Link: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBusinessArchitect/~3/lhzfjl03F8o/
Personal context is the context we think about the least. As we attempt to navigate the organization’s structural and cultural context, our own personal context filters our view as well as our response. Every person has what I call the “ME” factor. It is made up of our personality, experiences, beliefs, investments, and most likely a lot of things I haven’t thought about yet. Our ME factor often helps us succeed but just as often contributes to our failures or at least our struggles. The reason it is so powerful is that we often don’t see it – or maybe we do see it, but don’t want to examine it too closely. Our ME factor acts as a filter through which we see the rest of the world. If we don’t know how this filter changes our vision, our view of reality is distorted. Some typical ME factor elements are:
Strongly held beliefs. I am not referring to religious or moral beliefs here but beliefs about how the organization works or should work. This can be anything from what types of organizational designs work best to which project management techniques should be used.
Investment in positions. Here, I am not referring to financial investment but emotional, political, or time investments. For example, if you have spent the last ten years becoming a process modeling expert you are heavily invested in that type of analysis.
Control needs. Control needs show up a lot in organizational and interpersonal conflicts. How much control you need over a given situation plays a large role in how you approach it.
Risk tolerance. While organizations certainly have a risk profile, we each have our own. Many things can affect our willingness to take risk. Some of those factors are directly related to our job but many are tied to our personal lives. Maybe you have children in college and live near aging parents. Losing your job is much more risky than when you were 24, singly and mobile.
Personal agendas. I know, I know. Other people have personal agendas but you don’t. Really?
The bottom line:_______________________________________________________________________________________________
We would like to believe that the problems are “out there”, caused by structural and cultural contexts and others’ “ME” factor. The reality is half of the problem is “in here”. It is our personal context that we are not aware of, unwilling to explore, and resistive to change. Therapy anyone?
Tagged: context 
