As a huge football (not soccer) fan I like many millions of others have been glued to the TV to watch the premier showcase that is the World Cup 2014.
I have really enjoyed watching most of the games so far however whilst I watched the Spain in their 2nd group match yesterday I couldn’t help but think about the parallels it appeared to show around change and how if done incorrectly it doesn’t always work out for the best.
So what do you mean Stephen? I hear you cry!
Well from what I saw last night and in the previous game it was not the Spain who have won the last 3 tournaments they have entered 2 x Euro’s and 1 World Cup playing a style of football that all 11 and the rest of the squad are familiar and accustomed to – that of tiki-taka football deployed, for those in the football circles, with a false No. 9.
What I saw was a side that had been asked to change.
Now for the last year or so pundits have said that this Spanish style is being ‘found out’teams can set up well to combat that style of football so correctly Spain needed to find a positive solution, a tiki-taka 2.0 so to speak, a positive change to ensure continuous improvement (linked jargon for those in the health and social care circles).
So in comes a No. 9 Diego Costa probably on last season form a world class forward however this is where I started to see a problem and it’s a recurring one I see in the socialcare field I consult in:
They changed because they needed to evolve to survive but the made the wrong change!
Why the wrong change?
If you take the rest of that fabulous Spanish team, the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Busquets, Ramos and Alba, they all play in sides that still don’t have a No.9 like Diego Costa and that is where I saw, from a long way away on my sofa, a problem. Those players didn’t seem to know how to play (or dare I say want to play) to a forward like that, they looked uncomfortable and were not playing their own natural game – and as a result, as well as some poor Casillas decision making, struggled during this world cup.
So let’s pose this question – Positive change needed:
What if we used Appreciative Inquiry to look at team changes?
Simply using the 4-D cycle
Discovery – What gives this team life? – The ability to play football in a style developed by coaches and those individual players involved for those players – Embrace and appreciate tiki-taka football
Dream – What might it be? Tiki-Taka 2.0 the style of football with an added dimension that ensures should teams set up to counter that system there is a way of still playing what is working but with an addition to empower the system
Design – How can it be? By involving and engaging with all involved in the system (positive assets) players, coaches, managers etc etc you can design and co-construct how the future development of this system can grow into a positive 2.0 model
Destiny – What will it be? Simply put Football Like ‘Brazil’ of the 1970 World Cup (in my humble footballing opinion the greatest ever). Creating the ability for players to go out and play their natural game in a way that compliments every other player in your side
Looking at the game yesterday what I saw was a decision being made that ‘Costa has to play’ and we will change everyone’s game and our system to fit him in – the basic assumption of problem solving through organising!
This is the common error I see time and again in health and social care change.
“The lack of appreciating what assets we have currently in order to build sustainable supports that are continuously improvising and listening to all involved at all times in order to get it right”.
But fear not there is another way to effect real positive change within your business or organisation - http://www.valuedcaresolutions.co.uk/services/PositiveChangeManagement
I hope you have enjoyed this blog and got you thinking about the way in which Appreciative Inquiry can be used positively within your business, if so please don’t hesitate to contact I would love to talk to you more about it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post I welcome your comments,
Stephen
‘With hope and belief there are no limitations’
