Aha! Moment Monday
In Canadian politics we have cabinet ministers for every aspect of governance and concern. We have a finance minister, a minister of the environment, minister of education, minister of global affairs and so many more.
In our democratic society we vote in a party and their leader who assembles their cabinet. Each of their chosen ministers is then responsible for strategies and tactics to administer and regulate the policies and procedures of their portfolio. And as a democratic society, if we don’t agree with the current government’s way, we have a variety of ways to challenge their decisions and motivate change, and every four years to decide to continue to support the party in general or vote in a new one.
The fascination with politics is that there are so many influencing factors the biggest of which is often the human element. While we might think that all decisions and actions are made on data, the fact is that a wide spectrum of human beings are in charge and each of these human beings has a unique background, set of conditioning, values, ideals and can’t help but lead with their entire being. It’s no secret that we decide emotionally and justify logically (you can spin any report or data to support your opinion). Good leaders know that and shuffle their cabinet members to keep things fresh.
You see, there is also a thing that happens with teams of all sizes and descriptions when they’ve been together for a while, they all start thinking alike. It’s called “groupthink” – “… a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome.” – the danger being when we’re all thinking alike no one is thinking differently.
Aha! ~ Don’t be afraid to freshen up the guest list for your life party
When you only invite like minds to your party you may feel like the star which everyone supports and agrees with but that may be the very thing that stifles your growth.
Diversity can be uncomfortable however you can absolutely achieve cohesiveness when values are clearly stated with a quality team, regardless of the type of team, size of team or goal of the team.
Know that great parties also exercise creativity and are not afraid to ask “What if…” when even the silliest of ideas is presented. Hasty judgement is a no-no. One more thing, as much as we like to avoid conflict, it IS an essential part of a solid outcome.
I think my new name badge will include the title, “Minister of Personal Development”.
Want one, too?
Have your Aha Moment Mondays delivered right to your inbox… sign up.