Thriving in the Middle: Mastering Organisational Dynamics
A 4-week program on leading with influence and collaboration within demanding organisational structures.
Challenges of Organisational Life
You're a line manager, product manager, project manager, or team lead. In this role, you're constantly running to keep up with planning, reporting, and management cycles, fighting fires, managing dependencies, aligning divergent stakeholders, and supporting your team(s). It can feel pretty thankless, and you often find yourself being pulled in multiple directions at once.
You’re expected to deliver results while maintaining morale and ensuring your team functions smoothly. It’s a delicate balancing act, and sometimes it feels like no matter how hard you try, someone is always left unsatisfied.
You might feel isolated, stuck between upper management's demands and your team's needs. You’re responsible for executing the vision set by senior leaders, but you also have to advocate for your team and their well-being. This constant juggling act can leave you feeling like you’re never quite meeting expectations.
There are days when you wonder if anyone truly understands the pressure you’re under or appreciates the effort you put in. You care deeply about your work and your team, but the weight of your responsibilities can be overwhelming. You need strategies that will help you not just survive, but thrive in your role.
What if you could navigate these challenges with confidence and clarity? Imagine knowing the moves to address these organisational dynamics and having the tools to do so: to manage conflicts, align stakeholders, hold people accountable, and lead your team effectively, all while maintaining your own well-being. It is possible to turn the stress and chaos into a structured, manageable, and even rewarding experience.
Corporate Systems are Predictable
Here’s the thing: corporate systems are fairly predictable. As a manager / lead in the middle, you are inevitably caught between your team and upper management. You’re impacted by the politics and silos occurring at the senior leadership level, and these dynamics contribute to misalignment with stakeholders in other teams.
As an intermediary, you often find yourself held responsible for problems, with all sides pointing fingers at you. The constant pressure and scrutiny make it difficult to find the time to address root causes and think strategically. Instead, you’re perpetually running to keep up, putting out fires and managing crises.
Recognising these patterns is the first step to mastering them. When you can spot that you’re getting caught in the middle, you can take proactive steps to change the dynamic. Bringing people together to resolve their own issues is crucial. This sometimes means pushing back strongly on senior management to advocate for your team and ensure that systemic issues are addressed.
Building alliances with other middle managers is another key strategy. By sharing information and strategizing together, you can create a support network that helps you navigate the complexities of your role. Collaborating with peers in similar positions allows you to leverage collective wisdom and resources, making it easier to implement effective solutions and drive alignment across the organisation.
Understanding these predictable patterns in corporate systems not only empowers you to handle current challenges but also equips you with the foresight to anticipate and mitigate future issues. With the right strategies and support, you can turn these predictable dynamics into opportunities for growth and success, both for yourself and your team.
In this Training…
In this training, we will unpack the corporate patterns that affect your role and the essential skills needed to address them effectively. To become an influential and rewarded player in the system, you must develop your power and willingness to take calculated risks. You'll learn how to bring people together, enroll them in collaboration, and facilitate effective teamwork.
Throughout this training, you will gain the tools and insights to:
Spot and Analyse Organisational Patterns: Recognise and understand the predictable dynamics within corporate systems that can impact your effectiveness. Learn how to identify underlying issues and address them proactively.
Influence Through Listening and Advocacy: Master the art of active listening to understand the motivations and concerns of your stakeholders. Develop the ability to advocate for your team and yourself in a way that drives alignment and support.
Facilitate and Collaboratively Plan: Learn techniques for facilitating meetings and discussions that foster collaboration and collective problem-solving. Gain skills in collaborative planning to ensure that all voices are heard and integrated into your strategic initiatives.
Elicit Strong Agreements: Understand how to create clear, strong agreements that set the foundation for successful collaboration. Learn to articulate expectations and ensure mutual understanding and commitment.
Hold Others Accountable: Develop the confidence and strategies to hold others accountable for their commitments. Learn how to address non-compliance and ensure that everyone is contributing effectively to shared goals.
By the end of this training, you will have a comprehensive toolkit to navigate the complexities of your role with confidence and strategic insight. You’ll be equipped to foster a culture of collaboration, drive alignment, and elevate your influence within the organisation. This training is not just about surviving in the corporate environment; it’s about thriving and leading with impact.
The Logistics
When:
Weekly zoom calls Tuesday 6:30 PM-8:30 PM from Tuesday, 13 August 2024 to Tuesday, 3 September 2024, AUS Eastern Standard Time
Homework:
An important part of this course is practicing the skills in your work life. Each week you will be asked to submit a short write up of where you applied a skill and what happened when you did so.
Sharing in between calls:
We will use the chat platform, Discord, for sharing in between live sessions to create a learning community, sharing experiences and providing an opportunity to get extra support
Cost:
Beta price of $200
Ready to Transform Your Leadership?
Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your skills and make a real impact. Join us for "Thriving in the Middle: Mastering Organisational Dynamics" and take the first step towards becoming a more effective and influential leader.
Sign Up Now to secure your spot and start your journey towards mastering organisational dynamics!