Leigh Durst's presentation at SXSW 2019 highlighting her journey and her new book, "Walk, Climb, or Fly: Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace Wilderness"
36. – Your perception of your job, work or career
– View of yourself within a work context
– How you like to get things done
– How you leverage others to achieve objectives
– What motivates and energizes you
37.
38. – Everyone has a dominant style
– People don’t typically shift from one style to another
– No style is superior to another
– All styles are essential to business!
– Styles can be found at any rank, in any department
– Natural compatibilities and conflicts exist between
styles
39. PHYSIOLOGICAL
SAFETY
SOCIAL
ESTEEM
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
A job that is challenging, meaningful, purposeful, the
ability to problem—solve, make a difference, impact
the world, reach potential and advance.
A job that provides a sense of community or belonging,
the feeling of being cared for and respected.
A job that offers security, safe working conditions, benefits,
the ability to save for the future
Interesting job with sufficient title or authority, the provision of necessary
resources, the feeling of being needed, useful and rewarded
A job with sufficient pay, income to pay bills and buy food,
a physical means to get to work
42. PROS
• Typical characteristics
• Innate capabilities
• Potential “gifting”
PITFALLS
• Potential risk areas
• Negative or limiting
• Must be managed
43.
44. • “THE REASON THINGS RUN”
• JOB AS COMPONENT OF LARGER EXISTENCE
• DEFINED & DEEP // CLEAR “LANE” OF EXPERTISE
• OFTEN OVERSEES A CRITICAL, OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS
• ONE TO LONGER-TERM EMPLOYMENT
• METHODICAL, LOGICAL CAREER PROGRESSION
• VALUES ORDER, STABILITY, CONSISTENCY, PREDICTABILITY
& BALANCE
• SOCIAL NETWORKERS - FORM COMMUNITY & “THE
GRAPEVINE”
• PRPOSSESS A WEALTH OF OPERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE
45. • “THE DRIVER & KEEPER OF THE AGENDA”
• JOB AS A STEPPING STONE TO SOMETHING BETTER
• VALUES ADVANCEMENT, ACHIEVEMENT, POWER & INFLUENCE
• EMPHASIS ON GOALS, OBJECTIVES, MILESTONES
• EXCELS AT SIMPLIFICATION, PRIORITIZATION, DELEGATION,
LEVERAGE
• CONTROLLED DEMEANOR & RESERVED COMMUNICATOR
• MASTERFULLY RESOURCEFUL - GREAT DELEGATOR
• MANAGES UP WELL – SPEAKS LANGUAGE OF EXECUTIVE SUITE
• STRATEGIC NETWORKER, PURSUASIVE & OFTEN POLITICALLY
SAVVY
46. • “THE FUTURE BUILDER”
• WORK CRITICALLY TIED TO MISSION, PURPOSE & CALLING
• NO SEPARATION BETWEEN WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE
• MULTIDISCIPLINARY SKILLS – CROSSING BOUNDARIES
• EXCELS AT DEFINING UNIQUE, STRATEGIC DIRECTION TO
EVOLVE ORG.
• NATURAL CHANGE AGENT & CATALYST
• VALUES FREEDOM, LATITUDE, EXPLORATION
• ENERGIZED BY IDEATION, BRAINSTORMING, BUILDING,
FLEXIBILITY
• THRIVES IN ENVIRONMENTS WITH LESS STRUCTURE
• OPEN, INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATOR
56. 1. RECOGNIZE, UNDERSTAND,
EMBRACE AND RESPOND TO
OPERATIONAL STYLES
2. ARREST YOUR HEADSPACE TO
MINIMIZE PITFALLS AND WORK
ADAPTIVELY WITH OTHERS.
3. COURSE-CORRECT AGAINST A
PERSONALIZED, MEANINGFUL
DEFINITION OF SUCCESS
57.
58. - Increased empathy and understanding with others
- Better alignment for the future (design, people,
purpose)
- Improved relationships, collaboration and outcomes
- Maximized strength and greater control over pitfalls
- Empowered journey with a destination defined by
you
THIRD TIME SPEAKING AT SXSW BUT MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING ON THIS SUBJECT
TOPIC OF MY NEW BOOK (TITLE)
BEFORE STARTED // BACKGROUND // INTERSECTION PEOPLE TECH
OVER 20 YRS LEADING EDGE OF DIGITAL & BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION
WIDE ARRAY OF COMPANIES _ FROM Fortune 100 and 100 companies, startups, non-profits and more.
ACROSS AND SECTORS from High Tech to Manufacturing, Healthcare to Retail, Finance to Consumer Packaged Goods.
UXD
ECOMMERCEPORTALS AND CONTENT
CRM AND MARKETING OPTIMIZATION
BUSINESS AND PRODUC STRATEGY
BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
OPERATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
AND MORE
FIRST JOB WAS AMAZING … AS I BEGAN TO MOVE ON STRUGGLED A BIT BECAUSE I OFTEN HAD TROUBLE GETTING PEOLE AS EXCITED ABOUT CHANGE AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING AS I WAS. I ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF RESISTANCE… AND I DIDN’T UNDERSATND FULLY WHY I STRUGGLED SO FOR A FEW YEARS.
NATURAL CHANGE ATENT – GOOD SIDE // BAD SIDE JOB WAS TO MAKE PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE
SEE BEST AND WORST
BEST
WORST
CA BECOMES TARGET
FIRST JOB WAS AMAZING … AS I BEGAN TO MOVE ON STRUGGLED A BIT BECAUSE I OFTEN HAD TROUBLE GETTING PEOLE AS EXCITED ABOUT CHANGE AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING AS I WAS. I ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF RESISTANCE… AND I DIDN’T UNDERSATND FULLY WHY I STRUGGLED SO FOR A FEW YEARS.
NATURAL CHANGE ATENT – GOOD SIDE // BAD SIDE JOB WAS TO MAKE PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE
SEE BEST AND WORST
BEST
WORST
CA BECOMES TARGET
TO PREPARE ME THE COMPANIES I WORKED FOR SENT ME TO ALL KINDS OF TRAINING.
SUPER USEFUL – LEARNED A LOT – ESPECIALLY ABOUT MYSELF
AUDIENCE POLL….
I wanted to be able to quickly assess another person
Understand how they are basically wired to function
Build a bridge of understanding between us
To Common Ground for Collaboration
And Establish Mutual Wins – so that everyone felt good about our exchange at the end.
I also wanted to do this with my EMPLOYER and Managers.
I often felt like a corporate Misfit. I was the “Maria Von Trapp” of Corporate America
I didn’t fit in to the Abbey – on one side my managers were telling me to Climb Every Mountain.
On the otherside there was a chorus of nuns asking how they should solve a problem like me. I thought differently, worked differently and had a broad array of interests and talents…
MY SEARCH BEGAN FOR A BETTER WAY TO WORK
IN THE EARLY 2000’S I found about 30 different personality, leadership and management “typing” methodololovies on the market
Today there are more than 45. This was my list from a one hour scan – and I ran out of space.
Varying levels of rigor…. Some academically and scientifically accepted – others not so much – yet that doesn’t seem to make a big difference in commercial acceptance.
I want to be clear that my goal is not to debunk, critique or make an example of any of these – my goal in showing you this list is simple –
It’s very complicated to even know where to start with this stuff.
The sheer level of complexity –within these methodologies and across the spectrum illustrates something very important:
PEOPLE WANT TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS – THEY ALSO WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD
So I wasn’t alone.
ACONYM
ONE HOUR CHECK – 43
LOVE LANGUAGE
SPIRIT ANIMAL
ARCHETYPE
TEMPERAMENT
LEARNING STYLE
STRENGTHS
COLOR
AUDIENCE POLL…. FRIENDS/STARBUCKS, DISNEY PRINCESS – TACOS, DOWNTON ABBEY, BREAKING BAD, AVENGER (HUMAN NATURE)
STUDY THE WORKPLACE AND PEOPLE IN IT – READICALLY DIFFERENT COMPANIES, MARKETS, INDUSTRIES, LEADERSHIP, GOALS –
REMARKABLE PARALLELS IN HOW PEOPLE GOT THINGS DONE AND A PERSONAL THEORY BEGAN TO EMERGE.
I BEGAN TO USE THIS TO PROCESS THE DIFERENT CLIENT ENVIRONMENTS I FACED…. JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HIS THING CALLED WORK
JUST TRYING TO BETTER FIND MY WAY
If you like Buzzfeed, there are even more…
In the search to understand and be understood at work can be a challenging one.
TO MANY PEOPLE THE WORKPLACE CAN FEEL LIKE A WILDERNESS
MANMADE – FOREIGN – OWN RULES, POLICIES, PROCESS,
LEFT TO OURSELVES TO FIND OUR WAY
WE SPEND YEARS PREPARING TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE – CRAMMING OUR HEADS WITH KNOWLEDGE
VERY LITTLE TIME PREPARING FOR THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNEYS WE WILL FACE…
That’s ironic isn’t it – we wouldn’t head out on the Algonkian trail unprepared for a two-week journey – and yet our career journey is decades long.
WE ARE INSTEAD DROPPED IN 2017 JUMANJI STYLE
FORCED TO FIGURE OUT THE GAME, THE RULES
SHOWN OUR CUBICLE AND TOLD WE ARE LUCKY TO BE THERE
GET BUSY WITH DEMANDS OF THE DAY
SOME FIGURE IT OUT BETTER THAN OTHERS
SOME FIND A GOOD MENTOR – MOST GO IT ALONE
AND AS WE TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITIES, WE
MANY OF US BECOME BUSY VERY QUICKLY AND END UP ON A FORM OF CAP
CAN BE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE WORKPLACE WE INHABIT – CORPORATE INTEREST – INDIVIDUAL SECOND
LIKE A POORLY CONNECTED GPS – FIND URSELVES LOST IN THE WEEDS
OFTEN FIND OURSELVES IN A DESTINATION – LIKE I DID – THINKING ‘HOW DID I GET HERE???”
This is what happened to me.
I had ALL I THOUGHT I NEEDED – NOTHING I WANTED – RETRENCH –REGROUP
START MAKING SMALL COURSE CORRECTIONS
Empowered and bolstered by every triumph to make change
And this intensified my search for a better way to work,
When I begin to research deeper, I found I wasn’t alone.
Now, you don’t have to be burned out to find this interesting…
IN 2018, GALLUP ANNUAL STATE OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE
AN ASTOUNDING FIGURE CAME OUT OF THIS STUDY – THAT 85% OF GLOBAL WORKERS ARE DISENGAGED AT WORK.
IN JAPAN IT’S AS HIGH AS 94%
HIGHER IN DENMARK, SWEDEN
US STARTED AROUND 71% AND HAS DROPPED – LOWER UNEMPLOYMENT / HONEYMOON EFFECT
67% of employees are dealing with burnout. 44% feel SOMETIMES burned out and 23% report feeling burned out all the time.
71% according to …
BREAD & BENEFITS – the first reason people lead..
Looking for BETTER, an upgrade.
Top reasons for leaving a job: insufficient pay (44%), limited career paths (43%), lack of challenging work (30%), work-life balance (28%), and lack of recognition (27%) (Randstad)
A third of employees said their reason for leaving their job was a bad boss or manager (Ajilon)
10 YEAR MANAGER – 9 HOURS OF TRAINING
59% Managers who oversee one to two employees, have no training at all,
41% among managers who overs see 3-5 workers (West Monroe Partners)
42% of new managers admit they developed their style by observing and mimicking a previous manager rather than through any type formal training (West Monroe Partners)
Only 26% of employees discuss their issues with their managers, and 25% turn to employer-provided services (WTW)
BORED KORN FERRY 2018 FOUND THE TOP RESASON FOR DISENGAGE JOB SEARCH WAS BOREDOM OR LACK OF CHALLENGE
BURIED –Working Families and Bright Horizons reporting that 72% of workers bring work home in the evenings and on weekends, and 34% of workers feel resentful toward their employer with regard to work/life balance.
BULLIED -- Associated with feelings of harassment, ridicule, antagonism, mistreatment, coercion, disrespect or being pressured to perform or behave in a way that feels inappropriate. In 2018, Radius Global Market research announced the results of the first “Bullying in the Workplace” study, with key findings that nearly half of American workers, or 77 million workers, have been bulled at work. The 2017 study found that 81% of respondents had witnessed bullying in person and the most common form of mistreatment reported was being ridiculed or reprimanded in front of other staff (29%). The study found that nearly one quarter of respondents reported harassment based on looks or body type (23%), work attire (23%) pressure to take on a specific task (23%) or coercion to work extra hours (22%). One in five reported subtle or overt sexual harassment, and 44% of the problems remain either unaddressed or unresolved.
BEEN LOOKIN’ FOR A JOB. Between the gig economy, company downsizing, and personal choice, you may be looking for something new. You may already be employed and seeking an different opportunity for a variety of reasons. You may have jumped the wagon in the search for something new. Or you may be unemployed or recently laid off, which can come with feelings of anxiety, depression or desperation. Gallup finds that 51% of todays workers are looking for a new job or watching openings. In comparison a study survey of 17,00 U.S. workers conducted by the non-profit group Mental Health America and the Fass Foundation revealed that 71% of surveyed U.S. workers are looking to change employers.
BURNOUT - The World Health organization classifies burnout as a “state of vital exhaustion” and that results from chronic workplace stress. Burned out individuals typically feel exhausted, fatigued, depleted, mentally blocked, unfocused, irritable, detached, experiencing concentration difficulties and disrupted sleep. There are also strong correlations with health problems and/or physical illness, feelings that range from chest pain to flu-like symptoms. In truth, burnout is really one extreme the stress continuum, which starts with feeling perpetually stressed and overwhelmed. The Families and Work Institute released a national study in May 2018, reporting that more than half of US Employees feel overworked or overwhelmed at least some of the time, 28% often or very often felt overworked and 28% said they often or very often had no time to reflect on their work.
BOTHERED There’s really not a better way to say it – if you feel restless, disquieted, suspicious that something is off or incomplete in your work, you are feeling bothered. There are many bothersome things in the workplace – some of them might also start with the letter “B”. You might feel like you have the wrong job fit, feel an unaddressed need or misalignment with the values or practices of your organization. You might also carry the nagging sense that perhaps you’re meant for something different, or long for a greater sense of purpose in your work. In 2018, Covestro reported that roughly 70% of executives surveyed have a strong, 5-year increase in the number of workers who want the opportunity for more social purpose in their work.
The average person spends 1/3 of their life sleeping.
The remaining 2/3 of your life are spent
Working
Eating
Resting
Handling household obligations
Caring for family
”Other”
Est. 40% of U.S. employees regularly work more than 50 hours per week
20% work more than 60 hours per week
There are plenty of folks out there who might easily come close to hitting the 3,000-hour mark, and that might include you.
THIS REALLY ONLY EXPLAINS PART OF THE STORY
PEW research Late December Motley Fool article
1980 we worked 38.1 hours per week x 43 weeks per year
2015 We worked 38.7 hours per week x 47 weeks per year -- 173 hours more than we did before.
Average worker is 500% more productive than in 1980 so someone is reaping the benefits of us and I’m not sure it’s us.
SO SOMEONE IS BENEFITTING FROM ALL THIS EXTRA TIME AND EFFORT AND BASED ON THE STATS I’VE READ, IT MAY NOT BE US.
HOW MUCH MORE OF A REASON DO WE NEED TO SWITCH OFF AUTO PILOT – AND TAKE THE HELM OF OUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY?
IF YOU DON’T, YOU COULD EASILY END UP ON THE ROCKS!
THIS BOOK ISN’T FOR PEOPLE IN CRISIS- THOUGH IT CAN HELP
IT’S FOR ANYONE THAT STRUGGLES – MAIL TO BOARD – ENTREPRENEUR, DIRECT REPORT OR MANGER
HOW DOES WORK MAKE YOU FEEL? It’s not hard to figure that out but here’s a really great way to quantify it –
ADJECTIVE-BASED Assessment (user research & consulting)
BRAINSTORM
STRATIFY
PRIORITIZE
GOING BACK TO MY OWN STORY – HAD MADE SOME CHANGES – AUTOILOT WAS OFF
HAD BEEN STUDYING WORKPLACE DYNAMICS AND FOUND MYSELF ON A VERY DIFFICULT PROJECT WITH AN ENGAGEMENT LEAD WITH WHOM I CLASHED.
ABOUT 25 PEOPLE - IMMATURE, OVER HIS HEAD, ROSE TOO QUICKLY, NON-INCLUSIVE, DEEPLY INSECURE, BURNING OUT TEAM
ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE – BRACING – WORKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS FOR MONTHS
I FELT PROTECTIVE OF TEAM – SET MEETING TO CLEAR THE AIR
POSITIVE – SUGGESTION – SHUT DOWN…. MANAGEMENT
RED-FACED, EXPLETIVE LACED DIATRIBE
CALMLY, CUTTINGLY TOLD TRUTH – HIM, MATURITY, INSECURITY, MANAGEMENT ABILITIES, COMMUNICATION, ETC.
LEFT – INDIGNANT, ENRAGED. HATED HIM.
HOTEL HEADACHE – RIGHT 95% RIGHT 5% PROBLEM
DOG POOP BROWNIE – WHETHER I LEFT OR STAYED – I HAD TO OWN 100% OF MY RESPONSIBILITY
APOLOGY
REALIZATION
THE DINER –
COLLAGUE APALLED AT MY APOLOGY
APOLOGIZED NOT FOR TRUTH - BUT FOR THE ROLE I PLAYED
SKETCHED OUT WHAT BECAME THE FOUNDATION FOR OPERATIONAL STYLES THEORY ON A NAPKIN.
It’s not hard to figure that out but here’s a really great way to quantify it –
ADJECTIVE-BASED Assessment (user research & consulting)
BRAINSTORM
STRATIFY
PRIORITIZE
It’s not hard to figure that out but here’s a really great way to quantify it –
ADJECTIVE-BASED Assessment (user research & consulting)
BRAINSTORM
STRATIFY
PRIORITIZE
It’s not hard to figure that out but here’s a really great way to quantify it –
ADJECTIVE-BASED Assessment (user research & consulting)
BRAINSTORM
STRATIFY
PRIORITIZE
EASY
To align to a style, it’s not necessary for all the prospective traits to apply to you. In the book, and soon on the website, we will offer a self assessment that you can take to identify the style you’re most likely to align to, but because there’s a lot of dimension in operational styles, we encourage people to read the chapters on each style to formally align to a style.
As you compare yourself to the different style traits – keep in mind that it’s possible to embody a few traits that align to other styles.
What you want to look for are positive and negative clustering.
This is important because many factors can bias a self quiz – like answering in ways that align to how you want to be perceived, vs. how you really are. Further, your age, stage of career, level of burnout and other factors can influence your scores. For example, entrepreneurs or people who work in a highly independent manner, might skew FLYER.
The self-assessment is really just a first glance at what you might be. The book is really about how to identify operational styles – and not just for yourself but especially of the people you work with. The charts and chapters in the book can help you authentically align to an operational style.
POTENTIALLY DISTINGUISHING TRAITS
TYPICALLY EMBODIED WITHIN EACH STYLE
PITFALLS –
TRICKIER ASPECTS OF THE STYLE
It’s not hard to figure that out but here’s a really great way to quantify it –
ADJECTIVE-BASED Assessment (user research & consulting)
BRAINSTORM
STRATIFY
PRIORITIZE
When things are working well, a positive cycle occurs that is almost magical. It results in flow, the healthy sharing of work and responsibility and much more.
When style dynamics go well, people are left feeling good about each other and the work they do.
People find themselves at their very best, doing the things they do best, and the things that motivate and inspire them.
TWO TYPES – SITUATIONAL & EMOTIONAL
We apply our unique abilities we can collaborate better and drive better outcomes.
But as we journey forward together we must manage our pitfalls.
Here is a highly summarized example of a few, highly summarized FLYER traits. I’ll use myself as an example, because I am a flyer… DESCRIBE
Pros are the more positive attributes of any given style.
Pitfalls are not necessarily negative, but when combined with the right context – situational, emotional, positional – they could become problematic.
What determines whether one of our traits becomes positive or negative is the trigger, and how we choose to respond.
TWO TYPES – SITUATIONAL & EMOTIONAL
This extinguishes the fire of collaboration and results in dysfunctional working environment, with undermined trust
YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS LIKE A COMPASS – POINTING YOU TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL HORIZON.
BUT IS YOUR COMPASS POINTING AT “TRUE NORTH?
AND OUR DEFINITIONS OF SUCCESS SERVE AS THE ”TRUE NORTH” ON THE COMPASS BY WHICH WE NAVIGATE OUR PROFESSIONAL LIVES.
WORK TO DESIGN
DIRECTION TO DESTINY
UNDERSTANDING – COMMON GROUND – MUTUAL WINS
JOY IN THE JOURNEY