Francis Wade | Presencing as a leadership practice

Gone are the days when as a leader, all you had to do was issue instructions. You remember when people used to do what they were told. They were grateful to have a job with regular pay. Loyalty was something you could gauge by the actions employees took in response to clear directives.

But now, everyone wants to know “why?” For example, your worst performers trade cash for minimal activity, aspiring to little more than grudging obedience.

And your best performers? They are a fickle bunch, always ready to switch allegiance to competitors, their own side-hustles, or even migration. At the first sign of discomfort, even they fall into non-performance.

In your role as a manager, you want staff to do better. There are big, game-changing strategic plans that need to be implemented, but you can’t just send out a memo few would bother to read.

One practice you can employ is that of ‘presencing’. Here is some background.

Consider a human being to be internally “present to” something at all times. The average person operates like a thermometer, simply responding to an inside feeling, bodily sensation, or random thought. What is present is driven by any triggering factor that happens to come along.

Case in point: gunshots outside your building instantly inserts fear and panic inside the presence of most workers.

But not all. There are a handful who are able to choose a different response. For example, an employee who was a policeman or soldier in a prior life may respond differently. For them, the bang triggers a routine they have practised for decades.

I can relate. Once, I was held up at gunpoint. But fortunately, I had read, and reread, my favourite author’s account of a time when she had the same experience. As such, I unexpectedly felt unafraid … even calm as I recalled her words in the moment.

Great managers realise that their job is to influence what is present for employees. By the same token, exemplary leaders do the same for entire organisations. But how does this work? Let’s examine the technique of presencing as it relates to a positive future for your company.

Dead vision statement

Bring to mind your organisation’s vision statement. I would imagine that before I asked you to do so, it was not present for you. That is, it was ‘absent’.

Now, find the actual words. Notice that if you read the statement out aloud, preferably for someone else, that it may become a little more present.

Now look back in time. How often was the vision present in the past week? Month? Year? Notice the long absences.

Then, bring to mind your current strategic plan. Consider that it is intended to realise some future vision. But someone who is absent to both these elements won’t implement much of either.

How do you remedy the situation?

Interventions by a leader

In times past, a leader could intervene by making a speech. Imagine Bustamante, Paul Bogle, or Michael Manley rallying their followers from a podium.

However, this channel has lost its potency in today’s world. We are bombarded by hundreds of persuasive messages each day, and the typical speech just gets lost in the hubbub. As such, younger staff have learned to tune out sales pitches even from their leaders.

To break through, you must take your cues from more interactive and engaging examples in daily life. Here are some examples.

The typical Rotary Club meets regularly. Even though it’s a weekly routine, the organisation appears to assume that when people walk into the meeting, they are ordinary human beings. Not Rotarians.

As such, they engage in an elaborate ritual. A bell is rung. Pledges are made. The Four-Way Test is recited. A sergeant-of-arms charges an attendee whenever a protocol is breached.

These are no idle or arbitrary practices. They are especially crafted to presence “Rotarian-ism”. But they are not alone. Similar practices take place in a church. A lodge. An alumni meeting. A Cub Scout or Girl Guide troop. In locker-rooms before a game.

Japanese companies are famous for daily ‘chorei’, often made up of a formal greeting, recitation of the company motto or song, and a review of the day’s work. Some engage in joint physical exercises just like sporting teams.

Sometimes, these practices are a bit goofy, eliciting rolling eyes from outsiders. But like an officer’s call to attention on a parade ground, they just work.

In summary, the point is not to imitate. Instead, work to find peculiar, regular practices to presence your organisation’s vision. It is a powerful aid to implement your game-changing strategic plan.

Francis Wade is a management consultant and author of Perfect Time-Based Productivity. To search past columns on productivity, strategy and business processes, or give feedback, email: columns@fwconsulting.com.