Archive for Januar, 2009

Fields of Self-Leadership: Processes & Structures

Dienstag, Januar 20th, 2009

Sixty Interviews with leaders and „leading people“ have been conducted and I am continuing to write the book on Self-Leadership. Regarding the methods and instruments of self organization one insight is obvious: the most fascinating tool is worthless if you do not really know how to use it, and it makes no difference if it is a classic paper organizer or a BlackBerry. As a result of my conversations I have come to the realization that successful leaders choose methods and instruments which fit them and which they really can handle – without following a fashion or trend.
Although I found a couple of positive examples for good self-organization there is still room for improvement.
Processes & Structures
For an effective self-organization it is highly important to be aware of ones own (working) processes and to integrate these into suitable structures. Key questions are:
-    How do I organize myself?
-    Which kind of structures do I apply to my work?
-    Which helpful habits can I develop?
-    Which methods do I actually use for time management, creativity, projects, etc.?
The interviews have shown that self-leadership will only be successful when leaders realize their abilities and potentials and when they continue to develop these assets. With reference to the processes and structures of worklife it is of primary concern to know ones own duties and responsibilities. Based upon those are the daily tasks I have to focus.

Although it is a workflow like the production of goods in their companies, most leaders do not strictly check their personal processes and structures. The analysis of their duties and tasks – like checking their daily time budget – might supply some transparency. A simple visualization of the flow of their activities might open their eyes and show some counter-productive routines, suboptimal processes, and unnecessary interruptions.

In my point of view it is essential to do an in-deep analysis of your own work processes and structures and I suggest checking the following:

To reach my vision and /or goals:
•    Which processes
•    in which structures
•    with which methods
•    using which instruments
•    do or will I have to coordinate and successfully put to work?
•    And which results do I achieve (controlling the outcome?