Liberation Management

In A Nutshell

Liberation Management is concise, focussed and cuts straight to the point. It employs understanding of behavioural change and real communication to deliver change and desired results. A Liberation Manager has a novel and creative approach, is a great listener and offers wise down-to-earth advice.

If You Have Time and The Inclination…

During my thirty plus years in business I’ve gained a wealth of experience and learned a great deal from my mistakes, worked with some great people and developed as someone recently described a “fantastic skill set”. I am now in a position to use these skills to work with people on projects where I can add real value; we can face some challenges, devise some solutions, have some fun and celebrate some positive achievements. I am delighted to be getting back to what I do best and what gives me a real buzz.

I have recognised similar patterns and themes emerge often in quite widely different scenarios. The two factors that hold most businesses and individuals back are fear coupled with a sense of being overwhelmed or overloaded. Nowadays people are overwhelmed often by the size of the task, the speed of change, the bureaucracy and the at times bewildering explosion of data and technology. We have become data rich but decision making poor and our time to think critically and clearly has never been more squeezed.

Take That Step

My blog on stepping stones is a good analogy for LM – being willing to make mistakes and embracing that vulnerability. It is about asking the uncomfortable questions and realising that asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness. It is about understanding yourself while also trying to appreciate that other people will have different views, perceptions and they may be right! It is also about not accepting common held assumptions or peer pressure but calling things as you see them. It is not formulaic but fluid, organic and seeks to have an edge or a twist to build on and move forward from existing positions.

Understanding How We Behave & Respond

There are some great resources readily available to help us understand how we and others behave, many have been around for years – e.g. Myers Briggs personality and Belbin team role tests. Have I been a successful manager because I have a more typically female personality profile (ENFP) and operate intuitively? Equally I’ve seen many different personality types thrive in different business environments. Whatever is true, we need to understand about personality and behaviour so that we can work more effectively. Behavioural change occurs when a combination of a vision for the future, discontent with the current situation and an easy first step outweigh the perceived cost to that individual (or organisation) to change. Real communication is not about what you want to say, but more importantly about what people are willing, able and likely to pick up. At its core LM employs understanding of behavioural change and real communication to deliver change and desired results.

If you have read this far you will either be thinking that’s interesting but full of clichés and business jargon, what a waste of my time – or I’d like to find out more. If this does resonate with you and there is something you can’t quite put your finger on then please do contact me.

I used to have a postcard of this film poster on my desk and still find its message very powerful:

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.