TIGHT ROPES and SAFETY NETS

At our team leaders’ meeting Ruth introduced a model that she uses both for developing emerging leaders in her team and also, by applying it to herself, for checking on her own continuous development.  She credits a talk by Pete Wynter for the idea.

Initiatives that release people into positions of leadership experience increased personal growth, ownership and commitment compared with an approach of control and direction. Whilst it is therefore good to release people in this way careful consideration needs to be given to how best to do this. It’s not good to just throw them in the deep end, sending them out along tight ropes of leading others without safety nets to catch them if it goes wrong. Equally it isn’t good to put so many safety nets in place that these emerging leaders feel over protected and without any challenge or risk. 

Ruth drew a six pointed star and named three safety nets and three tight ropes. She uses these six headings as conversation starters to explore in one to one meetings with her team. Also she uses the headings to ask questions of herself as a personal check up on her own continuous development as a leader. 

SAFETY NETS

1. Mentoring and Accountability. Who is the mentor for this person? Is this relationship working well? To whom is the person accountable? Someone who will assess their performance and give honest yet encouraging feedback.
2. Training. An approach of continuous learning. Equipping for new and more challenging tight ropes. Training should not be confined to technical skills but embrace all areas of personal development. What training is being undertaken?
3. A culture of encouragement. Is there a culture where experimentation and calculated risk are encouraged? When things go wrong are the mistakes valued as opportunities to learn and grow or is the culture to identify who is to blame? 

TIGHT ROPES

1. Realistic Opportunities. Continually identifying opportunities which are achievable but which will stretch and challenge the person. Each is the next step of developing. As on a tight rope each step is a little bit scary. What’s the next step to be taken?
2. Vision that releases vision. Finding that correct balance between having set parameters of core purpose and vision without stifling the person from the need to identify, communicate and run with their own vision. This is the opposite to micro-managing. Those who are given opportunities to take responsibility grow and mature more quickly than those who are spoon fed. What is their vision and how is it being communicated to others?
3. External engagements. By moving away from the comfort of the familiar work place and environment the person is stretched to transfer their skills and abilities and use them in new circumstances. Examples might be volunteering to serve on a team going overseas or a temporary placement in a different and unfamiliar setting. What opportunities to do this have been identified? What learning has there been?

CONCLUSION

# ask these questions of yourself

# clearly identify and specifically name the people you will use this model with

# start to implement by using the model at regular one to one meeting