When you work looking at things from a larger perspective, analogies can really help.
One of the first ones my current supervisor introduced me to was that we are "Steering a ferry boat"...
What does this mean? If you are in a row boat , its really easy to do lots of quick turns...
...But if you are on a ferry boat, you have to make lots of small turns to get into your new direction. It can take a long time to change direction.
I like that ferry boat analogy, but even thinking about it on a ferry boat level doesn't seem to work...
We are more like admirals of a fleet of ships. Each captain is responsible for all the daily operations on your boat, but you are also leading all the other rowboats boats to follow your direction. Each of their own daily operations might look a little different, but you all have that same destination in mind....
Having at least a common goal can help unite everyone, but what happens when everyone has different goals/different destinations?
Maybe a better analogy would be like a light house. The programs are all their own ships, but we are there as a lighthouse in the dark to help give guidance.
We want those row boats to feel empowered because that’s where change can happen on the quickest scale.... Those captains have to be able to create the conditions for those row boats to have a common destination, but allowed to chart their own course.
The captain has to be able to stay in communication with all those ships to make sure none get lost. The lighthouse can’t look out for just one lost row boat because they are focused on those bigger ships. Communication is so important because there is a sweeping undercurrent that can send ripples along everything.
One of the first lessons I learned came as I was crafting materials for a training, which included instruction manuals and updating websites... I had been going off an incorrect date and suddenly, I was having to go back and revise everything. That one small detail set off such a large chain reaction, just imagine how bigger changes would be...
Understanding this important difference has been so helpful for me to understand how my changing role is:
1) Things have to be thought through at every single perspective to understand how the change will affect everyone involved
2) Communication needs to be concise or you can cause confusion which can cause people to get lost or abandon your fleet altogether
Admiral... Captain... or Lighthouse? One thing is very clear: I'm not in a row boat anymore...
We want those row boats to feel empowered because that’s where change can happen on the quickest scale.... Those captains have to be able to create the conditions for those row boats to have a common destination, but allowed to chart their own course.
The captain has to be able to stay in communication with all those ships to make sure none get lost. The lighthouse can’t look out for just one lost row boat because they are focused on those bigger ships. Communication is so important because there is a sweeping undercurrent that can send ripples along everything.
One of the first lessons I learned came as I was crafting materials for a training, which included instruction manuals and updating websites... I had been going off an incorrect date and suddenly, I was having to go back and revise everything. That one small detail set off such a large chain reaction, just imagine how bigger changes would be...
Understanding this important difference has been so helpful for me to understand how my changing role is:
1) Things have to be thought through at every single perspective to understand how the change will affect everyone involved
2) Communication needs to be concise or you can cause confusion which can cause people to get lost or abandon your fleet altogether
Admiral... Captain... or Lighthouse? One thing is very clear: I'm not in a row boat anymore...
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