Reflections on Lead Wise Week 3's Project 5 on Immunity to Change mapping

This week our focus has centered on better understanding how to become a Deliberately Developmental Organization (DDO). Based on a process outlined in this book I proceeded, first individually, to work on my immunity to change (ITC) map.

The process started with deciding on an improvement goal to concentrate on for the rest of the exercise, for which I outlined different proposals. I then proceeded to cluster by themes which discovered me something quite interesting: They all seemed to share a common area to a certain extent which was getting in the way of my personal development.

I will not share the map here for now as it is still feels to me to to be work in progress.

Once identifying the root goal, I proceeded to identify behaviours in myself that worked against that goal, which were, rather strikingly, almost too many to fit in the column provided in the relevant canvas.

The tipping point for this exercise for me though, came when working on the next area, the “worry box”, where you are meant to portray the fears or worries that come up to you when you imagine doing the opposite. This way of seeing yourself doing exactly the opposite of what worries you felt somehow uncomfortable but provided me with a strong will to confront these in order to accomplish my goal.

The next step involved turning those worries around and converting them into competing behaviours which prevent that what causes you worry may happen again. This proved to be rather insightful step, as I conceived them to be a sort of strategy that might contribute to not being perceived the way you don’t really are.

The last column in the canvas is reserved to your big assumptions, which made me realize I had quite a few that were ingrained in my belief system. I’d like to share some of these which I considered the most insightful:

• Giving and receiving honest feedback is usually an uncomfortable process
• People that question everything are critical thinkers
• If I keep doing what I am more skilled at, it will further enhance my career progression

This a crucial part of the process for me yet very enlightening as it makes me want to test these assumptions and create a framework/ action plan that I might use as in a practical way.

Last, but certainly not least, coaching with colleagues and a coach from the programme was a great way of seeing my exercise with a fresh set of eyes and with a less self-judgemental perspective. I am now in the process of analyzing the feedback received to understand how I could apply it to further refine my map so as to uncover new aspects possibly unknown to be until now.