Welcome to issue #2 of Making Headway, a monthly newsletter by me, Rich Farrelly, with a focus on doing your best leadership work and hopefully, making some tweaks to your life. I love that you are here. If this was forwarded to you, subscribe here.
Sunday, December 1st, 2024
I am just off to my little desk in my little room to write this letter to you. It sounds quite dull and it is hard to talk up an unused bedroom with a desk and computer sitting idly on it. I tried. I must admit, the view to the city is quite good.
As I climb onto the 20th step to the second floor, I get notified of a delivery at the
door. The notification is analogue. Two whippets, Skipper and Rocket, sensing something was up, scramble down the steps using their tails as brakes, but in their haste can't slow themselves enough to stop them from sliding across the timber floor at the bottom. You would never guess Skipper has a sore paw. They knock each other out of the way and then struggle to gain traction as they do a sharp u-turn to get to the door. It is all very chaotic. It makes me think they should have been called
Flurry and Fluster.
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Hey Sparky!!
I know it only letter number two, but I am really enjoying writing to you.
We are so connected to our dogs these days that I think I can safely use them to
draw parallels to human behaviour. I heard the word 'Portmanteau' in a TV quiz the other day. I have wanted to use it since and here's my chance. If we combine the word 'human' and 'dog' we could get 'hog' or 'duman'. A friend of mine came up with the term 'stuple' a few years ago, to describe stupid people. None of these are perfect or useful, so I'll drop it.
* * *
I was thinking about the behaviour of Skipper and Rocket and the work that I do in the leadership space. I am regularly talking to leaders and groups about decision-making. It is very common that we rush to a decision before gathering all the facts and data in alot of different environment, let alone chaotic or complex ones. In short, we react rather than respond. It is an important and often overlooked distinction. Like Skipper and Rocket
in reaction mode, seemingly not having the inability to slow down or change course quickly or gracefully (even though whippets are bred to do exactly that!!), people within organisations often struggle to respond by slowing down and considering as much data as possible or that is available to them before taking action or taking no action. Either intervention can be as valid as the other, depending on the situation.
Why
does this matter?
Good question. Glad you asked. Well, in a world where complexity is the norm, along with volatility AND uncertainty AND ambiguity, understanding how to navigate chaotic moments is important. Struggling with agility can result in inefficiencies, lost opportunities, and disengagement, while misinterpreting signals can lead to poor decision-making, and disarray. As humans or organisations, we often scramble like two whippets trying to get to
the door to respond to new information without a clear plan. We tend to make a decision by focussing on technical solutions to what we think are technical problems. We do this because that's easy and quick, when what we need to do is zoom out and actually do the hard and messy work associated with complexity and the associated decision making.
* * *
What can be done to be better at making decisions?
Signal Interpretation The dogs rushed to the door without verifying whether the signal (Beats me what that was. The doorbell doesn't work so I am tipping it's a dog thing) warranted their reaction.
Leaders often receive incomplete or ambiguous signals, such as market shifts, team feedback, or performance data. Effective decision-making requires pausing to assess the validity and implications of these signals before reacting.
Balance Speed and Thoughtfulness The dogs’ quick but uncoordinated response highlights the risks of prioritising speed over accuracy.
In high-pressure situations, leaders must find the balance between acting decisively and ensuring decisions are informed. Acting too fast can lead to mistakes, while acting too slow might miss critical opportunities.
Learn from the Chaos
Skipper and Rocket's chaotic dash reflects how leaders might react when caught off guard or overwhelmed.
Chaotic situations demand immediate action, but they also provide opportunities for learning and system improvement. Leaders can use these moments to identify what went wrong and how to create more robust systems for the future.
Establish Traction Before Action (Like the rhyming? I do. You can use it.)
The dogs
struggled for traction, illustrating how acting without a solid footing can lead to inefficiency and error.
Before making decisions, leaders should ensure they have sufficient information, clarity on the situation, and alignment with their team or stakeholders. This foundation ensures decisions are both effective and sustainable, reducing the likelihood of unintended consequences.
* * *
How does this all work in action?
It's kinda hard to cover every single permutation and combination of how it can work. So, let me give you this example as to how you can work through the concept.
One of the
things I love about my job is facilitating with the Lego Serious Play method. In a workshop last week on decision-making under pressure I shared the story of the dogs scrambling to the door. I asked the participants to build a model out of Lego that represents a chaotic decision-making process they’ve experienced
in their work. I encouraged them to reflect on elements like misinterpreted signals, lack of traction, or uncoordinated actions. One of the key elements of the Lego Serious Play method is everyone has to build and everyone has to share, so everyone shared their models in their groups. Once everyone shared their models, I asked them to rebuild the scenario, but this time, incorporating elements that represent stability, clarity, and effective leadership traction (e.g., a solid foundation, aligned
pathways, or communication towers). This shift helped participants visualise the transition from reactive to intentional decision-making and opens the door to a discussion on how these principles apply in their roles.
Here's a few of their models. You may think they are a little all over the place and hard to interpret because they are a little all over the place and hard to interpret, but to
the participants they made perfect sense and filled them with joy as they uncovered better ways to make decisions.
Going to the moon is scary and risky. How did we get there?
In the build-up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon back in the 1960's all the engineers and other science-types on the project were continuously adjusting and testing and re-calculating and so on. Eventually, one of them tells the head of the mission: “You know, if you want to fly to the moon, you’re going to have to eventually fly to the moon.” Meaning, this is
a very scary and risky thing to do, and of course we should be careful, but there’s no way to accomplish the mission without making the decisionand commit to do that scary and risky thing.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MONTH (I don't receive anything for these recommendations. I just like them and thought you may be interested)
The book delves into the intricate decision-making processes and teamwork that enabled the crew to manage the unforeseen complexities and safely land an Airbus A380 aircraft when an explosion shattered one of the engines. The author, De Crespigny, offers valuable insights into leadership and resilience when confronting unprecedented challenges.
(You can get it from Amazon, but supporting your local bookstore is even better)
In this "Stuff You Should Know" episode Josh and
Chuck explore the shift from deterministic science to the unpredictable, interconnected nature of chaos theory. They discuss how complex systems, even with precise initial conditions, can behave unpredictably, challenging the idea that the universe is fully knowable. There is even use of Jurassic Park as example to highlight the profound implications of chaos theory on science and philosophy.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
(I don't receive anything for listing these events. I just thought you may be interested in them)
The Women in Leadership Summit 2025 is coming to Melbourne for the first time. It is bound to be quite powerful for emerging and
established female leaders. There will be keynotes, panels, and interactive Q&A sessions with incredible speakers like Jelena Dokic, Gina Liano, Ella Hooper, and Pia Miranda. It’s a chance to gain practical insights, connect with like-minded professionals, and tackle important challenges around women's leadership highlighted in the latest Global Gender Gap Report.
This is the sort of stuff I wish I had access to when I was at high school over 35 years ago. Maybe your kids are interested, but I hear it takes a bit to get kids interested in much.
*** I once looked after my 13 year old niece for a few days a week over a year while she went to school near my home. As my wife and I weren't
parents, I wanted to feel like an informed uncle, so before my niece started staying over I asked a colleague who had a 14 year old daughter, "What are 13 year olds girls are into?". Without looking up from here work she said, "Themselves". ***
Anyway, this conference offers high school students (Years 7-12) an engaging day of self-discovery and leadership development. They get to enjoy inspiring keynotes, interactive
activities, and networking opportunities, all designed to boost personal growth and leadership skills. The event features speakers like Fiona Sanford, CEO of The Flourish Journey, and Wil Massara, a 22-year-old social entrepreneur and founder of Youth Leadership Academy Australia. It's a fantastic chance for students to connect, learn, and be inspired by peers and leaders who have overcome challenges to make a difference.
The 'Just some interesting stuff' section.
Tsugaru Railway: Japanese potbelly stove train
This train has been running for years and it looks like another reason to visit Japan.
If there is a leadership lesson associated with it, let me know. But often, a train is just a train.
Read the article and see the photos here. Dive into the Wikipedia page to read even more.
I like to think we are all little cheer squads for each other and our default position is that we all want each other to succeed in business and in life, so feedback and ideas are always welcome. I know it is coming from a good place. I am even open to a ‘letter to the editor’, if you are inspired to write.
Thanks for reading to the bottom.
I will write to you again next month (Yes, January!! Can't wait)
Rich
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