Recently I was reading information about a Master’s
in Business Psychology (MBP)program and was struck by the following
statement: "Business is still a human enterprise.” Think about that. In our current technology addicted world,
business is still run by, marketed to, and dependent on consumers who are
human. Although companies use technology
to accomplish many tasks, people are the ones inputting and processing the
information that affects finance, marketing, management and operations of the
organization. Successful businesses
still need to have team members who have good “people skills.” And yet ironically, it seems that these
skills are getting less and less focus in professional development.
Unlike a traditional MBA, the MBP program incorporates the
philosophy that managers and leaders need to not only understand business
(finance, marketing, economics, etc…) but also how people think, interact and
behave. As a leadership and team
development facilitator, I see the importance of interpersonal and relational
skills in creating organizational success.
The business of quantitative decision making is also the business of
understanding psychology and how the brain works.
There is now a great amount of neuroscience research about
how the brain works and how that needs to be incorporated in to leadership
development programs. In a research
review titled “Social
Cognitive Neuroscience and Leadership” (D.A. Waldman et. al., 2011) the
authors state
…by understanding the neurological
bases for transformational leadership behavior, we may be better positioned to
develop such leaders in a more realistic and systematic manner. Thus, instead
of simply putting people through a one-size fits all leadership development
program, the brain may give us some insight as to how and why specific
individuals in leadership roles feel, think, and ultimately learn new
behaviors. With this knowledge, leadership development activities could be
better customized to fit the unique neurological structure of an individual
leader.
Studies are showing there’s an increased demand for
individuals who understand how human behavior factors into a strategic
advantage for an organization. As a
leader or manager, what can you do to improve your “people skills?” There are any number of books and seminars
addressing this component of being a better leader or manager. But I would propose that you go a step
further and find an experiential action learning program that creates the
opportunity for you to put theory into practice through training that can
complement the books you have read and seminars you have attended. Books can describe how to work with different
types of people and what to notice about your own behaviors. And seminars can provide some role playing
activities that try to simulate situations that leaders and managers may
encounter. But in order to truly become
self-aware and recognize how you are influencing those around you under a
variety of circumstances, you need to have the opportunity to interact in
activities that promote immediate non-judgmental feedback. With this kind of feedback, you can process
the behaviors and actions that created the situation, explore other solutions
and then implement new actions and behaviors to achieve different results.
This is what we do at Wager’s Way Equine Assisted Action
Learning program. We create a learning
environment where many variables can affect the outcome of an exercise and then
we facilitate a discussion of those variables and how an individual worked
through them to be successful. Through
immediate nonjudgmental feedback from our equine co-facilitators, theory is put
into practice and individuals gain insight and skills that they are able to
take directly back and apply in the workplace.
Behaviors, strengths and challenges are acknowledged and discussed to formulate more productive outcomes.
While there is certainly great value in seminars and virtual
learning for leaders and managers (low overhead, convenience) it is also
important to examine whether these types of professional development programs
are enough to create the kind of change that helps leaders and managers develop
the “people skills” needed to be effective.
After all “Business is still a human enterprise.”
Ginny Telego is a Certified Advanced Facilitator and owner of Wager's Way, an equine facilitated action learning program in Ashland, OH. www.wagersway.com
Ginny Telego is a Certified Advanced Facilitator and owner of Wager's Way, an equine facilitated action learning program in Ashland, OH. www.wagersway.com
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