The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit. — ​​Morihei Ueshiba

Shu-Ha-Ri is a Japanese martial arts philosophy describing the three stages of learning and skill development an individual typically goes through when mastering a particular discipline or art form. The concept has been adopted and adapted in various aspects of Japanese culture, including leadership training.

The Shu-Ha-Ri approach to leadership training underscores the importance of storytelling, building trust, having difficult conversations, and achieving objectives with the team, among others. Additionally, it provides thinking tools and a frame of reference to approach learning.

In a rapidly changing world, where continuous learning and adaptation are vital, the Shu-Ha-Ri philosophy offers a timeless and universally applicable framework for personal and professional development.

Shu (守) – The Beginner Stage

During the “Shu” stage, learners focus on understanding and following the rules, principles, and techniques set forth by an expert or a master. Or in today’s context, coaches, mentors, managers, and generally, those who hold leadership roles.

The emphasis at this stage is on acquiring fundamental knowledge, skills, and established best practices. Learners often mimic the actions of their instructors and adhere closely to traditional methods.   

In a learning context, adult learners in the Shu stage are akin to novices who seek structure and guidance from a teacher or mentor. They are open to receiving instructions and prefer clear step-by-step processes. They are not yet ready to question or challenge the established methods.

At Kaleidosokpe, our learning workshops start by teaching our participants frameworks, subject-matter knowledge, and best practices for real-world applications. Often, participants are required to do some pre-workshop reading, watch a quick video, or be acquainted with a concept on the topic.

Ha (破) – The Intermediate Stage

The “Ha” stage is the intermediate phase of learning, where learners start to break away from rigid adherence to the rules and begin to explore and experiment. They gain a deeper understanding of the underlying principles and rationale behind the techniques they learned in the Shu stage. 

Learners start to make connections between different concepts and apply their knowledge in a more flexible manner.

In our workshops, participants are encouraged to reflect on and present their learnings, exploring and expounding on the topic in various contexts and scenarios. Then they start practising the concepts in a safe workshop environment under the supervision of our trainers and facilitators. 

This approach helps participants build the confidence to try out new skills when they go back to their workplace. They may also start adapting the techniques they learned to suit their own preferences and circumstances.

Ri (離) – The Advanced Stage

The “Ri” stage represents the highest level of mastery and expertise. In this stage, learners transcend the teachings and guidance of their instructors, becoming independent and innovative thinkers. At this point, participants are likely to have internalised the principles to the extent that they can create their own techniques and approaches. 

“Ri” is about breaking free from tradition while remaining deeply rooted in the core principles of the discipline.

At Kaleidoskope, our post-workshop coaching sessions (usually short and virtual sessions) continue to support our learners in their journey. At this stage, our participants have had time to practise and flex their new skills, and learned behaviours. They would have a more profound understanding of the subject matter and, as leaders, may be also capable of teaching and mentoring others.  

The Shu-Ha-Ri Leadership Journey 

The Shu-Ha-Ri concept stresses the importance of respecting tradition and foundational learning (Shu), moving toward a stage of adaptation and exploration (Ha), and eventually achieving a state of autonomy, innovation, and even coaching, and mentoring others (Ri). 

A caveat — this learning process is not strictly linear as learners may revisit different stages, thereby deepening their understanding and continually refining their skills over time.

At Kaleidoskope, our workshops are customised and contextualised to our client’s specific learning objectives, and our learning journeys are designed in the spirit of Shu-Ha-Ri. Moreover, our pre-workshop learning activities and post-workshop coaching sessions are intentionally designed to support our learners’ journey.

By breaking the learning journey into distinct yet interconnected stages, Kaleidoskope’s workshops provide individuals and teams with a clear roadmap to mastery. Our approach not only promotes individual growth but also empowers learners to become mentors themselves. 

Since our inception, Kaleidoskope has been working closely with various Singapore companies and government agencies to customise learning solutions and tailor learning journeys, so that there is no disparity between the training provided and the needs of the people. Kaleidoskope’s high-engagement and high-impact leadership training effectively ensures that Singapore organisations and companies reach their goals toward enhancing their teams’ productivity and organisational development.

If you or your organisation are looking to embark on a transformative learning journey that aligns with your unique goals and challenges, Kaleidoskope invites you to explore our range of customised workshops and coaching sessions.

Join the many satisfied clients who have unlocked new levels of mastery, innovation, and success through our programs. Contact Kaleidoskope today, and take the first step toward a more empowered future for yourself and your team.

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Learning How To Give Effective Feedback From Jiminy Cricket

If we dig deep into the corners of our mind, we might recall a small but significant character in those old Walt Disney movies — Jiminy Cricket.  

An anthropomorphic cricket, Jiminy Cricket, was Pinocchio’s companion throughout the movie. He is a brave, conscientious little cricket, often giving Pinnochio feedback and advice and persuading Pinocchio to behave better.  

But wait. How is cricket relevant to leadership development?

We can learn a little from Jiminy Cricket, who has essential qualities that can teach us valuable lessons in leadership. His approach with Pinocchio aligns very surprisingly with practical leadership principles in giving constructive and actionable feedback.

Constructive Criticism

Jiminy Cricket is a guiding force for Pinocchio, providing him with gentle constructive criticism to help him become a better person. We can all learn from this approach by recognising the value of highlighting mistakes and offering specific suggestions on improving, all with the genuine intention of helping our team members grow.

Supportive and Empathetic Approach

Whilst pointing out Pinocchio’s errors, Jiminy Cricket is careful to remain supportive and compassionate.  He is obviously often frustrated with his wooden friend, but he remains stoically supportive.  This support and compassion towards a team member’s struggles help foster an environment where individuals feel safe to learn from their mistakes instead of feeling unfairly or harshly criticised. It is a crucial part of our leadership roles in fostering psychological safety, where empathy and reassuring support are essential for effective feedback.

Clear and Specific Feedback

Jiminy Cricket provides clear and specific feedback by highlighting the areas where Pinocchio needs to improve and offers practical advice on how to do so.  He points out Pinno’s short-comings exactly and precisely and is very prescriptive of what Pinno should do to correct his mistakes.  Similarly, leaders should follow through with feedback by providing precise and actionable input that enables team members to understand what they need to work on and where to make positive changes.

Positive Reinforcement 

Along with constructive criticism, Jiminy Cricket offers positive reinforcement when Pinocchio demonstrates growth or makes good choices. This balanced approach of acknowledging progress whilst still pointing out areas for improvement is crucial for motivation and fosters a growth mindset. Leaders can take a leaf out from Jiminy’ s playbook and embrace this balance to inspire and empower their team members.

By embodying these qualities, Jiminy Cricket shows us that effective feedback should be constructive, supportive, specific, and balanced with positive reinforcement.

“Feedback to Feedforward” is critical to a leader’s competency.

At Kaleidoskope, our workshops focus on cultivating effective feedback practices that improve and enhance employee performance and engagement, replacing negative feedback or criticism with future-oriented solutions.

 We start by exploring the power of our words and the conscious selection of our words in giving feedback. It has been proven that our spoken words are linked to neural pathways that trigger positive or negative reactions in our team members or our stakeholders. Therefore, an empathetic and supportive approach is critical to giving feedback.

 We will then explore feedback principles, frameworks, and best practices, understanding and dissecting the various and different techniques required to deliver feedback most appropriately and effectively. Then we further examine the challenges that leaders and managers face in giving feedback and how leadership skills are enhanced through providing constructive and actionable feedback.

 Finally, we look at establishing a feedback culture in the organisation. Leaders should not just learn how to give feedback but also how to RECEIVE feedback. Feedback is a critical tool for continuous learning and improvement, and when deployed in the right way, it will promote growth mindsets within the teams and organisations.

1. The Power of Words: We explore the impact of the conscious selection of our words in giving feedback. The words we utter are evidently connected to neural connections, which influence positive or negative responses among team members. Understanding the importance of an empathetic and supportive approach is essential when delivering feedback
2. Feedback Principles and Best Practices: We delve into the principles, frameworks, and best practices of delivering effective feedback. By understanding and dissecting various techniques, leaders gain insights into giving feedback most appropriately and effectively 
3. Overcoming Challenges: We address the common challenges leaders and managers face when giving feedback, emphasising how providing constructive and actionable feedback can enhance their leadership skills.
4. Establishing a Feedback Culture: Leaders learn not only how to give feedback but also how to receive feedback themselves. Feedback is a critical tool for continuous learning and improvement, and when deployed in the right way, it will promote growth mindsets within the teams and organisations.

The Takeaway

Feedback often triggers an emotional response in the recipient, and we cannot overstate how important it is to understand the psychology of communication and the emotional triggers that are activated in the feedback process. By embodying the qualities demonstrated by Jiminy Cricket—constructive criticism, a supportive approach, clear and specific feedback, and positive reinforcement—leaders can create an environment that encourages growth, learning, and continuous improvement. Effective feedback benefits individual team members and contributes to the overall success of leaders, teams and your organisation.

At Kaleidoskope, we offer a leadership programme to help your teams and managers apply the practices of psychological safety and effectively mitigate the detrimental effects of a fear-driven culture. With our many years of combined industry expertise in learning and development, we are confident to offer pragmatic, holistic programs tailored to your business needs.

Leadership Lessons From Mrs Winston Churchill’s Love Letter To Her Husband

It was the year 1940 and by the end of June, France had fallen to defeat. The British army had been evacuated from the continent. A German invasion was imminent, and Winston was under immense pressure. His wife, Clementine, recognised how the stress was affecting her husband. And so an alarmed Mrs Churchill wrote to her husband — the only known correspondence between them in 1940.

Here’s an excerpt:^[1]

One of the men in your entourage (a devoted friend) has been to me and told me that there is a danger of your being generally disliked by your colleagues and subordinates because of your rough, sarcastic, and overbearing manner. It seems your Private Secretaries have agreed to behave like schoolboys and “take what’s coming to them” and then escape out of your presence shrugging their shoulders.

My Darling Winston I must confess that I have noticed a deterioration in your manner; and you are not so kind as you used to be.

It is for you to give the Orders, and if they are bungled—except for the King, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Speaker—you can sack anyone and everyone. 

Therefore with this terrific power you must combine urbanity, kindness, and—if possible—Olympic calm. 

Besides you won’t get the best results by irascibility and rudeness. They will breed either dislike or a slave mentality. 

Please forgive your loving, devoted, and watchful

Clemmie

There is no known response to this letter. However, the Churchhills’ daughter Mary speculated that it was likely that her parents talked about it, and Mr Churchill must have taken it to heart. Mary said that her father “could undoubtedly be formidable and unreasonable; many of the people who served him on levels in those dire years have put on record not only their admiration for him as a chief but also their love for a warm and endearing human being.”

The event may have occurred more than 80 years ago in a very different environment and time. Still, we can learn valuable lessons in team leadership from this very simple and touching admonishment.

Psychological safety is a term used to describe the shared belief that a team or organisation is a safe space for taking risks, speaking up, and expressing oneself without fear of negative consequences. It is essential for creating a positive work environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves, sharing their ideas, and collaborating effectively.

As leaders, developing and nurturing an environment of psychological safety has become even more critical in the current work environment. At Kaleidoskope we are offering a leadership programme to help your teams and managers apply the practices of psychological safety and effectively mitigating the detrimental effects of a fear-driven culture. With our many years of combined industry expertise in learning and development, we are confident to offer pragmatic, holistic programs tailored to your business needs. 

SOURCES:
^[1] International Churchill Society

The Wisdom Of Clemmie Churchill And Amy Edmonson

In our last instalment on the Psychological Safety series, we discussed Mrs Winston Churchill’s letter to her husband^[1] in 1940, encouraging him amid an imminent German invasion, and finally exhorting him as follows:

My Darling Winston I must confess that I have noticed a deterioration in your manner; and you are not so kind as you used to be.

It is for you to give the Orders, and if they are bungled—except for the King, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Speaker—you can sack anyone and everyone. 

Therefore, with this terrific power you must combine urbanity, kindness, and—if possible—Olympic calm.

Besides, you won’t get the best results by irascibility and rudeness. They will breed either dislike or a slave mentality. 

Please forgive your loving, devoted, and watchful

Clemmie

Fast forward to 60 years later, in 1999, Dr Amy Edmondson^[2] was studying clinical teams and the number of mistakes that different teams made. During her research she was surprised to find that the teams with a higher number of good outcomes made more mistakes than teams with fewer good outcomes. It was a surprising result, but after further investigation, Dr Edmondson discovered that in fact those teams with better outcomes were admitting more mistakes, whilst the teams with fewer good outcomes were more likely to hide theirs. 

As a result, Dr Edmondson codified the concept of psychological safety, namely: the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.

Over the years, this concept has garnered substantial interest within organisational psychology and management fields. In addition, it has been successfully implemented across diverse sectors, including healthcare, education, technology, and finance, underlining its universal relevance and importance.

What are the areas that psychological safety has a direct impact on?

At its core, psychological safety engenders an environment of open communication. When individuals feel secure expressing their ideas and opinions, they are more inclined to participate in constructive discussions and contribute to the creative discourse. It facilitates a free-flowing exchange of ideas and insights, fostering a hotbed of innovative solutions and practical problem-solving strategies.

In addition, psychological safety spurs learning and growth. Feeling safe to make mistakes encourages employees to take risks and explore novel approaches. It fosters a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement, a critical asset in staying competitive in today’s fast-paced market.

Moreover, psychological safety correlates with heightened employee engagement and job satisfaction. When employees feel esteemed and respected, they are more committed to their work and aligned with the organisation’s objectives. As a result, it positively impacts productivity and drives superior business results.

What happens in the absence of psychological safety?

In an environment where individuals fear repercussions for voicing their thoughts, transparency, and accountability may suffer, allowing issues to fester unnoticed. It can engender a culture of fear and isolation, stifling creativity, and hampering cooperation.

The Takeaway

Psychological safety is a cornerstone of a vibrant work environment. 

An environment where team members feel secure expressing concerns, seeking assistance, and providing feedback without apprehension of negative repercussions means a more collaborative and supportive work environment that stimulates innovation and creativity.

Talk to us today to find out more about our workshops on Psychological Safety.  

As leaders, developing and nurturing an environment of psychological safety has become even more critical in the current work environment. At Kaleidoskope we are offering a leadership programme to help your teams and managers apply the practices of psychological safety and effectively mitigating the detrimental effects of a fear-driven culture. With our many years of combined industry expertise in learning and development, we are confident to offer pragmatic, holistic programs tailored to your business needs. 

SOURCES:
^[1] International Churchill Society
^[2] Psychological Safety