More detail on each of the lessons

Introducing growth mindset

To enable change in ourselves and others, we need to adopt a mindset founded on learning and inquiry.  None of us are in this growth mindset all the time – and believing that you are would be the first sign of NOT being in growth mindset!

This lesson explains the basic underpinning ideas of growth mindset (drawing on the work of Dr Carol Dweck and others), with relevant examples.

It goes on to offer a straight-forward (yet challenging) way of engaging in your own journey from fixed mindset to growth mindset.  It deepens our understanding of our ‘triggers’ (stressor events) and helps us develop our ways of interrupting auto-pilot reactions.

Dialogue and generativity

This lesson explores the nature of dialogic interaction - the process through which joint meaning emerges, collaboration is at its best, and adaptation is most vibrant.

We will look at how patterns unfold between us and others - leading to more or less accountability, more or less adult-adult (or parent-child) dynamics, leading to safe, resilient cultures (or conversely, cultures dominated by wilful blindness and failure to speak up.

With practical processes to enable you to develop your skills and exercises to extend your self awareness and confidence.

Introduction to facilitation

This lesson explores the nature of the role of facilitator - or the activity of facilitation if you are a leader seeking to increase your facilitation competence when working with your teams and groups.

We will explore the different types of role, contract and activities that might be demanded of you when you are facilitating others.

You can apply this in everyday meetings, as well as workshops, events or in peer learning groups (for example).

Challenge and support and 'drama triangle'

One of the ways that groups demonstrate trust to each other, is the degree to which they enable and allow each other to offer and receive support and challenge.

• Support lifts us up - our confidence and capabilities are built and acknowledged and our contribution is enhanced.
• Challenge exposes our development opportunities - it catches us BEFORE we fall, by others spotting and generously sharing gaps in our thinking, it holds the mirror up to how we are blocking our own progress, or feeding our own pains.

But without trust, it can become distorted and dysfunctional - and this is where the 'drama triangle' of rescuing (instead of supporting) and persecuting (instead of challenging) takes over, reducing others (and ourselves) into a victim-like state which is turned either on ourselves ("I am hopeless and can't do anything about this") or on others ("this is nothing to do with me, it is his/her fault and they must change").  No learning or change comes from this dysfunction, whatever the intention behind it.

Rooting-around, trying to find the FAULT and CAUSE of this dynamic is pointless and helps no-one, no matter how tempting it might be.  This is because the very act of trying to allocate blame lifts us out of a deeper inquiry into how we are contributing to MAINTAINING the dynamic, even at a cost to ourselves.  It is only through asking ourselves about our own contribution that we can step into adult responsibility for making new and different 'gestures' into the dynamic.

This lesson explores the best and worst practices of these dynamics, giving you a language to understand what might be happening.  ALL groups fall into this dysfunction some of the time (families, clubs, communities, teams and organisations) - but you don't have to stay there.  If there is sufficient will and courage to experiment, new habits can be formed.

Difficult conversations and feedback

Most of us are conflict-averse.  When we face the prospect of offering a challenging point of view, holding the mirror up to problematic behaviour, or confronting people with the consequences of their choices, we risk all sorts of fractures to our ongoing relationships, peace of mind, and own comfort zone.

In their book Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project, tell us "Delivering a difficult message is like throwing a hand grenade.  Coated with sugar, thrown hard or soft, a hand grenade is still going to do damage.  Try as you may, there’s no way to throw a hand grenade with tact or to outrun the consequences.  And keeping it to yourself is no better.  Choosing not to deliver a difficult message is like hanging on to a hand grenade once you’ve pulled the pin."

This lesson offers an overview about confrontation, challenge and difficult conversations, with a model to improve the quality and sensitivity (and ultimately, positive potential) of your feedback processes.  It also offers a downloadable preparation tool, to guide you through your own thinking.

Global contexts and cultures

This suite of lessons draws on the work of Erin Meyer, Geert Hofstede, Fons Trompenaars and Richard Lewis (amongst others) to take a substantial but pragmatic look at the challenges and opportunities that arise when working across multiple geographies, with different cultures and norms.

The lessons firstly open up the core models that are of most use, and then applies them in a deep dive into how different assumptions and societal norms play out in the realms of:

• Complex communications
• Trust and trust building
• Influence, education and motivation.
• Evaluation, challenge, criticism and feedback.
• Power, authority and imposition.

Each lesson offers downloadables and exercises that you can use to develop the creative potential of a diverse, global team.  Your programme may offer all, or a selection of these topics depending on the course topic.  The full range is available in our Global Leader Programme.

Reflecting 'out loud'

You may find that some aspects of this work touches you in ways that you will find uncomfortable, perhaps even exposing 'edges' that you hoped that you were hiding really well.

You can be pretty sure that you are NOT masking them very well at all, despite your best 'stories of yourself' (even if some of your stories sound convincing, and you are able to tell them even to yourself).  Facing your vulnerabilities with integrity and humility will build-up your credibility in the eyes of those around you, whereas trying to present an inauthentic version of yourself merely exposes your insecurity to all.  Our defences often allow us to be 'expert' for many years, and as long as we stay in expert-style jobs, we can carry on this way.  But the minute we get into real, senior leadership, we are SEEN.  Choices have to be made, it is time to return to self-development rather than self-protection.

If access to this package is part of an ongoing consulting support project with Lacerta Consulting, then please use the 'assignment' process right at the end of the package, to capture your learning, explore the questions it asks and complete some writing.  The more you open up, the more your consultant will be able to help you.  This is, in itself, part of the process.

If your access here is NOT part of a supported programme, please feel free to complete the paper anyway – we are always willing to offer our thoughts and point you in the direction of new support or learning.  And of course we are always delighted to receive any feedback about how you have experienced our learning products.

Whatever you write, it is ONLY seen by the Lacerta Consultant assigned to your programme.  It will never be shared with anyone else, and gives us the opportunity to understand how this is impacting you, what help you might need individually, and offers ideas how we might support the whole team.