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?
Biggest insight really is that PTO is a recognisable definable leadership and group skill. The words above:” This has advantages of speed, efficiency and effectiveness when the team is striving for a mutual objective” are the key, with mutual objective being the key.
It is great to work in the team. Different people view the problem from different angles. Thinking should be present at each stage of any process. Following instructions blindly may lead to lethal outcomes. You must have heard the story about the pilot who took risk and didn’t follow the instructions. And if he had followed them, many people would have died. There is always a crumb of doubt about any command even if is produced by the person whom you trust…
A response to PTO may not come from a direct instruction from a leader. It may be a response to a situation.
My insight is into people who act in a heroic or masterful manner through their own initiative. They face a challenging situation, they act, and achieve great things under stressful conditions .
After the event they are often dismissive of suggestions that they acted heroically. Their responses is often “the training took over”. In our parlance they have expressed the value of PTO.
PTO techniques if used correctly promote efficiency of process, enabling goals and objectives to be reached in shorter time-frames (X10), through transfer of authority (Empowerment & Accountability) through the chain of command (Stratum VIII down through to Stratum I) and as a result actually promotes cognitive thinking within each layer.
The biggest insight is that as a leader, must be able to perform the skill on high standards and carry them out without questions, before giving orders to others. This increases the level of trust and confidence within a team, members will be motivated to do likewise.
I see a great tool that can be used great effect, in appropriate situations.
At the same time
I see a great tool that can be terribly abused when employed without thought.
The most important insight I have gained is that PTO can be designed to generate and sustain control over a person or group or can be used to encourage collaboration after a participatory process.
The biggest insight for me are the details or glue that holds this concept together — the trust that is placed in each team member to do what needs to be done; the commitment from each team member to perform as needed, no matter what the situation is; the attention to detail that is required. Without these critical things in place, PTO falls apart and critical missions can fail.
PTO is a useful tool in a Leader’s tool bag.
I think it’s important to be focused on the objective. If everyone in the team and leadership is not focused or if the objective is not clear the PTO will not work also PRR will not be of any use.
I would say clarity of objective and focus is important for teams to produce the results.