In the last lesson you were asked to demonstrate your skill in PTO. Now check if you were able to PTO as instructed.
The orange you were asked to peel was:
Resolve the PTO paradox in 111 words.
The most important instruction for you to follow in this PTO was the specification of 111 words. You were not to know that, of course. In PTO one never really knows because one doesn’t get the opportunity to discuss things, as one does in normal situations.
One of the benefits of PTO, provided you have a skilled leadership team, is that anyone in the team can give anyone else in the team a PTO and it is done without question or discussion. This has advantages of speed, efficiency and effectiveness when the team is striving for a mutual objective. But it is not easy and does take PRR to produce a high level of PTO skill.
Obviously, so early in a leadership training sequence, one is not expected to get the ‘right’ answer as much as one is expected to just try and practise the skills.
DFQ #15:
What is the biggest insight about PTO that you have had so far as you’ve been doing these past few lessons?
PTO by whomsoever. requires multiple skills. Careful assessment and diligence. Listen to and comprehend instructions (like 111) and be sure you understand what is required. Assess your skills level and decide whether or not you can PTO. PTO does not preclude seeking advice from experienced sources.
Listen Listen Listen and comprehend,
Look look look, read carefully and comprehend.
PPR is essential preparation.
When we start a process, make a decison to go all the way through, regardless of whatever… if one starts with an all encomapassing YES, then there is no need to stop along the way to decide yes or no. (Like the military, once you sign up and say yes, then you just go along with the progam…makes for a smooth efficient running team, process. But it can also set up a situation where people do things in th moment without consdering all the repurcussions..
I don’t seem to have too much trouble ‘peeling the orange’, as my father was a major in the army and that is the type of response he always expected. Doing without question, discussion, or argument. It is like I have prior training.
I did pick up we should answer in 111 words, but after being interrupted and having to come back to it after a few hours, I got down to writing and came up with 101 words, thinking that was correct. I really need to go back and check instructions again.
Take the time to read the whole of the intruction. We don’t have to jump straight in as there was no time constraint on the PTO but there was a word limit. Patience and clarity may be very useful here.
We need to trust that we can PTO to lead others but also, we should know that we can enhance PTO through reflection on such tasks before/after the time critical period to expand thinking. Input from those charged with carrying out instructions can be important in identifying improvements.
My biggest in-site that I need to go with my first thought. My thinking went along the lines that my response needed to be 111 words, but I second guessed myself. This might be an advantage to PTO that I hadn’t focused on before, that it will stop me from over thinking my responses.
My biggest insight is how much i dislike restrictive orders – i do like a bit of elbow room. I undestand the need fot pto in certain circunstances, but believe these should be chosen carefully. Most of the time in business situations, we want people to have clear guidelines on what they can and cant do, and also some involvement on how they choose to do it.
I believe an insight into PTO is this:
When given a task with the expectation to just do it! The taskee often feels he is forced into an inferior position and resents it. Negative energy is then applied to mentally sabotage the task (As was evident when offering the orange to be peeled).
PTO allows the sovereign thinker to initiate the impetice from within thus freeing his cognitive mind to commit to the task, not its downfall, as a leader should.
PTO can be good provided we have:
1. A good process (preferably the “best” process) for peeling an orange.
2. A team well trained in PTO (via PRR).
3. Good leadership to ensure we maintain standards and look for opportunities to improve.
On reflection certain cultures struggle more with orange peeling than others. The classic Australian outlook questions most things in life, and this is particularly obvious in Australian movies based around the first world war. On the other hand there are cultures and demographics have a preference the other way.