Monday, June 1, 2020

Lessons in Leadership- Reflections as an RWA member


In the last two years as a member of the resident welfare association (RWA) of my condominium, I have been privy to several highs and lows in its functioning. As a team we have battled several challenges with possibly more incidents of despair than cheer. It’s a perfect testing ground to assess one’s leadership skills- of decision making, team building, emotional resilience, communication. If you thought the corporate world was tough, this one will make it pale in comparison. Maybe HR heads should check in on an RWA experience to assess the leadership potential of a candidate!

How do you get a random group of very diverse people to work with no established hierarchy, nor remuneration to come together for a cause that’s selfless?  This article is an exploration of what are the basic building blocks that would help such a group to work effectively as a unit.
It turns out that the answers lie in lessons of leadership that we hear so often in our corporate circles.

Building a team: One hoped that as the group got busy in the deluge of responsibilities, it would somehow organize itself to function as a well oiled machine. Given that human behaviour is more complex, this needs to be designed by conscious and sustained effort . The work goes beyond pleasantries to understanding each one’s background, context, eccentricities, inner motivations so as to connect at a deeper level. For the enormity of the tasks that are undertaken, trust based on strong connections becomes paramount. Its naïve to expect a blanket sanction of trust at the outset. With little emotional glue to bind us, skirmishes of varying intensities were bound to happen.

Aligning to our Purpose: The answer to the big ‘why’. Why am I here and what’s in it for me? Given that this is a thankless responsibility to bear, what’s going to be my payoff? This may invite a question mark, since on the face of it everyone’s purpose seems obvious. Fuzzy and abstract as it may sound, the responses can be very layered offering a greater opportunity for members to be aligned towards the overall group objective E.g One may look at his contribution on setting a process where the reliance on singular decision making is minimized. Someone else may want to leverage their professional skills in running the affairs of the condominium. For some a desire to stay busy would be of significance. In a curious discovery of every member’s orientation of purpose, power and passion; a stronger bond can be forged as a unit to take on a mammoth task that lies before us. 

Conflict handling: Conflicts are natural and to an extent dissent is very healthy for the functioning of a team. Our working edicts speak very little of how disagreements in a group should be navigated. Many of the issues are either left simmering below the surface or live in the hope of it being resolved by another. This is a skill needed not just for the team to work efficiently but also to deal with the barrage of complaints that pour in from unforgiving residents. Since difficult conversations are not surfaced the pool of engaged members keeps shrinking as the others sit on the fence looking at everything with a critical eye. 

 Shared decision making: Keeping accountability intact, critical projects like exterior building maintenance, fire safety upgradation, response to covid are best handled when more people are involved. Shared decision making with resident subject matter expertise; mitigates the risks involved with such decisions; especially since many of the projects were being undertaken for the first time. It’s a great way to take the pressure off the RWA, not to mention allowing for transparency; a constant ask by most residents.

No matter what the objective and how noble the intent, the role of these behavioural aspects cannot be undermined for any team. One may argue that with time constraints this kind of alignment or training may be a luxury. However its benefits outweigh its demand on our time and benefit. Perhaps its time, even bye laws of society get modified to include this in their guidelines.



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