64 Leading with NLP
Creating
This is the most rewarding but also the riskiest way to create
a shared vision. Everyone is consulted and no one assumes
they know best. When it works, the vision emerges from the
total process and represents the whole business.
However, this method does need a business culture
where people feel they can really express what they want. In
an organization used to a lot of telling and selling, attempts
at creating may be met with cynicism and uncertainty. It is
a roller-coaster ride, risky because the top management has
to give up the idea that they know best. It may seem to lead
to anarchy. And when everyone has a voice, they will not
agree on everything. Yet this is valuable. Disagreement
surfaces assumptions, about the people and the organiza-
tion, and can lead to a better understanding of both.
Unless very carefully handled, however, it can also lead to
chaos. Welcome to the challenge and the risk of creating –
it comes with no guarantees!
Some organizations venture down this path, but soon
think better of it and slide into consulting. It is almost true
to say only an organization with some degree of shared vi-
sion can use this creating process – you have to have it
already to do it. The practice is a powerful one and must
have a leader, at least at the beginning, but a vision created
this way will be truly shared.
These four approaches – telling, selling, consulting and cre-
ating – all have their strengths and weaknesses and there is
no right method; leaders use the one that will work best
given the situation.
Management Styles
Think of telling, selling, consulting and creating as
management and problem-solving styles and how you
start a joint project or work with others to solve a prob-
lem. What do you do?