Because we inherited workplaces designed for predictability and control,
not for how humans actually flourish.
We've inherited workplace mindsets and structures that's led to mechanizing us humans and humanizing machines. We're expected to separate our minds and hearts and work and work at the same high quality of work regardless of the contexts we're in. But our contexts affect how we think, feel, act and the results we create. To navigate uncertainty and complex challenges well, we need to access our whole capcity.
We been taught to "leave our emotions at the door," as though that's possible. Yet they provide valuable data about what's happening within and around us. When we learn to question instead of suppress them, we can better see what's needed as a next step. That helps us have a bigger impact in our work without losing our humanity.
Human-Centric Leading is a simple and practical way
to unlearn inherited mindsets and sturctures so
we can design workplaces where we thrive.
Human-Centric Leading, HCL for short, starts with a simple premise: behavior is influenced by context.
Rather than blaming ourselves and each other when problems occur, HCL gives us lenses to understand what's shaping how we think, feel and act. Then we can change what keeps producing unwanted behaviors and results at work.
The five HCL tools, aka lenses, help us respond deliberately instead of reacting habitually, improving both our experiences at work and our outcomes.
Do you consider how your workplace affects the ways you think, feel, act and the results you create?
Considering context shifts us from "What's wrong with this person?" to "What in the context is negatively influencing the person and outcomes?" That reduces fault-finding and allows us to indentify and change the conditions that keep generating recurring problems.
Do you know which mindsets you use at work? Do they reflect your highest intelligence, expertise and insight?
Choosing mindsets allows us to notice the way we're showing up and interpreting what happens at work and how we address it. That’s especially key in situations that trigger you into reactions that you later regret. Instead of reacting habitually, we can choose to respond deliberately, which better represents our best selves.
When was the last time you understood what you really need at work to be your best amidst fast-paced change, uncertainty and other challenges?
Understanding what we and others need helps us see what might be underneath frustration, overwhelm, resistance or conflict. Instead of judging emotions or behavior as bad or wrong, we can identify what we need to do our best and create conditions that make those needs more likely to be met.
What if you learned how to use emotions as data points to solve problems?
Emotions provide data. Instead of ignoring them or reacting automatically, we can question what they're telling us about what's happening, what we need and what may need to change. That makes emotions useful for building trust, understanding problems, making decisions and having more constructive conversations.
What becomes possible when you step back from the immediate issue and see the bigger picture?
Accessing wisdom allows us to move beyond habitual reactions, assumptions and uncertainty and see the situation from a wider lens. Asking what a wise response would be can reveal possibilities we couldn't see while caught inside a problem. It elevates what we can contribute to our work.