A few weeks ago I had a bit of a rant about the myth of telling = understanding = action which unpicks most strategy deployment.
I am coming to the conclusion, following several conversations about this, that most people get that this is a myth. Most people don’t act upon everything they are told. So, this raises the question about why do most leaders resort to telling stuff when they want people to take action?
As a facilitator I see the value in conversations helping people to bring meaning to their understanding about something. As people discuss and ask questions about a topic, you can literally see the lights go on for them. Once people have meaning, or a personal sense of something, they can then attach some personal motivation, which can drive action.
The sketch above is my rationalisation of the process people go through before they will act upon a business strategy.