Learning to be a Contributor

at Work
Performing and Learning in RealTime
 Action Learning and RealTime
• RealTime is a course designed for you to learn directly
from a learning experience that closely parallels
personal and business dynamics in a project/product
start-up situation
• It will assist you to learn how you can meaningfully
contribute to moving a new organization from chaos
to a high performing/ learning organization
• This experience will help you understand how you can
personally affect constructive change and help the
organization and your co-workers get your collective
act together and succeed.
 WordMasters
• WordMasters is a startup situation that is initially quite chaotic.
• Your challenge is how to best help this organization move towards
success
• Your potential contributions are two-fold: how you assist achieving
more immediate needs (the task) but more importantly how you
have impact on achieving the overall goals of the organization
(the TASK)
• To achieve this you are expected to perform certain tasks, but in
doing so will need to work with and influence others, to do what is
best for the organization
• This course is an opportunity for you to learn how you approach a
work situation and how you typically "position" yourself
– To meet the needs of the situation (add value to the task/TASK)
– How you work with and influence coworkers
– How you meet your own needs
Organizational Needs and Expectations

• An organization has definite strategies and "needs"

• People are hired to fulfill these needs
• Employees have work related needs as well, and expect the
organization to fulfill these need
• Life at work is a reciprocal investment / and return on
investment
– The organization invests in people and expect employees to
contribute to the success of the organization through commitment
and competences
– People invest their time and commitment to the organization and in
return expect interesting work, good compensation and fair treatment
 The Role of the Employee
• The role of the employee is to find ways to maximize
contribution to the success and needs of the
organization

• The organization must also be seen as a good

"investment" for employees, so employees will
continue to invest themselves in the organization
 Organizational Needs:
Sustainable Performance

• Competent/ Committed people

• Right people in the right job
• Good Strategy/Direction
• Access to Resources
– Capital from Investors
– Income from customers
– Good People
– Reliable Suppliers
• Effective business and operational processes
• Effective decision making processes
• Effective execution
 Individual Needs:
Investing Ourselves @ Work
• At work we are motivated by a combination of our personal
characteristics and the “characteristics of the situation”, our context,
defined by
– The relationship between ourselves and the situation
– This is the most important relationship we have (at work)
• Our individual investment profile (personal agenda) is a mix of
– Aspirations/ ambitions/ values
– Wanting to add value/ make a difference /act powerfully
– To be recognized/ to be valued/ to be seen as competent
– To be accepted/ liked/respected by co-workers
– To be comfortable and safe/ to be treated fairly/to avoid anxiety
• Each individual will be invested differently in each of these dimensions
• Often, these motivations work against each other, and create conflict and
tension both within oneself and with others
– For example: to make a difference can be uncomfortable, and not necessarily
recognized
 At Work the Task Rules
• The most important relationship at work is with the
organization (your task/the organizations larger TASK); you
are hired and paid to contribute to the success of your
employer
• Your relationship with co-workers is important, particularly
as it relates to getting the organization's work done
• Being a “good” co-worker is not necessarily a “good”
thing: certain kinds of work relationships can potentially
have negative impact on the success of the organization

E.g. Steve Jobs had many poor relationships with people, what was deemed best for the
organization took priority.
A good idea can be more important than a good relationship in meeting organizational needs,
but without effective relationships good ideas seldom get used.
 Typical Organizational Dilemmas
• Continuous competition between
– Priorities
• What is more important vs. what is urgent
• Staying afloat vs. moving towards (what?) destination
– Reducing costs vs. investing in future
– Time allocation
• Doing this vs. doing that
– Short term vs. long term
• Needing to have clear direction vs. solving immediate issues
• Without a short term there is no long term
– Shaping the organization vs. producing the product and serving
the customer
– Etc. Etc.!
 Typical Personal Dilemmas
• A continuous pull/ tension between
– Finding a personal comfort zone vs. doing (or not doing) what the
situation needs
– Positioning oneself to satisfy personal needs and personal style vs.
what the situation/ organization needs
– Pushing for what seems the right thing to do vs. having good
relationships with people
• When things are not going well
– Continue to invest oneself but possibly invest oneself differently
– Finding ways to make a positive impact
• When things are going well
– Ensure success is not in isolation
– Continue to assess the needs of the organization
 The question!

• What are the characteristics of someone who makes

a real contribution at work?
– How does this person meet the needs of the organization?
– How does this person work with others?
– How does this person manage personal needs?
 Understanding Self @ Work
• During these three days what did you learn about
yourself:
– What are your typical personal needs, what tends to drive your
behaviour, what are your personal agendas at work? And how
do you satisfy these needs?
– What are your typical contributions to fulfilling the needs of
the organization?
– What are situations where you find yourself most effective?
– What are situations where you find yourself least effective?
– What did you learn from watching yourself and others about
how people make a real contribution at work?