It’s as easy as abc?
When I first saw that we had to write a weekly blog as part of the PSM course, a sense of dread came over me. Even though communications is my day job this is always behind the corporate mask and messaging. But this, this is different — no brand, key messages or industry language — just me!
So hi! Within the first couple of days of PSM I have been encouraged to try new practices and you know what? It actually feels good! Almost like a holiday for the mind and I’m looking forward to next week already.
When I first started learning and exploring self management, my first instinct was that it makes so much sense and seems like such common sense too. But why isn’t it in every part of life? Why do we have this learned hierarchical culture in the workplace? And how do we unpick ourselves from it?
The first way of being able to do this was covered in week 1 with roles and team agreements. I like the fluid nature of roles and the move away from the static job description. I can see how they work, evolve and provide opportunities for development. I would like to explore more how to move from a culture of job descriptions, which are the basis of pay, grading and structure, to a more role based approach in a way that will take people with us. I would love to jump straight in to it, but I think small incremental steps may be the best way forward in my workplace at this time.
‘Making the implicit explicit’ was the big learning around team agreements. For a team to connect and work together effectively there needs to be common understanding of what that is going to look like in practice. The creation of a team agreement provides opportunity to bring together different thinking from across the group and real sense of ownership and belonging to the team. After the session on Monday, my son brought home from his primary school a poster his class had created on their ‘golden rules’. — This is something that they do at the beginning of each new school year. It raised a number of questions in my mind. If this is the way our children are being encouraged to work together when is this lost between education and a work place? Or is this how the next generation will expect to work? Is it then our responsibility to create work environments now that continue this? In the future will this be a big determinant for how people chose the organisations where they want to work? So many questions, but all with self management as the way of working now for the future.
The biggest joy I have had so far on PSM is for the people on the course. Being able to connect with such a range of people from so many different backgrounds from the comfort of my own home (or car, as it was on Friday) I find truly inspiring and I can’t wait to see everyone again!
