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Such a buzz word, the origins of the word 'matrix' are 'the cultural, social or political environment in which something develops'. But how do you know that what is developing is a positive or negative? For matrix working to work, everyone has to be clear on what the overall goal and their role is in achieving that goal. So we just send emails? As we hear from our very special guest Matt Sims, the magic happens when everyone feels that they are part of the decisions that are made - and that they are confident to share learning quickly, in particular their lessons from failure without fear of repercussion. Sharing his  observations as a 'Lean Consultant' he shares tips and ideas for empowering people within a successful matrix organisation.

Matt Sims is the founder of the EversoLean Podcast - so if you're interested in learning about this incredibly effective Waste Reduction methodology, this series is a must listen! Matt can be contacted via LinkedIn

Fancy a deeper dive back in our library?
Ep. 104 Enabling Team Agility gives more info around Agile/Lean principles
Ep. 22 Continuous Improvement for Relationships gives tips for tricky conversations



More on Matt:


Matt Sims, a seasoned Lean Master with over 15 years of experience in Continuous Improvement. He is a highly motivated and enthusiastic professional with a proven track record of successfully implementing Lean methodologies to drive significant improvements in Safety, Quality, and Cost for organisations. Matt's leadership, coaching, and collaborative approaches have enabled him to inspire and develop sustainable Continuous Improvement cultures that engage and empower teams to achieve their goals.

Besides his expertise in Lean methodologies, Matt is also a skilled content creator, radio broadcaster, and public speaker. His passion for sharing knowledge and insights has led him to launch the Ever-So-Lean Podcast, a platform that advocates for a bottoms-up approach to Continuous Improvement. By bringing together like-minded leaders, the podcast aims to foster discussions on developing a Lean Leadership approach to organisations.

Matt Sims

Founder & Host 

Ever-So-Lean Podcast

www.eversolean.com

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In the third part of our 5-part focus on maximising teamship, we focus on the communication challenge for those working in a hybrid formation (in-office, dialling in or a mix of both). The dream of flexible working requires the discipline and rigour of tight communication frameworks. We refresh the Lessons From Geese metaphor  - where each bird is in individual dialogue with surrounding 7 - enabling a close-knit and scalable team who can work intuitively and weather any storms. 

Fear of missing out, feeling excluded these are all current challenges face by teams who work in new and varying ways. Its all very well if 5 out of the 7 feel part of the discussion, but this becomes a team-wide problem if the other 2 resign because they feel indifferent. We share tips for meetings, updates and establishing clear and inclusive communication lines.

With thanks to the brilliant Michael Hepple for his ‘pace, fun & unity’ concept for happy teams 

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Office politics: does it help or hinder teamwork? We reference Sir Clive Edward who  coached England to its first-ever Rugby World Cup victory in 2003 and believed that success under pressure boils down to creating one element:  Teamship. Creating an environment where teams are motivated, empowered and equally concerned with discipline and standards - not just one leader at the top telling everyone how to do it. Using a metaphor of rowing in a boat, we share top tips for converting negative ego-based politics in to positive team-based cultures that take account (rather than blame) for collective success. Reducing the impact of team 'anchors' and encouraging everyone to be part of the net. From creating a working environment (the first 3 minutes sets the tone) to preventing the risk of 'groupthink' this is an ideal listen for those looking to refresh their team energy and habits in a respectful and optimistic way. 

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We hear a lot about having ‘difficult’ conversations and how we can avoid these for a 101 reasons -but the challenge often is that we are working with other people who see things differently. So this month is all about the team - and in particular how to create a culture that enables good teamship. Being aware of ‘the Drama Triangle’ and how to shift it to a healthier Winners Triangle is helpful if you have some difficult team dynamics at play. 

From shifting a conversation above the ‘drama line’ with some key word patterns that make a difference to setting the team up for success. We share the importance of dealing with issues sooner rather than later -  as it ALWAYS bubbles up at some point -   as well top tips for keeping conversations healthy and productive. We discuss useful 'objection handling' tools borrowed from the world of sales and complaints handling, which can help create natural ones that work for you if you are dealing with high pressure moments in a team where resilience may be low. 

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In the final part of our future-proofing series, we focus on the very human ability to be curious. Curiosity is the enabler that brings about caring, collaborative or creative outcomes - just finding out more information with a simple question could unlock a whole new conversation. Thinking machines such as ChatGPT may find it easy to define, but how do we demonstrate curiosity in the moment when it could so easily be perceived as a negative e.g. suspicious, pessimistic or anxious. We share practical strategies to bring positive curiosity in our everyday conversations and meetings. From the Question Triangle, to the OWE tool its about getting fresh air to our thinking - not only useful now for our careers, but is likely to be useful for brain health later in life too. Like any muscle, use it or lose it - and being curious is an everyday way to have a 'neurobic workout'. 

NB: This 4-part series has focused on how we can future-proof our professional skills to keep empowered and open-minded about where our working lives could take us. 

We’ve always wanted to ensure that in the work we do as coaches is about helping  you to continue to be your best self and be on top of your game, regardless of the changes and new innovations that are coming your way in the workplace.

The one that is taking over the world, and is the fastest downloadable App of its time, is Chat GPT – an AI app that enables people to pose a question and they in nano-seconds it can produce a response for you!!

Which is why this month, we decided to focus on the things we could do to maintain our everyday human-edge skills that cannot be replicated by AI/robots. 

So we wanted to explore how we can better CONNECT, INNOVATE, ENGAGE AND EMPOWER in the month of February. So it’s not just a celebration of love but one of knowing how to get the best out of everyday conversations that builds relationships on a more ‘intimate’ level rather than just operating at a superficial level!

Using our human edge skills of  CARING, CREATIVITY, COLLABORATIVE AND CURIOUS, we chat about having conversations that make a difference, aren’t boring or dull, and have a momentum that keeps things moving forward.

Right now, we have the qualities and talents that matter in taking an idea to reality; review what’s gone well and where we can improve; and being able to pivot really quickly if something is going off kilter. Not sure if a robot can do that quite yet!

Laura’s TEDx talk 'The Robots Are Coming -Look Busy' from Oct 2016 gives the background on how her 4Cs came to be...

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In the third of our future-proofing series, we focus on the very human element of collaboration. Hard to define therefore tricky to automate, not many of the challenges we see in todays workplace can be solved with a solo individual or one team working in silo.  ChatGPT gives a brilliant description but what do those words actually mean in everyday moments? 

We’re joined by Dr Trudi Taylor who shares her wisdom and experience of creating collaborative conversations. She is a highly experienced and qualified professional coach, coach supervisor and Human and Organisational Performance Change Partner.  From healthcare, education and transportation to fintech, utilities and NGOs, Dr Taylor's  secret sauce is listening deeply to the story behind the story; helping people-based systems to create powerful and immensely healthy interactions through skilled, deliberate dialogue, emotionally intelligent leadership and a foundation of trust.   An inspiring listen for anyone wanting to bring about change or meet ambitious goals, or wants a reminder of the human brilliance of collaboration. No other species on the known planet is able to work at a global scale with teams based all over the  land - lets use it for good.

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In the second of our future proofing series, we focus on the very human element of creativity. What are the benefits to our every day working and sharing tips for enabling creativity in ourselves and others. Rather than limiting creativity to only being necessary for certain roles and certain people, its remembering that to be human: is to create! We explore the six levels of human thinking and how we can tap into the richer higher levels of thinking in our everyday work. Advances an artificial intelligence demonstrate the breath-taking speed at which content generation can be produced. So now is the time to wake up and smell the silicon and prize your innate human ability to adapt and flex in the moment - to create an idea, solution, suggestion or insight that in that moment adds value. We also discuss practical ways to empower others to be creative  - key to engagement as it channels thinking towards a positive outlet when change is fast-paced and uncertain. 

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In this first of a four-part series, focusing on how we can Futureproof, our career potential and safeguard our wellness. We focus on the very human aspect of caring for each other rather than an annual appraisal. Taking the approach of every day, caring conversations build. Trust establishes relationships and means we can sustain performance and engagement with true connection, rather than a facade we share, the three human edge skills that are beyond automation and the perceptual positioning tool which is a great preparation tool for a conversation which no chatbot can outcare in that moment.

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Being clear on your vision helps us to keep going through setbacks and enable others to feel hopeful and motivated that things can get better. But if you don't know what's out there, how do you know if your vision for success is big enough, and if you aren't seen, how can you inspire others?  Being visible opens up doors and it can be done in a subtle, low-key way - it all starts with a conversation.  We are joined by the inspirational Krupa Suthar who shares her experience and advice on increasing your visibility, networking in a hybrid world and keeping confident as your vision grows and evolves. As the final part of our 4-part miniseries on Starting As You Mean To Go On, this is a great listen for those wanting to branch out this year, shake things up and see and be seen. 

Krupa Suthar is a research Director and founder of Insights That Shine and has led research across EMEA for huge organisations including Disney and Mattel, working in futures research team for companies such as Heathrow. For the past 2 years she's been leading a team of 40 researchers at NHS Test & Trace through the pandemic. A coach for women of colour, Krupa is a Women’s health advocate and podcast panellist on a popular health tech podcast healthusiasm 

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A recurring common theme for managers, leaders, supervisors and team leaders is the desire to do more delegating. But trust, ego, fear, control and perfection can get in the way - and many say 'its just quicker to do it myself' which might be true for the first 5 times, but not 50 times. Rather than seeing delegation as a negative or something to feel guilty about, for many it is the first step to feeling trusted and empowered in their work. Changing our mindset, language and beliefs around delegating can transform team morale, time management and life/work balance. Holding on to work may come from a good place (e.g. protecting the team) but it also disempowers the team  - for when will they get a chance to stretch and develop? 

The reason why we work in teams is that there is too much workload for one person - its the sharing of the task that enables success. In this second in our Start As You Mean To Go On miniseries we share tips for bringing delegation to everyday life - both for managers and those who are wanting to be trusted more.