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?
that PTO must be accurate, exact, precise … PERFECT
That i am not a particularly good listener and consequently not good at following instruction….
PTO doesn’t, as first implied always involve a top down command or instructional model of leadership. PTO to me is more concerned with common sense or proactive applications required at any given time or situation. Any leader can apply the PTO concept. If the idea, perspective, time or situation warrants a PTO reaction, then the skill is to identify it and then respond accordingly. PTO is about smart, rational and in many or most cases common sense decision making. PTO has a specific purpose. PTO is a higher order thinking process that can be applied to and from many perspectives and from a diverse range of organisational and leadership domains.
The directive has to be specific!
That it can be a great source of liberation for the knowledge worker and that a PTO statement as an order must be very clearly defined with adequate emphasis and explanation to ensure that the recipient will not overlook key information nor misinterpret the information that is there
It’s a simple to understand example of Objectivity.
First, to define the Object. In terms concise and without any ambiguity or potential confusion. Peel That Orange.
One would certainly give any objective some inner consideration automatically. The law, the cost, the pain to others. It would be intuitive in this case and so the Objective is defined and without need for further consideration. After the trainer has given the instruction, Just Do It. (With or without Nikes) Peel that Orange.
I have learned that it is not easy to follow instructions. I still think for myself and i subconciously sift out information. I did notice the 111 but i THOUGHT why 111, surely what is required is that i resolve the PTO. In fact i did in fewer words. So yes i did not follow the instructiom
Can be quite painless – and also enjoyable !
PTO brings all people in the activity chain in alignment quickly allow understanding to follow once the task has been completed. . . . .
By submitting to a mission, we get the benefit of one of the greatest powers in this world ie power of submission.