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Agile Leader Learning Adventures
The following Learning Adventures are part of the Agile Leader library:
Organisational Resilience (estimated time < 45 minutes)
This Learning Adventure is part of a series designed to support managers lead their teams / organisations towards greater resilience.
Organizational resilience has been defined as “the ability of an organization to anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to incremental change and sudden disruptions in order to survive and prosper.”
The Learning Adventure draws heavily on a research undertaken by Professor David Denyer of the Cranfield School of Management.1 After completing this learning adventure, you will:
Understand different strategies to develop team or organisational resilience
Be able to assess the level of resilience of your own team or organisation
Have a methodology to introduce and sustain organisational resilience
Organisational Metaphors (estimated time < 45 minutes)
This Learning Adventure explores the power of organisational metaphors and their implications for managers. After completing this learning adventure, you will be able to:
Explain different organisational metaphors
Examine the metaphors of an organisation as a machine and living entity
Identify the organisational metaphors in use in your own team or organisation
Drivers of change (estimated time < 45 minutes)
Leading any kind of change is not for the faint-hearted. So, before setting out on the change path, it is worth reflecting on the why. There is an often-cited change equation:
Resistance < Need for change x Attractive vision x Clarity of first steps
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will be able to more clearly explain the:
Importance of team / organisational resilience
Context and what is driving the need for change
Vision of positive possibility
Problems and Polarities (estimated time < 45 minutes)
In LA – Drivers, we explored some of the challenges in the journey towards greater self-organisation. We introduced the Sociocracy 3.0 pattern “Navigating via tension”, which comprises noticing a “Tension”, defining the “Driver” and determining an appropriate “Response”. In this Learning Adventure, we explore the different types of tensions and how to respond to them.
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will understand:
Why understanding the difference between problems and polarities is vital
The difference between technical and adaptive problems
How to respond effectively to problems and polarities
Understanding Self-organising Teams
(estimated time < 45 minutes)
This Learning Adventure provides an overview of what self-organising teams actually are.
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will be able to explain:
Different types of self-organised teams
The role of the self-organised team leader
Key misperceptions about self-organised teams
The benefits of self-organising teams for people and the team
Common challenges on the journey to greater self-organisation
Understanding the Impact of Context
(estimated time < 45 minutes)
In LA – Understanding Self-organising Teams, we explored some of the challenges in the journey towards greater self-organisation. One of the challenges relates to the team, organisational and external environmental contexts.
This Learning Adventure explores this topic in more depth.
After completing this learning adventure, you will be able to:
Explain what a psychologically safe culture is and why it is important
Assess the level of psychological safety in your own team or organisation
Take appropriate action to increase psychological safety in your own team
Avoid or minimise the challenge of introducing self-organisation into a team within a hierarchical organisation
Understanding the People Challenges
(estimated time < 45 minutes)
In LA – Understanding Self-organising Teams, we explored some of the challenges in the journey towards greater self-organisation. One of the challenges relates to people – both you and your team members.
After completing this learning adventure, you will be able to:
Identify your own challenges in leading a team towards greater self-organisation
Understand why people may resist greater self-organisation
Pin-point possible issues in your own team and deal with them
Understanding the Implementation Challenges
(estimated time < 45 minutes)
In LA –Self-organising Teams, we explored some of the challenges in the journey towards greater self-organisation. One of the challenges relates to how the move towards greater self-organisation is implemented. This Learning Adventure explores the topic in more detail.
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will:
Understand key implementation related challenges
Be better able to assess the readiness of your team or organisation
Have an overview of a step-by-step process that can guide you towards greater self-organisation in a safe, effective and sustainable way
Exploring Strengths and Skills (estimated time < 45 minutes)
This Learning adventure introduces how to start a team conversation about individual strengths and skills. As a team moves towards greater self-organisation there is less leadership control. Self-organisation is therefore much likely to be successful if team members are doing what they enjoy and are therefore intrinsically motivated to do the work.
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will be able to:
Explain the concept of different individual work preferences
Use the “Stars, Moons and Batteries” tool to assess individual work preferences
Start a team reflection on team members strengths, talents and weaknesses
Assess competency gaps and necessary development activities
The Harrison Behavioral Competency reports are also available for leaders and team members as an option.
An example is shown here
Delegated Authority (estimated time < 45 minutes)
When leaders want to encourage and support greater autonomy, they often meet the challenge that individuals and teams are not equally competent from the start. This Learning Adventure explores how to allow more nuanced autonomy for individuals and how to improve team member coordination.
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will be able to:
Delegate work more effectively using a tool that helps clarify individual tasks and the team member’s level of decision-making autonomy
Ensure the right balance between Tasking (defining outcomes), Trusting (level of autonomy) and Tending (controlling outcomes)
Improve coordination between teams that are non-hierarchically connected, using a tool that clarifies “Who does what?” and “Who decides what?”
Core Leadership Skills
The following Learning Adventures are part of the Core Leaderships Skills library:
Emotional Intelligence and its importance for Leaders
(estimated time < 45 minutes)
This Learning Adventure focuses on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), because EQ makes people better leaders. In his book, Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, David Goleman reports that:
Emotional competences make up to 80% of the distinguishing competencies of outstanding leaders
Emotional intelligence comprises learned abilities that can be deliberately developed with practice
Define EQ and assess your own and others EQ
After completing this module you will be able to:
Explain the Leadership benefits of EQ
Take concrete steps to developing your own EQ
The Harrison Emotional Intelligence report is also available for leaders as an option.
An example is shown here
Time Management and Planning (estimated time < 45 minutes)
This Learning Adventure focuses on time management and planning. For most leaders and managers their own time is their most precious resource. Time management is the conscious attempt to control and allocate this finite resource.
After completing this Learning Adventure, you will be able to:
Reduce wasted time
Better organise your workload
Increase your own productivity
Facilitation: Role and Process (estimated time < 45 minutes)
As you lead a team towards greater Self-organisation, your role will gradually become more of a facilitator and coach.
After completing this module, you will:
Be able to explain what facilitation is and when it is useful
Understand the role of a facilitator and the different facilitation stages
Feel confident to facilitate team conversations
Coaching for Leaders (estimated time < 45 minutes)
As you lead a team towards greater Self-organisation, your role will gradually become more of a facilitator and coach.
After completing this module, you will:
Be able to explain what coaching is
Know when to coach and when to be more directive
Understand the role of a coach and a simple, but powerful, coaching process
Feel confident to coach members of your own team
Leading and Supporting Team Wellbeing Learning Adventures
The following Learning Adventures are part of the Leading Wellbeing library:
The Corporate Wellbeing Business Case (45 minutes)
This Learning Adventure is the first in a series designed to support leaders in embedding and operationalising a wellbeing culture and mindset in their teams. It outlines why Employee Wellbeing is now considered a Business Priority for Leaders at all levels.
After completing this Learning adventure, you will:
Understand the different components of wellbeing
Have a clearer perception of your own wellbeing and that of your staff
Understand the importance and impact of wellbeing for team / organisational success
Leading Wellbeing - The People Manager’s Role (45 Minutes)
Wellbeing is dynamic, it changes as personal, team, organisational and societal circumstances are impacted. Hence the need for people managers to stay continually tuned in.
This Learning Adventure clarifies the role of the leader in managing and supporting wellbeing and introduces a simple framework guiding them through the process.
After completing it you will better understand:
How a leader impacts and affects staff wellbeing everyday
The role and responsibility of a leader to proactively manage their staff’s wellbeing
How to practically tune into staff and team(s) wellbeing using the wellbeing management model
Leading Wellbeing – Your Oxygen Mask First (<45 Minutes)
“You are no use to anyone if you are running on empty. Caring for yourself first is the best thing you can do to help your team. It isn’t selfish or egocentric – just good advice! “
After completing this Learning adventure, you will have:
A deeper understanding of your wellbeing and the importance of regular introspection
Acquired insights into competency gaps to address to equip yourself better
Reflected on changes to your day-to-day work routines, practices, and mindset
Leading Wellbeing – Tuning into Individual Overall Wellbeing (<45 Minutes)
Supporting “whole-person wellbeing” means being aware of the work-related stress triggers and personal wellbeing challenges affecting how an employee shows up and performs in the workplace. This Learning Adventure details the importance of regular wellbeing check-in conversations and other structures that can be supportive.
After completing this module, you will better understand:
The overall “employee experience” and your critical role in supporting it
The importance of regular individual wellbeing conversations
How to have sensitive one-on-one wellbeing check-in conversations
Leading Wellbeing – Tuning into Team Wellbeing Levels
(<45 Minutes)