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?
Sometimes it is necessary to just do as you are instructed in order to achieve the end goal. Not all instructions need to be questioned, challenged, interpreted or personalized – sometimes a job just has to be done. If the person giving the PTO understands the benefit of the method and the trainees know this (as in the military example) then everyone will benefit in the long run. The trainer will impart a valuable learning experience upon his students and the students will learn to appreciate the significance of the PTO technique and the advantages of such a method. The end goal will be achieved in a speedy, efficient and effective manner – so everyone ends up a winner.
I didn´t PTO; I sort of “suspected” that the PTO had to do with 111 words , but I let it go by; I think the biggest insight about PTO , to me, is: If a task is to be done , first , really think about it ; identify it clearly, and once you do that, go and PTO!
How do I know if it’s ‘the biggest insight’??!!!
If I want people to peel oranges – no question or discussion – (or take messages to Garcia) I can do it with The Rules and Manuals, endless drill and the Articles of War (the sanctions for infringement/wilful misbehaviour).
Or I could think about a jazz combo/ improvisory team where the individuals have high competence, deeply understand the rules of the game, are united on the intention and the path to the outcome – and play their hearts out – no questions asked.
I’d rather peel oranges under the second set of circumstances.
My greatest insight comes upon reflection. I have realized that for most of my adult, “parenting” and business life, I have used PTO (intuitively) to get “successfully” through my day.
It has led me to reconsider PTO and Pipeline and to ponder how I can better implement or better use these techniques on a daily basis. (Practice)
I am now also more observant of others leadership techniques and am observing how I relate to or rate other techniques. This insight into PTO and Pipeline is profoundly changing my thought and living processes.
I remember focusing on the ‘111 words’ thing. It draws attention to itself because of the unusual number. But I interpreted it as ‘in no more than 111 words’. I didn’t PTO!
PTO goes much deeper than just a recognition that I need to ‘follow orders’. It is a base ‘turning off’ of my critical reflex and the way I process orders. Interesting…
Effective PTO requires trust between team members in order to carry out PTO without question. If I didn’t trust a team member I would be cautious in carrying out a PTO. Trust builds an effective team.
Got the 111 words no problem.
My biggest insight so far towards PTO is definately that having a clear understanding of the final destination in provides a solid foundation of direction to strive towards to reach it.
Got the 111, after doing a bit of editing, on my comment, the first time. Yeah!
For me, when belief, trust and synergy are present in the environment, the use of ego is not necessary, the PTO process just flows from leadership and between team members (students).
Understand the objective and just do it.
I’m glad that I did NOT miss the specification of 111 WORDS – an did just that: write a little essay of just 111 words!