Leading for the Future
To optimise your experience of the programme, it is important for you to complete these steps in advance of the induction:
Read through the introduction to the programme.
Having refreshed your understanding of the aims and overview of the programme, you may find it useful to refer to your application form for the programme, and to complete Where do I need to be? : making sense of it, as a way of focusing your thinking on your learning aims, to draft and review your learning goals. Summarise your goals in the Personal development goals for Leading for the Future and discuss and agree them with your sponsor. You will not be asked to share the contents of either of these on the programme, they are for your own personal preparation and reflection.
Watch the Ladder of Inference video (5 mins 23 seconds) and reflect on this in relation to yourself and others. If you have issues opening the video, save the link into your personal internet browser and access from there. In Induction, you will work in pairs on an exercise where your partner will 'take you up your ladder', for you to notice the inferences you may draw in specific situations or with specific people. To prepare, think about a recent situation or change that provoked an emotion in you. This could be positive or negative e.g. you felt excited/frustrated/confused etc. Do not use a big issue, as you will only have 10 minutes to use this model to explore a real life experience. If your issue is too complex or has too much emotion attached to it, you will not get off the bottom rung of your ladder.
Read this quote from the EPALE interview: Otto Scharmer - To change a system you have to have the courage to step into the unknown | EPALE (europa.eu): Open mind is the capacity to suspend all habits of judgment. It is really about seeing with fresh eyes. Holding back the habitual way of judging things in order to open yourself up to allow new data to come in. It is optional to read the interview in full. In induction, we will look with a light touch at suspension of habits of judgement.
If it is your preference to take notes on the slide pack, and to see the full agenda in advance, you can download the slides which are available in the Resources section at the bottom of this page.
As noted in the Introduction, the adaptive learning set is, for many participants, the most valuable part of the programme. In your induction, you will be introduced to what your adaptive learning set will involve and you will agree what is important to you about how you work together with your set members. Reflect on this in advance and come prepared to discuss.
Also, think through and come prepared to give a headline of the complex issue you would find helpful to spend time reflecting on and exploring with your colleagues and facilitator, within the safe environment of your set. Frame the headline of your issue as a ‘How can I..?’ question. This may be the issue you identified in your application form, in response to question 5, or your thinking may have changed after completing the steps for your self-reflection above.
After the induction, in Module 1, your group facilitators will spend time explaining more about both the concept and process of adaptive learning.
1. Ladder of Inference - Chris Argyris
Understanding and reflecting on the Ladder of Inference can help improve decision-making by making individuals aware of their cognitive processes and biases, allowing for more accurate and objective conclusions. For more, you can:
· Review this Summary of the Ladder of Inference
· Purchase Further Reading - "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman (2011) delves into how cognitive biases affect decision-making, which is relevant to understanding the steps on the Ladder of Inference.
2. Suspension - Otto Sharmer
Otto Scharmer's concept of "suspension" is primarily associated with his Theory U, which focuses on leading profound change. For more, you can:
· Watch again Otto Sharmer -You Tube – 9.39 minutes - Introduction to Theory U
· Purchase Further Reading - Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges by Otto Sharmer. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009 outlines the Theory U framework, including the concept of "suspension," which involves letting go of old patterns to allow for new possibilities to emerge.