Changing Your Settings

I took a photography class recently where I finally learned to take my camera out of “automatic” mode. It turns out, when you just use the default settings, you get mediocre results. It’s only when you understand your options and exercise some choices that you get exactly you were hoping for--especially in difficult conditions.

Whether we know it or not, we all have an “automatic” mode. We have tendencies and internal algorithms that we apply without thinking, and most of the time they give us solid, predictable results. But as soon as the conditions get more demanding, those default settings may not work to our advantage.  That’s why it’s important that we learn what settings we have, and know when to switch to “manual” mode.

When people on your team are in conflict, what’s your default setting for how you see it? Do you tend to interpret it as an individual conflict? Or as a team issue? Maybe it’s the result of the stress the system is placing on them, or a byproduct of an unhealthy culture? The setting you use will determine how you see the problem.

When there’s a problem with performance, do you tend to focus on individual competency? On team competency and training? On scarcity of resources? On systemic waste and inefficiency? On a failure of communication or leadership? On a breakdown of trust and relationships? 

Leadership, like much of life, is about choices. It’s okay to use automatic mode when conditions are great and everything is beautiful. But don’t rely on those default settings when the light is harsh, and the shadows are tricky. That’s when you want to make some intentional choices, and keep checking your results to make sure you’re getting the picture you want.