotional - High Involvement, and “lives” opposite the Director, in the right hand side of the grid.
1. Is the Communication compatible with the importance of the action?
2. Does it somehow take into account the risk of wrong choice (or action)?
3. Does it provide enough stimulation of the imagination, fantasies, and daydreams?
4. Does the Communication engender the right feelings?
5. Does it express the right personality values?
6. Does it play on the right sense (of the five senses) in the right way?

The Thinker Personality is Logical - Low Involvement, and sits in the bottom left hand quadrant :
1. Does the Communication provide the energy that the personality will not provide?
2. Does it make one point inescapably clear?
3. Does the Communication demonstrate or prove its one point irresistibly, and irrefutably?

The Relator Personality is Emotional - Low Involvement, and sits opposite the Thinker in the right hand side of the grid :
1. Does the Communication provide the energy that the personality will not provide?
2. Does the Communication convey inescapably one personality?
3. Does the Communication work in, or on, the right sense, in the right way?

Each Personality “lives” constantly in a different Emotional State, depending on the level of their involvement, and how Rational or Emotional they are. Emotions are the signals by which we let other People know how we are feeling about something, and what our intentions might well be. Subliminally, it is how a particular Personality Style reacts to these signals that often influences Group Behaviour.
One of the other difficulties is that Directors and Socialisers tend to be highly individualistic in both motivation, and intent. They both like to change and control their environment, and they both like to be seen as the point of focus for any attention. This can create difficulty for Group Leaders, particularly if they are selected for their popularity and not their skill set.
They can sometimes slip into “performing” for the Group, rather than “acting” for it.
Acts of leadership are those that strengthen the Group and contribute to effective Group performance. Although they may be performed by any member of the Group, they are often restricted to the one person who is designated as the official leader (or assumes the role through strength of character). This designation can be subtle and covert, in the case where there is an “officially” appointed Leader, who is not the actual “Leader” that the Group responds to. This happens often when the Leader is a Thinker or Relator, as the Directors and Socialisers will constantly try to make their point, either subtly or forcibly, depending on the perceived circumstances.
A democratic leader encourages participation in decision-making, fosters Group cohesiveness, and facilitates social interaction. On the other hand, autocratically led Groups are often efficient, but this type of leadership style tends to breed hostility or apathy among the members, reducing the overall Group performance. It is not unusual for autocratic-led Groups to fragment into smaller sub-Groups, often hotbeds of constantly fermenting discontent, and extraordinary high Stress levels.
For any Group to work, at any level, you must have an Honest, Open and Transparent process. Every individual must believe that they have the same access, opportunities, respect, relationship, and possibilities as every other member. Even when skill-specific roles are being enacted, the individual must believe that their contribution is valued, and at least equal to any other contribution by any other member, even though it might be different.
There are six critical elements that differentiate successful Groups, and they are exactly the same elements that you must have at the core of any successful Change Management Process.
1. There must be a specific belief in the objectives of the Group.
2. There must be ownership of the process by every member of the Group.
3. There must be multidirectional real-time Communication between all the members of the Group.
4. There must be vested authority and responsibility in the members of the Group.
5. There must be perceivable benefits for all concerned, and
6. The Group’s strategy must deliver on the promise.

There is one additional and important element in Group performance – and that is the activities of the Group must be recognized and rewarded by the host Organization, in a manner that allows the individual Group members to see the real impact of their contribution on the Organization’s success or progress. If this “relational” frame between the Organization and the Group is not built and supported, ultimately, any Team or Group will fail in its endeavours.
If you remember, the model of Attitude formation shows that your subjective knowledge (beliefs) about an Object determines your Attitude toward it. And we pointed out that because this is so, it is crucial that any Attitude be “challenged” until you established exactly what the facts really are. We saw that the variables in Attitude change are Personality traits, credibility of the source of different opinions or information countering existing Attitudes, and Group membership.
There is no doubt that Group membership can form and shape individual compliance, and moderate Behaviour. However, this tends to be a double-edged sword, because unless the Group get it right, the individual can be left handing in an Attitudinal abyss, completely unsure of their moral direction. Not only is this State Stressful, it can be deadly!
The Gaia Principle of the Universal Linking Theory suggests that “Every individual person’s Behaviour impacts on, and in turn, is impacted on by, every other person’s Behaviour”. In simplistic terms, this means that any Group that is formed, or will be created, will only ever be as successful as the least committed member of that Group.
This Principle can be applied in two distinctly different ways.
#1 - The Organization sets individually determined objectives for each Group, taking the composition of the Group into account, or
#2 - The least capable Group is used as the standard setter, creating a synergistic drive for excellence within the other Groups.
The size of a Group also has important consequences for its successful functioning. Larger Groups have more resources and can accomplish more than smaller ones. But as size increases, a smaller proportion of the Group's members take part in Group discussion and decision-making. Interaction becomes more impersonal, satisfaction declines, Group cohesiveness is reduced, and the Group tends to become divided into factions. Stress is the inevitable result of these processes.
The optimal number of members depends upon the Group's objectives, but for most problem-solving Groups and committees extensive research has shown that it is generally regarded as being either five or seven. This is an important discovery if you are involved in a Board or Community Groups, who tend to have large numbers.
Organizations tend to force-evolve Groups-within-Groups, all with their own created (or assumed) set of norms. The greater the number of individually identified Groups, the greater is the degree of Organisational control required. The further a Group gets from the focus of the Corporate Culture, the more deviant the norms of the Group can become.
Because Groups are able to exert disproportionate pressure on the individual to conform to the Group’s assumed norms, it is possible for a Group to covertly subvert the Organization’s goals. This Group "shut-out" can be subliminal, unconscious, and virtually undetectable at some levels of an Organization. This effect can be minimised by the inculcation of the Corporate Culture at every level of the Organization, and by the provision of clear Organisational objectives expressed in human-dynamic terms rather than in financial (or numerical) ones.
An American Airline became famous (and profitable!) by boiling down their multi-volume Operations Manual into a single thought – “Make our Customers happy, no matter what” – and posting it on every employee’s desk.
In essence, you take the Organizational objective and marry it with the individual self-interest of every Group member - in such a way that their self-image (ego) provides the fuel for your achievement – success – but expressed in the terms of the individual.
There are nine critical elements in Team Building (or the management of Groups) that we have been able to identify after years of research and study, and they can be described in relative order of importance.
1. The designation (or appointment) of an Organisational disciple as the Group leader. This is critical, as the Organization’s objectives must be reflected in the Leadership of any Team or Group for it to be able to succeed.
2. Specific, attainable, quantifiable and accountable objectives for each Group. These Group objectives must be developed with (and within) the Group, and accepted unilaterally.
3. Each individual within each Group must understand and accept their role, and its contribution to the overall objective of the Group.
4. Positive review of the Group objectives and progress, at planned, regular intervals, from the Group's perspective.
5. This review must also relate the Group’s progress to the Organization’s progress.
6. Consistency and clarity in Communication of the Organization’s Principles with each Group.
7. A rigid feedback protocol, with two-way responsibility between the Organization and the Group.
8. A strong, positive, understandable Corporate culture, which can be absorbed and reflected by every individual within the Organization (and therefore within any Group).
9. Organization recognition of the Group's contribution, and Communication of this recognition to other Groups

Teams that you form as “working parties” to run down the various issues that will come out of any Strategic process must implement and reflect these nine critical aspects of Team (or Group) Building.
The sure test for a successful Organization is the degree of perceived Culture exhibited by the weakest member of the weakest Group.
The management of Groups (teams) is simplified by the application of the well-recognised and tested concept of C3 - Command, Control, and Communication.
If you recall - The Command (C1) hypothesis stipulates that :
- "In any Organization there is a visible hierarchical structure to which the individual can easily relate".
- “It is the Prime Responsibility of every member of this hierarchical structure to either lead, follow, or get out of the way”.
- “This structure will be such that, in the event of any uncertainty, command can pass from one level of the Organization to the next with a minimum loss of control”.

This Communication derived Command (C1) dictate serves five purposes :
1. It provides an anchoring point for the individual, a frame of reference for discipline and authority.
2. It leaves no doubt as to the expected role of management.
3. It gives an individual a clear picture of their potential career -path within the Organization.
4. It provides a literal frame of reference for the position of the various Groups and Teams within the Organization in respect to one another.
5. It provides for the logical, calm progression of management through the Organization.

The Control (C2) imperative states that :
- “At every level of an Organization, there shall be sufficient structure to maximise efficiency, prevent chaos, disorder, and disharmony in work, while promoting the orderly and concise flow of information and smooth change of command from one level to another”.

The Communication (C3) dictate demands :
- "An accurate, clear, simple, and understandable exchange of information (ideas) at every structural level, irrespective of the capability or circumstances of the sender or the receiver".

And the crux of the issue - a successful Communication (exchange of ideas) is said to have taken place only when the receiver can demonstrate (via Feedback) that they can implement the required work to complete the object of Communication.
Successful Communication evolves within an Organization when each individual understands that what it is that needs to be achieved (action) is more important than what it is they want to say.
The contemporary Communication Model is integrated and continuous, and the Communication “Loop” is considered “Dynamic”, and its success is evaluated only by the Quality of the Feedback. This is a critical issue with Groups – if you do not have the proper Feedback mechanisms in place, the Group will quickly loose its “place” in the overall scheme of things, leading to great Stress both within and without of the Group.
In the proper administration of Self Managed Teams (a special type of Group structure) there are a number of critical aspects you need to be aware of to minimize Stress, but maximise performance.
Firstly, SMT’s invariable fail unless they are truly Self-Managed!
Secondly, SMT’s must have access to every resource they perceive they need within and without of the Organization.
Thirdly, in the management of SMT’s, your control must be seen to be Motivational, not Organisational.
Fourthly, the reporting system you establish must be a genuine, bi-directional highway of information, and ideas exchange.
And last but not least, the recommendations and solutions offered by SMT’s must be objectively evaluated against previously agreed criteria, and you must be seen to be implementing this aspect of your Social contract.
In simplistic terms, your Organization will function optimally when your Groups are Communicating optimally. A true test of this “State” is a critical examination of the Communication practices exercised by the Groups.
It is this understanding of the Psychology of Group Dynamics which when applied at the lowest Group level, will promote the modification of the Group’s Behaviour to best deliver your Organizational objectives.
If the lowest common denominator is functioning at peak performance, then every other Group will match the expectation created by their example.
It is up to the Peacemaker to decide how you will use the power of Group Dynamics, but understand that it is a significant tool in the process of Making Peace!