Intro to the ‘Ask for Help’ Core Protocol – I’m modelling how!

Asking for Help is one of the key skills your team members need to have if they would like to have successful outcomes, agile transitions, or superb products. Sadly, many people shy away from asking for help due to cultural conditioning as well as  rewards and compensation based on individual performance.

I am going to model for you the ‘Asking for Help’ protocol. This post is really about my asking you for help (see below in a minute). But first, I would love to share with you a little background on the Core Protocols for great teams.  If you are not familiar with the Core Protocols that originated with Jim and Michele McCarthy, pick up a new and valuable  book called ‘Creating Time’. In this wonderful introduction to the Core Protocols and Commitments, Vickie Gray tells us the story of the  Time-Eating Monster that lurks around every meeting and every interaction in the workplace feeding on the slightest opportunity to gobble up your precious time. The monster does this by feeding on dissonance, indecision and inaction, insecure egos and more.  But you can slay the monster and indeed you must.  The Core Protocols, of which ‘Ask for Help’ is one, is the way to slay the monster. And one of my offerings to you is to teach your teams the ‘Core Protocols’. The book does introduce a subset of the full set of protocols, interwoven with the storytelling. It makes a compelling case for improvement that you will relate to!

Now I will model the ‘Ask for Help’ protocol myself. It makes me fell a little vulnerable, but it will help me succeed!

Will you help me find an agile transformation gig in the DC area?

Saying No is perfectly ok. The Core Commitment for this protocol is not to discuss the request further once someone says ‘No’.

To help you out in answering my ‘Ask for Help’ question, I have summarized what I want to work on below.

• Coach your teams to greatness with better communication skills, using one or more techniques such as:

1. 1. Introduce the basics of effective two way communication using the Satir Interaction model
   2. Train the team on Core Protocols patterns that make Good teams Great
   3. Help you develop the agile mindset/culture within your organization
   4. Teach  the principles of a ‘Thinking Environment’ culture (based on work of Nancy Kline)
   5. Teach retrospective techniques, principles of self-organizing teams, servant-leadership, and high trust cultures
   6. Teach you how to climb down the ‘Ladder of Inference’ and break down assumptions within your communication.

• Train Kanban (using a combination of simulation games, Version 3.0 GetKanban board games and training material – I have two sets so can train up to 14 people in a 1/2 day session)
• Coach Kanban Transition: help you model your current processes on a Kanban board and coach you through a Kanban adoption
• Teach theory of and application of Scrum; coach Scrum teams
• Introduce you to Principles and Practices of Radical Management
• Help you navigate the use of social media outside your organization to improve your network of learning and support in your new initiatives
• Make you aware of other resources, books, articles, blogs, specialized consultancies and conferences to augment your learning opportunities
• Guide you, your team, or your executive leadership on a Temenos retreat to create a basis for developing strong teams and missions.
• Coach individuals at all levels of your organization

Please contact me at andrea@connections-at-work.com if you know a place that needs my help!  My preferred work location is still in the immediate DC metro area. If you can’t help, thanks for reading anyway, and hopefully you have enjoyed learning about one of the ‘Core Protocols’.

Explore posts in the same categories: Core Protocols, Effective Meetings, Organizational Change, Teams

Tags: Asking for Help

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