Page 109 - Appreciative Leadership

82 Appreciative Leadership

that analyzing the root cause of failure builds knowledge to prevent
future failures. All of this may be true.
What is also true is that complaining makes others feel blamed,
causes fear, and creates an emotionally unsafe work environment.
Being a problem fi xer means that you need problems to succeed and
to feel good about yourself so you become a problem spotter rather
than a strengths spotter. It is also the case that a root-cause-of-fail-
ure analysis is a look-back over the past and oft en overlooks what is
needed for innovation in the future.
These institutional habits are as hard or harder to change than

personal habits. One way to change the “squeaky wheel gets the atten-
tion syndrome” is with a root-cause-of-success analysis. By inviting
team members or a cross-functional group of people to identify and
discuss what causes their success when they are at their best, you send
a clear message that what you value and want to understand is success.
Give it a try and notice the positive changes that occur.

Take a moment now and think about when you
PAUSE
might use a root-cause-of success analysis. Con-
sider the following applications:

• To build an understanding among new team members
about what makes a successful team
• To end a project on a good note by recalling what made it
go well
• To learn what your customers appreciate about your ser-
vice when it is at its best
• To engage people in dialogue and learning about leader-
ship excellence.

Experiment with the process and make note of your results.