DANGER!—CAVEAT
In cases in which onlytriage issues—usually symptoms—are dealt with, the problem
will almost certainly recur. When immediate needs are met, the temptation for oth-
ers is to say, “Thank you” and move on. If this happens, you leave yourself in a low-
leverage situation. If you sense this may happen, start by asking larger, big-picture
questions. You can always revert to triage, if needed.DEALING WITH AMBIGUITY WITH OTHERS
To capture the benefits of big-picture questions, you must be able to manage the increased
ambiguity they produce. One technique is this: On hearing the answer to a big-picture ques-
tion, always paraphrase or summarize what you have heard. The benefits of using this tech-
nique are:
- It shows you are listening, able to track the complexity, and willing to handle messy
situations. - Others can correct any misconceptions you may be receiving.
- Summarizing has the highly desirable effect of reducing ambiguity.
- Summarizing helps others to go to the next deeper level, where underlying causes and
barriers are situated.
HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL
“Nothing undermines openness more surely than certainty. Once we feel as if we have ‘the answer,’ all motiva-
tion to question our thinking disappears.”
—Peter Senge, THE FIFTH DISCIPLINETo help you with the practical application of the Hourglass Model, here is an example of the
hourglass from everyday life. Because of its universal appeal, the example of a parent−child sit-
uation is used for illustration. We do notmean to imply that parent−child relationships are
the same as leader−other relationships!
Picture a five- or six-year-old child playing in a playground near home. The child comes
running home to the parent. The child is crying, scratched, bruised, and has a minor cut. What
would an effective parent do? Triage, of course. First the parent would soothe the cries, treat
the cut, and put bandages on the scrapes. Then would the parent send the child back to the
playground? (Often children are anxious to get back.) No! An effective parent would probably
sit down with the child and ask big-picture questions about how the situation arose and how
the accident happened. After discussing the bigger picture of how the child got hurt, an effec-
tive parent would probably complete the conversation with both parent and child agreeing to
carry out some actions designed to keep the child away from further harm.
To help you get started with the hourglass application, here is a questioning sequence you
might use, starting with someone stating a complex issue:
Step 1: Summarize and Outline Your Process
a. Summarize or paraphrase what you have heard so far:
“What I understand so far is ....”
b. Outline your process:180 SECTION 6 TOOLS FORCRITICALTHINKING ANDINNOVATION