The Rubik's cube manager
Posted on June 09, 2024 by Remi Vogel, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
Who would have thought you could learn so much about perceptions, relationships, and communication with a simple tool such as the Rubik's cube?
Wouldn’t it be easier if everyone had the same point of view?
Easier for sure, but so much more boring and poorer. There would be fewer conflicts and so much less creativity and innovation. Companies need to innovate to improve their services and products, and people need different points of view to learn and grow. So, let’s see how we can approach healthier conflicts of opinion.
I had my share of conflicts of opinion while working in multiple countries and adjusting to new cultures. In my early years, I didn’t know how to handle different points of view, which sometimes turned into open conflicts or even avoiding certain subjects with other colleagues. These situations were painful and stressful. With time, though, I started opening up to other ideas and cultures, which helped me grasp different perspectives.
I first came up with the Rubik’s cube approach during a coaching session with one of my managers 13 years ago in Portugal. Miss C. was complaining about one of her employees’ work ethic, not understanding why he would have so much resistance in progressing his career. At that time, I had a Rubik’s Cube on my desk, so I grabbed it and showed it to her across the table.
I asked her, do you know what this is?
– Yes, a Rubik’s cube!
– ok then, can I ask you another question? What color is it?
– well, Red, Blue, and Yellow, why?
– well, I see Green, Orange, and White! So, which one of us is right, then?
– I guess, both! She came to realize this after a minute of confusion.
– There is something more to it. I think you realize now that you can see only 3 faces of the cube. Nevertheless, you only spoke to me about one face of the cube. Were there any more faces to be seen?
– I am not sure I understand…
– Well, we spoke to the fact that each one sees the reality from his point of view. Now, if the cube represents the communication, rather than the concept discussed, you might see 3 characteristics of that communication for example the words, the body language, and the emotions. There are other faces that you don’t see automatically but you can discover by listening and asking questions. There might be values, beliefs, fears, unspoken rules…
– Of course, the cube is only an image to represent that there is always more to see than evident. That doesn’t mean automatically, though, that there are always 3 visible aspects and 3 hidden aspects. Numbers might change.
– OK I get it, is like an iceberg, there is the visible part above the water and the wider, deeper, and more complex below the surface.
– Precisely, you can use that image if it works best for you. I prefer the cube as it triggers me to look for more than 1 visible and 1 hidden aspect, but it is totally fine to use other images. The importance here is really to actively listen with your ears, eyes, heart, and intuition. And then rephrase and ask further questions.
So, you are probably wondering what happened to Miss C. and her employee. Well, this is not a Disney movie where they live happily ever after… Miss C. had to try multiple times before she got some results. I suggested she should start by only looking at one extra aspect and little by little expand. But one thing that improved very quickly was the quality of her discussions with all her employees. Discussions became richer and healthier. Soon enough, Miss C. was able to understand the specific personal situation of that person and adjust her approach.
I find the Rubik’s cube a powerful image to think outside the box, whether you use it to understand the multiple aspects of your employees, the impact of a project on multiple departments, your discovery list when joining a new company… Also, there is a dynamic aspect to the Rubik’s cube which reminds me that you can get results from a chaotic situation by doing small incremental changes. And the result might not be automatically what you thought initially (each face fully with one color), but the result of a higher collaboration (with a harmonious mix of colors on each face) creates new patterns.For example, it is a good way to remember The 6 Thinking Hats method from Edward Bono for problem-solving. This is a way to look at problems from different perspectives, each perspective is associated with a hat of a different color: blue for the Conductor’s hat, green for the Creative hat, red for the Heart’s hat, yellow for the Optimist’s hat, black for the Judge’s hat, and white for the Factual hat. So, maybe you should bring your Rubik’s cube to your next creative session (you only need to picture your Judge in orange).
In synthesis, whether you are discussing with someone, preparing a project, brainstorming, or resolving issues, keep the Rubik’s cube image in mind to remember to listen to other aspects and understand other points of view. Listen and ask actively before sharing your views that would help build on similarities rather than differences.
The last tip, playing with a Rubik’s cube is also a good exercise when you are overwhelmed with overthinking as it helps you activate other parts of your brain. So, keep one close, for when you need a break.
If you find that image powerful share it with others and comment. I am keen to know how you could apply it in your reality.
See the original article here www.linkedin.com/pulse/rubiks-cube-manager-remi-vogel/
