We’ve been honoured to present IDKN at this years International Coaching Federation conference.
We discovered the span and power of IDKN tools and methodologies are too great to cover in a 45 minute presentation, so we concentrated on an overview and one particular tool, “The Power of the Pause”.
You will know the IDKN approach is fundamentally about WHO you are as a leader and decision maker. Awareness of this is hugely impactful on the type of outcomes a leader achieves.
IDKN is about helping navigate complexity and uncertainty (Volatility Uncertainty Complexity Ambiguity) and picking the right direction from the start. This we propose, provides a means of navigating to the alternative definition of VUCA , Visionary Understanding Clarity Agility.
IDKN’s starting point is a moment of ‘not knowing’, and rather like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond, actions can be taken in any direction from this point – largely, we propose (initially) dictated by the leader’s character – the ‘WHO’ they are.
We take our starting point, that moment when we don’t know – and find ourselves going ‘below the line’ into REACTION. Here, we go into what we’ve previously described as ‘the Mud’ , an uncomfortable situation that demands resolution as fast as possible! We suggest making decisions coming from this place of Reaction is less likely to deliver the best outcomes.
If it’s possible to get ourselves as leaders, influencers, decision makers, to get out of this Mud and to a dry place ‘Above the Line’ then we can start to operate in a world of RESPONSE (rather than knee-jerk REACTION). We see this land as challenging. It consists of various thresholds we must face and cross, each time expanding our perspectives, capability and range. It’s similar to aspects described in the Hero’s journey, and includes the invitation to work with other supporting colleagues, coaches and wise confidants. Alone, it’s a difficult odyssey, littered with slips and trips that plunge us back down into REACTION, below the line.
The first step in getting out of the Mud, and we support leaders in this until they become practiced, is the Power of the Pause. We see this as just above the line. Here we use 3 tools to set the ground-work for the next phases and work towards and crossing the next thresholds.
We assist in your journey and experience of the Power of the Pause by coaching 121 or within our ‘SandBox’ – a small facilitated group. The Sandbox we run bit privately for companies and also have a monthly ‘open’ Sandbox for you to try out – currently free of charge.
