Using Kolbe to Create Successful Teams!

by Joe Williams

"Conation is the executive function of brain, where you manage your actions and allocate your mental energy. Take charge!" –Kathy Kolbe

As most of you know, I'm a student and practitioner of leading teams that are making a difference at NASA. Any time I get the opportunity to add a new tool to my leadership repertoire, I take advantage of it. A few weeks ago I encountered a new perspective on how individuals and teams get things done, culminating in an insightful experience this week. Here, I'm talking about conation, the Kolbe model, and insights provided by Kathy Kolbe and Joan Koerber-Walker on building and leading teams.

A few months ago Joan posted an interview of Kathy Kolbe as part of her series on "People Making a Difference." (You can see it here.) I was intrigued by the insights offered by Kathy's views of conation (the "doing" part of the brain) and how it relates to the cognitive ( "thinking") and affective ("feeling") parts of the brain. The leadership model I've been using for the last few years is one centered around alignment, action, and result. I wondered: could conation be the well from which we determine our actions, that unites the alignment rooted in feeling and results rooted in thinking? To explore this for myself, I took the Kolbe A™ Index and from that discovered my own innate abilities. In the Kolbe language, this is one's M.O., and mine is 6-4-8-2. I read through the materials on what this meant (an "entrepreneur"), and with some help from Joan, gained some additional insights into what that meant; specifically, that my instinct is to lead with the third Kolbe Action Mode, "Quick Start" through improvisation, and back it up with the first, "Fact Finding" through explaining.

There was something fundamental here, something that I haven't gained from Myers Briggs, Strengths Finder, and DiSC. It was the sense of "yes, this is who I am" I got from the Kolbe A™ Index, as opposed to "yes, this is who I want to be" that I get from the others. There is a big difference between the two.

Moreover, the Kolbe model extends beyond that of the individual – with additional measures, it applies to teams as well. That definitely got my attention. Through Joan, we contacted Kathy Kolbe to conduct an assessment of my current team, so that they could get the same insights from the Kolbe A™ Index that I got on myself. Kathy Kolbe came to Houston, along with her son David Kolbe who is the company CEO, and conducted a learning and evaluation session of the team. Joan also attended to help moderate and share her experiences with Kolbe. Through the assessment, I gained some additional insights into the composition of the team through the identification of which Kolbe Action Modes the team initiates solutions, responds to the situation, and prevents problems. The big picture showed that this team was slightly skewed towards prevent problems and away from responding to the situation. This would require extra effort on my part as leader to help guide the team away from being resistive to new ideas as a means to prevent problems, and instead to embrace a little more responsiveness. The team also has some aspects of "conative cloning," specifically that the team was lacking in a drive to simplicity and an ability to adapt. Kathy provides suggestions on how to address these situations, ranging from actions of the leaders, how the leader might sub-divide the team into smaller units, or to bring in additional team members with the missing M.O.s onto the team.

The final point from this tremendously insightful week is an approach to building teams in the first place. A leader can use the Kolbe model to fill in missing pieces to the team, or even build a team from scratch by incorporating Kolbe assessments into the screening process. There is much more to learn here for me, and I intend on doing just that.

I encourage you to explore the Kolbe model yourself. Go to http://www.kolbe.com and read the material there. You can also contact Joan Koerber-Walker through the earlier link, and she can help you as well. Basically, if you are a leader seeking high performance teams, or are attempting to diagnose issues with teams not performing at peak effectiveness, give Kolbe a look. You may be amazed at the results. 

Great Household Tips from Moms to Moms...

Everyday Cheapskate

Good Tips Jog the Memory
02/17/2010

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My favorite tips submitted by readers are the ones that are not only useful, but also entertaining. Today’s first tip made me laugh as I imagined the tipster looking high and low for her car keys, failing to remember for a moment that she’d put them into the refrigerator. It occurs to me that the refrigerator, at work or home, makes for a great “key keeper.” It’s just quirky enough that it might work to prevent the problem of the lost keys.

NEVER FORGET. To save time after work when I need only a few items, I go to the grocery store on my lunch hour. I put the groceries into the refrigerator at work. So I don’t forget to take them home, I put my car keys into the bag with the groceries. Forgetting to grab the groceries is no problem, since my keys are with them. Diane, Oregon

CLEVER NUT. To chop nuts, measure the amount to be chopped into a small plastic bag and seal or fold over one end, leaving just a small corner for air to escape. Pound the nuts in the bag on a cutting board with a wooden or metal meat tenderizer. This saves time and eliminates clean up because you just pour the nuts into the recipe and throw away the bag!Sally P., Ohio

BACON SECRET. To keep your bacon from shrinking when you fry it, roll it in flour and place it in a nonstick skillet. Fry over low heat. You will be amazed how the bacon will keep its shape and size as it cooks. Sue C., West Virginia

BANANA JAM. Instead of throwing bananas out once they turn brown, I slice them into a small casserole dish, sprinkle them with one or two tablespoons of lemon juice, dot with a few tablespoons of butter, add two or three tablespoons of brown sugar and a handful each of chocolate chips and marshmallows. I cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it for about 20 minutes, stirring half way through. Served in dessert cups with a dollop of whipped cream, my kids think this is a delicious treat! Amanda P., e-mail

CRACKER SAVER. If you open packages of crackers and find they have gone stale, just spread them on a cookie sheet and pop them into the oven on broil. Watch them carefully for a few minutes, and when they start to turn a little brown they are crisp again, perfect for eating. Diane, e-mail
©Copyright 2010 Mary Hunt
Everyday Cheapskate is a Registered Trademark

Helping Kids Succeed

I am certified in the unique process of Kolbe. This amazing education allows me have insight into individuals, helping them understand how they are created and further how to best succeed at being themselves. Kathy Kolbe defines success as the freedom to be oneself! I have included the Kolbe website for your further exploration, I am also available to answer any questions or offer assistance.

With our kids, even from the very youngest age, we Moms want to provide them with the tools they need to be successful at anything they do; whether this be learning to pick up their own toys or speak in public, we want to empower them to problem solve, have an inner confidence, and to be able to handle life as it comes at them.

There is a great advantage to life when we truly understand how we were created and our individual MO's (modus operandi).  This knowledge helps us willingly enter life's situations that will propel us in a positive direction and will also help us avoid those situations that only bring us frustration.  Giving our kids the experience of these truths strengthens their ability to make good choices and sharpens their problem solving skills, these are invaluable tools for their life-long "Tool Kit".

As a parent, having this insight also helps immensely with those "what's wrong with my child?" moments that we all have when they don't don't act (or react) the way we think they should. I find I have much more grace towards my kids because I believe that I understand them and various struggles they encounter. On the other hand I can also direct my accountability of them to specific areas that are of concern. It helps keep our focus on their life as a whole journey, not get caught up in the moments of crisis and to stay the course of what we believe to be God's plan for each of our kids.

I encourage every family to invite the Kolbe Wisdom into their lives and experience the true freedom that it brings and to help our kids succeed!