Fundamentals of Role Modeling and Risk Taking

20/20 Leadership discovered through experience and insight a creative means for developing and delivering effective and innovative breakthrough workshops.  There are some primary key requisites such as a client who has an urgent and vital need and is a willing participant. Secondly, it will require a true collaboration between the internal constituency and external collaborators. Role modeling and risk taking are two key fundamentals for the leadership of the enterprise.

Given the above criteria and scenario, the fundamental foundation for an innovative workshop starts with design principles which begin and operate throughout the preparation and the delivery of the workshop. Our desired core principles generally include:   

• Customer focus, teamwork, open communication, challenge conventional wisdom, continuous improvement

The team must create a setting and environment from the start and then, maintain this environment through completion.  Invention and creation occur in the subliminal, thus metaphors and symbol assist the process by offering stimulation. In addition, participants must be willing to explore and test new ideas or express themselves. This requires visable expression or risk-taking and must initiate with the leadership team.

Thoughout the workshop, participants and designer must use a process to support the principles such as expressed rules, expectations, and norms. Below is a sample of a very innovative and invigorating workshop that earned the company millions of dollars. As you can see, there are specific steps and actions from the first moment of engagement that embrace the design principles.

Design Principle Mapping

Activity	Design Principles
Planning:	Community and shared experience
Metaphor Brochure Agenda outline Transportation – Bus ride African Queen Tape Guide, Humor, Props Hotel Selection Dinner Family Award Show Brunch	Early engagement Structure to remove some mystery Safe environment Set the tone – humor, creative, fun, light, respectful and honor the person Coaching Leaders Bring the metaphor to life early
Entrance Jungle setting, scenery, trail Survival Kit Sound Slides Subtle announcer	Jungle Metaphor – Customer Focus Shared experience and journey Self-selection for tables Community intact, round tables, no breakouts, room size just enough to accommodate communication and physical requirements
Scene One
Hitchcock pantomime, props – gun, hat, vest, salute by leader, music, slides, Seque to metaphor Hunter looking for something special, cheese – new opportunity Leadership reflections – choreography, use of metaphor	Theme of Humility, Humor, Fun Reference cultural norm (cheese) Story telling – vulnerability Parallelism – then and now Application to current situation  Respect, Honor, Gratitude, Risk taking, Teamwork
Scene Two
Entrance Tour Guide Consistency in theme, props Acting the part Explains the metaphor scene and trail with relevant Team events Peak Performance Experience Post –it notes, table activity, signature on cards, star major events Learning from each other Participation and Physical engagement Post on metaphor and discuss openly   Summary Questions Strengths of team Customer focus learning	Continue the shared experience as a journey together, a sense of adventure, light, fun atmosphere Use of symbolism Customer focus theme introduction Acknowledgement of contributions Open communication, candor, participation, Sharing and learning, empathy Team building – decision making, equality with leaders Continuous learning Building up a community through strengths Reflections and common wisdom Encouragement
Scene Three
Introduction of Customer Guides (FDA) Props Preparation – Interview panel (talk show format – Q&A), style of interaction - joint sharing between guides, use of metaphor Full disclosure of status with consultants, orientation of purpose Questions- draft with comments Opening storyline Test veracity of consultants in forum with tough question	Customer Focus Experience and Understanding through a shared experience Joint participation between guides Humor and fun Implement metaphor to form experiential learning and validation of customer needs Storytelling and sense of realism Affirmation of team, hopeful and encouraging Honest, practical, forthright, clear signals
Break
Scene Four
Operating principles Formation of customer focus into operating principles Time adjustment to maintain tempo 10 table exercise, list top 3, 2 minutes to report out Expedited work effort with benefit of addition personal time  Future direction – metaphor, watering hole	Codification of learning into future oriented operating principles Building up the team and community Sense of urgency Teamwork, decision making, customer focus Quality orientation leads to customer satisfaction Segue to new metaphor (mountain climbing)
Cocktails, Dinner and family award Special guest – expect the unexpected Leadership observations and summary	Celebration, acknowledge family sacrifice   Alignment, support, encouragement

Activity	Design Principles
Return from show to find CD of show, wine and cheese	Acknowledgement and celebration
Day 2 Breakfast 7-8 am New metaphor with sound and props	Tease a new metaphor and maintain suspense and fun environment
Scene Five
Entrance Leadership participation Slides, props, sound, videos Script the introduction Unobtrusive moderator to facilitate start   Guide’s entrance- props, interpretation of metaphor, setting the stage	On time delivery and managing meetings Maintain continuity, connection, and community Create the setting and environment Humor and Humility Teamwork with leaders, fun, encouragement, confidence Metaphor and symbolism Technology to support environment Connect to the past (video) and enable reflections early in meeting Explain the lack of key leader – video Confidence, encouragement Humor and humility Expectations
Scene Six
Identification of hurdles and challenges utilizing metaphor of Mountain with varying levels Post-its on metaphor Multiple perspectives Discussion Internal and external points of view     Summarization by guide	Build community to confront common challenges with common understanding Teamwork, decision making, open communication, brain storming Forward thinking Participation and early engagement through reflections of conquest and customer focus requirements   Awareness of differences, similarities, create a basis for understanding   Create a norm for understanding differences
Scene Seven
Application of Operating Principles to Challenges Directions, rules, example, pick any two challenges Introduction of  new role model, curmudgeon to facilitate openness and creative thinking Leader role models transparency by disclosing process of consolidation and gaining group agreement Process to support principles (rules, norms, expectations) table sharing, confrontation for continuous improvement Resource flexibility with community       Group validation of curmudgeon and operating principles         Summary by Leader	Achieve a sense of unity, power, and community through a shared experience Teamwork, brainstorming, sense of urgency, shared objective, build trust, leveraging resources Role model transparency, confrontation, continuous improvement Maintain momentum Create a safe environment to facilitate accountability, non-blaming, new behaviors, visibility Self-reflection, learning, discovering Open communication, role modeling with curmudgeon, table sharing Apply lessons learned  Create new norms and cultural shift for team and organizational effectiveness   Live the principles in design – customer focus and adjust agenda   Gratitude, confidence, encouragement, acknowledgement, hard work – effort, perseverance
Scene Eight
Introduction of motivational speaker Script for introduction Avoidance of negative energy Slides and sounds     Extensive preparation and interviews to ensure alignment – Leader and knowledge broker, early attendance to calibrate Metaphor alignment End with Gratitude and Confidence	Crescendo: Locker room finale – enthusiasm, encouragement, realism of potential, metaphor and symbols, appreciation o       Humility and Humor to ensure relatedness o       Confidence, relentlessness, teamwork, motivation o       Apply metaphor o       Adventure and parallelism o       Non-work related o       Empathy Transfer of values of life experience (speaker encapsulates) to the group
Leisure Lunch & checkout
Bus return