Serious play on purpose
Humancentric leadership guards against burnout, builds stronger teams, inspires creativity and creates a safe space for ideas to flourish and talent to grow. A specialist in this area and with almost 30 years of experience working in PR, Jarred associate Anne-Marie Rodriguez de Killeen brings a wealth of knowledge to her learning experiences and sometimes a box of LEGO®.
More about LEGO® later.
A human approach to a human problem
‘Leadership has been evolving for a long time,’ Anne-Marie states, ‘but evolution can feel like a slow and steady growing pain’.
There is always a certain degree of resistance to change and Anne-Marie believes the root of the problem is fear. ‘One trait I come across all the time in leadership is perfectionism, which is fear-based. If we’re afraid of failure, we’ll move away from those best placed to help – our peers, often because we’re frightened of judgement.’
Change also brings with it a fear of the unknown. Is it possible to enact different ways of working and still pay the bills?
A creative leap is needed but where do you start?
Back to LEGO®
Anne-Marie refers to her sessions as learning experiences and collaborative workshops. They’re co-created and everyone is encouraged to be hands-on. The purpose is to rest executive function through play in order to bring about these creative leaps. How does it work?
‘I understand the restrictions and dynamics of highly regulated environments so I give the people that I work with the tools to have difficult but energising conversations in a safe space.’ She’ll pose a question like ‘what does a good leader look like?’ and then challenge teams to explore their answers through LEGO® bricks.
It sparks thoughts that might never have emerged with a purely verbal approach. ‘This is how the best ideas come,’ she says. ‘It stirs lively conversation and the group builds its narrative together. It reveals their culture, naturally, organically, and through this process, they’re able to articulate their core values.
By building a clear picture of where they are, where they want to go and why, they’re able to start a conversation about how they’re going to get there as a team, what needs to change and what their fears are.’
Why it works
‘Everyone has their role to play within an organisation and this process ensures that every part of the system has the opportunity to be its best self’. Of course, Anne-Marie doesn’t just use LEGO® bricks, she has a number of creative techniques to draw on but the desired outcome is always the same: finding ways to nudge new ideas into the open.
Evolution on purpose
‘We’re having elevated conversations about wellbeing like never before.’ she says. With new challenges to face and demands to meet, leadership is also evolving which is why finding new ways to articulate and action change is more important than ever.
We’re proud of our diverse team of specialists at Jarred Associates. Each one offers a unique approach to coaching, talent development and managing change. We’re about growth and progression through innovation and humanity, which are core tenets of Anne-Marie’s practice. Get in touch if you would like to hear more.
Get in touch to hear how Jarred Consulting can help you and your people. This is what we love doing and we have a reputation for doing it well. We would love to hear your thoughts!