Thursday, 27th of February 2020

Why a 3-day workshop could help you more than a 6-month programme (and why not)

If you are familiar with Lean Production / Lean Management, then you've probably heard of the term 'Kaizen' -the Japanese expression for continuous improvement by daily action.
It is a very powerful way of improving. Not striving for big or difficult changes, just an everlasting continuous sequence of small steps. In the end, it is the continuous drop of water that will eventually hollow out the stone, not the gushing out of 10 litre of water at once.
And although the idea behind this is very clear and logical, it remains tempting to ask yourself the question of whether you could speed up the process. Would the result be the same if those -figuratively speaking- drops of water follow closer after each other? And where lays that tipping point that they follow each other up too soon (or too slow) in order to enable you to maximise the effect?

Keep reading, and we will dive deeper into which approach is most suitable for you, to maximise your development as an ambitious leader.

I already mentioned the concept of 'Kaizen', and most of the programmes we offer are built upon that idea: daily action and reflection on small, manageable steps, held over a long period of time (6, 9, or 12 months) will bring you to results you thought never to be possible, and this in a way that you're almost unaware of the change (because you grow into it daily).

Next to this concept of 'Kaizen', there's another Japanese concept: 'Kaikaku', which stands for radical change or step change. It's that moment of innovation. You don't grow into it. It's the sudden implementation of something that makes it all different, overnight.
Kaikaku can be achieved, for example, with initiatives such as a Kaizen workshop, a Kaizen Burst, or a Kaizen Blitz. Which mainly boils down to doing all your Kaizen steps immediately after each other, eliminating idle time or (over)thinking time.

Both ways of improving can (and probably must) go hand in hand. Sometimes you need a continuous, steady growth, and sometimes you need a big and sudden change.
And although both concepts originate from a production environment, they can be applied to your learning and growth experience as well!
You probably recognise this: at times you feel so stuck in a situation, that it is unbearable to keep it as it is, and you just have to -dramatically- change something. That's a typical example of the Kaikaku concept.
But you will also recognise the following situation: where you have ideas to do something, but your ideas don't feel quite ready yet. So you take a look at them every day, adapt them just a little bit, and then, a fortnight later, you suddenly notice the big change compared to your original idea.
That's a typical example of the Kaizen concept.

Although both concepts are equally important, some situations -combined with your personal preferences- are more suited for one or the other approach.
And in both ways carry advantages and disadvantages with them.
Let's make an overview:
The big difference can be found in these 3 points:

• Lead time vs Depth:
• Continuous daily action will probably take you longer to come to a specific result, compared to the overnight innovation (although you're never sure how much preparation time went into that overnight innovation).
• When you go slower, you probably have more time to go in-depth compared to striving for a big haul-over that perhaps misses some detail.
• Implementation:
• Together with the speed, comes the level of implementation. It is logical that the longer you do something, the more it becomes part of you. If you go for quick success, it might also disappear as quickly as it has arrived.
• But sometimes it's more important to get started and to get some movement, instead of going for deep and profound change.
• Group vs individual:
• It's certainly not always like this, but in many cases you need a group of people, preferably with many different backgrounds, to come to innovative step changes.
• Where it's easier for an individual to make those small incremental steps on a daily basis, alone.

So how to choose between, for example, our Coaching Intensive Days (where everything happens in 3 or 5 days) or our Ambitious Leader Programme (where the transformation takes place over 6, 9, or 12 months)?

You can partially choose, based on your personal preferences regarding the setup:

The Coaching Intensive Days are run in small groups, combining individual moments, paired interventions, and full group initiatives. They're organised in a remote (and inspiring) location, and you need to close yourself off from the external world completely to totally immerse yourself in the central theme and your own thinking around it for 3 or 5 days.
The Ambitious Leader Programme, on the other hand, is much more bespoke, because the entire programme is focused on you, your situation and your context. Through its unique approach, it is blended into your specific reality: you -almost- don't have to do anything extra for the results to come.

You can partially choose, based on what you've done before:

If you've never really consciously worked on developing your leadership skills and attitude, then the Coaching Intensive Days might be a very good way the get a head-start. Or, on the other hand, if you're coming out of a long term trajectory, and you need to refresh or reignite your progress, then an intense experience can be a good idea.
If you're more in need of a steady growth process, because you have many different points that need attention, then the Ambitious Leader Programme is probably a better fit.

You can also choose, depending on your own implementation and executability:

If you know you're very driven and disciplined, are able to translate all the inspiration and ideas into long lasting actions, and you're able to keep yourself on track -regardless of distractions or setbacks- then there's no need to doubt that the Coaching Intensive Days are right for you.
If, on the other hand, you need much more guidance with the implementation of things, you tend to be distracted, and regularly find yourself chasing down the next rabbit hole, then you might benefit more from the long term approach of the Ambitious Leader Programme.

If you're still in doubt about which approach is best for you, don't hesitate to reach out to us. After a few in-depth conversations, we can surely determine your best fit!

Go to our contact page to get in touch with us, or immediately schedule a (re-)connect session right now, so we can have a chat about your thoughts and ideas.

You can also keep in mind that you can start an Ambitious Leader Programme at any given moment, and that there are 2 series of upcoming Coaching Intensive Days planned around the central theme 'From "Aaargh!" to "Aha!": Personal Leadership for Entrepreneurs and Ambitious Leaders':

• From the 15th of May till the 17th of May, in Suriname (Dutch spoken version)
• From the 29th of May till the 31st of May, in Slovakia (English spoken version)

Reach out to get all the details!

Written by Dennis Fredrickx, Coach for Ambitous Leaders
Dennis helps Ambitious Leaders to reach more in an easier way.