Among several organisational changes was a shift in the reporting officer of A, from B to C. Now, C had not interacted significantly with A earlier. But A had a history with B’s colleague-friend – D, and a turbulent one at that. This put the start of A and C’s brand-new and theoretically unadulterated reporting relationship on a wrong footing, a hostage to the relationship between A and D.
We risk mirroring others’ minds and feelings (especially if they are in positions of authority or wield power over us), without posing a reflective challenge to the relationship cheat-sheet handed down to us.
We seldom stop to feel the feet in our shoes, the heart in our chest or hear the song of our soul. We end up anticipating, projecting and demonstrating behaviours that are nothing near to what we are at our core. Putting ourselves in ‘our’ shoes has become a rare art.
This is where seeking, understanding, and embracing one’s authentic self holds the key.
These are the lines that resonate from a case we studied as part of the one-of-its-kind Heartful Adizes Learning Foundations course –
“He aspired to be more like me, and I aspired to be more like him. I wanted my team to specialize in particular areas and stick with particular functions, but that wasn’t me. And Mike wanted to be more sensitive to his team and be more collaborative, but that wasn’t him.”
“Being us” has become a challenge in this world teeming with conversions, diversions and subversions. But it has never been so much learning fun either.
BEING AUTHENTIC – TRY IT!
Shubhachintan 