I rely on Argyris and Schon's work in Action Science for key frameworks that help me serve as a more effective collaborator and program leader. Lately I've been paraphrasing some of their key observations and concepts using terms that are more comfortable and natural for me.
One of their key insights was the ubiquity of our mental models favoring unilateral control. They articulated a whole model, Model 1, with governing variables, core values, predicted behaviors.
After living with (in?) their frameworks for a decade or so, I want to share what I think are some of the manifestations of Model 1 that we can all recognize in ourselves and around us:
These are natural tendencies that arise out of insecurity and defensiveness. Of course I want to look good! Especially if the alternative is what, looking bad?
The problem occurs when my attachment to looking good (or saving face, covering up, etc) inhibits me from being an effective leader or collaborator with respect to other worthy goals such as, say, providing a high quality product or service.
I've come to a point where I don't try to fight these natural tendencies in myself. But I do try to subjugate them to the higher callings in my roles as a leader or collaborator.
It reminds me of the subtleties around an old expression: "money is the root of all evil." Apparently the saying actually goes, "the love of money is the root of all evil." Similarly, I don't think we should suppress our insecure and defensive tendencies, so much as recognize them and let go of them at critical times.
I've been leading my program for several years now around a different set of practices:
These are also totally inspired by Argyris and Schon, this time their Model 2 which characterizes mutual learning.
I try to cultivate in myself and others these tendencies as replacements for the control/insecurity/defensiveness habits.
Curiosity is the notion that we should approach collaboration as a puzzle.
Fallibility is just the notion that each of us is missing pieces of the puzzle, whenever we engage in collaboration.
Perspective-taking is the need to work a little harder to see the angles that others are seeing, in order to really understand what they are saying and doing.
These simple habits have been transformative for me. They appeal to the scientist in me. Many of us with scientific training are used to using these values over the life of an initiative or project, through quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, writing manuscripts, etc. Argyris and colleagues taught me to practice using these habits in real time, in every conversation. When you bring scientific attention to simple conversations or meetings between colleagues, these become incredibly challenging intellectually. (For this reason I have also found parenting to be the most intellectually stimulating and challenging role in my life: if you take every interaction seriously as a potentially formative occasion for your child, it deserves your best thinking as a chess player.)
I like to emphasize, to myself and others, the power and attractiveness of the new habits, rather than beating myself up (or judging others) for abusing the old.