Leadership House Tour: Mental Models

Every time I go to a friend’s home for the first time, I’m inevitably offered a tour.  As we breeze through the different rooms some of them have functions that are clear (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) and others leave me guessing.  Instead of wondering, I’ll ask “What do you use this space for?”  I’m always interested in what I learn from that simple question.

• It’s my crafting space!
• At night, I pop in a video and this becomes my work-out studio.
• It’s the man-cave, I have no idea what goes on in there.
• We still haven’t figured it out, we mostly just walk through this room.

Clearly, the room you’re in sets the tone for your experience in the space.  However, four walls take on a new meaning depending on your perspective.  You and I may not get to build our physical space but we are mental architects – creating and constructing based on our attitudes and perspectives. 

According to Wikipedia:

An architect is a person trained and licensed to plan, design, and oversee the construction of buildings.

Leaders, as mental architects, create a vision, design a space and a culture where the vision can be achieved. However, if the leader, parent or pastor never shares the plans or the vision, everyone will start to create their own mental models to fill the space.

[Tweet “Choose your mindset and transform your experience. “]

In your house of mental models, here are five rooms that you may visit on any given day.  

Where do you choose to linger?  What does it that tell you about where are you focusing your time and attention?

The Lab

You go here to experiment, try new things and see what happens.  Innovation is on the menu with a heavy side order of creativity.  Failure isn’t a worry here because it’s all about learning.

The Shop

Sometimes you need to fix what’s broken or crank out another tried-and-true solution.  This is the get it done space. It doesn’t have to be the most elegant – it just has to work.

The Jail

Feeling locked in, without choices, impacts your stress, creativity and happiness.  There is no freedom from permission here – just the sense that you’re truly and deeply stuck.  Energy is missing as you slog through your activities for the day.

The Spa

Picture self-care central where you can simply breathe deeply for a moment and take the pressure off of doing and sink into being.  This is where you’ll find the quiet space you need to relax and recharge.  This space is overflowing with ease and leaves you rested for the challenges ahead.

The Family Room

You can hear the laughter and conversation from down the hall.  This is where you let go of the to-do list, let loose, connect, engage and PLAY!

Here’s what I’ve discovered across my house tours, many people don’t know what room they’re standing in and as a result, don’t know how to behave.

[Tweet “Your perspective creates the space not only for you, but also your team. Tell them where you stand. “]

Once you are clear what room in your “mental house” you want to be in, it’s up to you, as a leader (or parent, or partner…) to define the space for your team and invite others into the space with you.

Without a “tour” from the leader people begin to wonder:

• Is innovation a priority?  Am I empowered creatively?
• Is someone else calling the shots and I need to go along with it?
• Will I be penalized for taking some time off to re-energize and re-connect with my family and friends?
• Are we all on the same team but hanging out in different rooms in the same house?

[Tweet “Leaders intentionally choose where they want to play and engage.”]

A friend of mine in college once told me that in his house, they had a Gray Room. I asked my typical “what do you do in the Gray Room?”  His answer, “it’s just gray.”  When a leader is not clear on what room the team is standing in, ultimately, they too, and their entire team, are stuck in the Gray Room.  

Break the Frame Action:

Rename the rooms in your home and office to set the tone for your experience and not just the baseline function.  What would you change?  How would a shift in your mindset, shift your way of being?

How do you let people know where you stand and invite them in to engage in a powerful and productive way?

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