Learning “The Lore”
How to get a tweenager talking…
Ask them about the backstory or narrative arc of their favourite video game, movie franchise, or tv show.
It amazes me how much my kids know about the characters they love, an how happily they will share it, at length, with me if I am willing to listen.
But what does this parenting observation have to do with leadership?
I’m pulling together the content for a new project in 2024 helping leaders have success in their first 6 months in a new role. It’s something I’ve been asked to offer and I’m excited about it.
There are lots of good onboarding resources available, the missing piece seems to be a skilled external advisor who can help the incoming leader stay clear on their perspective and priorities during these critical early stages. That’s where I can be helpful.
One of the most important, and impactful, things new leaders should do (but often don’t) is take the time to understand the story of their team and organization. With the desire to quickly prove ourselves, often exaggerated by our insecurities, we are tempted to want to make our mark as quickly as possible.
That’s often a mistake.
Just like in the complex new video games, there’s usually a lot more going on that is apparent on the surface. You really do need to know the background (or “the lore” in teen parlance) to understand what is really happening, and why. And that takes some learning.
In video games there may be wizened old characters, secret runes, or hidden scrolls with the legends you need to comprehend to succeed at the missions.
In your new organization there are key lessons to be found in long tenured employees, commonly repeated stories, and reports written over the years. Taking the time to look and listen enough to build a coherent grasp on the way things are around here allows you to make better decisions, and the process will earn you some early trust as you demonstrate humility and respect for your team and predecessors.
There are a few ways to do this well:
-Have a meeting with every one of your direct reports and spend 80% of it asking questions and taking notes on the answers
-Have a team meeting and collaborate on a narrative timeline of the organization or department
-Take the team out for lunch, or after hours snacks, and prompt some storytelling about the best and worst things that have happened over the years
What matters here is that you look beyond the mandate you’ve been given by those who hired you to understand both what is currently true and what has made it that way. Human beings are story creatures, and healthy leadership happens when we understand the stories that are relevant to the people we lead and decisions we need to make.
Know the lore and you can avoid the mistakes that would otherwise cost you massive credibility.
Contact me if I can be helpful to you and/or your organization.
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