Cognitive tuning occurs through
the medium of dialogue and
conversations. Leaders must
therefore, be skilled in initiating
dialogue to both understand
prevailing mindsets, and to make
people aware of their mindsets.














 

They had to feel comfortable with initiative being taken at lower levels, and feedback and expectations being expressed frankly by their direct reports.

No thought was given to how such changes in mindsets were expected to be brought about. Not surprisingly, these mindset changes did not occur, and so the structural changes did not take root. There was also no clarity on how the inherent contradictions among different sub-goals were expected to be resolved. For instance, the sub-goal of new product development was at odds with the sub- goal of maximising production of existing products. Incentive systems, goal setting and measurement procedures were not geared to accept possible higher rejections, extra costs and the dip in the top-line and bottom-line flowing from investments for the future.

A key leadership challenge is to ensure that all such factors are visualised, and considered, before the direction is concretised in terms of specific sub-goals and tasks. When people are able to visualise both the larger picture, and their assigned tasks, they become hopeful, optimistic and committed to the transformation process. 

This challenge has been termed as cognitive tuning because it is largely a process of reflection, analysis and thinking. Cognitive tuning occurs through the medium of dialogue and conversations. Leaders   must,

therefore be  skilled in initiating dialogue to both understand prevailing mindsets, and to make people aware of their mindsets. They also need to pay attention to the evolving environment. While cognitive tuning is all about paying attention to mental models both inside and outside the organisation, one cannot understand the mental models of others unless one is aware of one’s own mental model. Therefore, as cognitive tuners, change leaders need to be able to reflect on their own ways of thinking. This very act of cognitive tuning initiates change in an organisation.

Leader as People Catalyser
When the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) undertook their massive project in the Nation’s Capital, the leadership realised that among other challenges, it had to generate external support from Delhi’s residents, politicians, bureaucrats, contractors and several other groups. The project owes its success to effectively managing the dependencies on a wide array of these external stakeholders. To illustrate the leadership’s approach, let us examine how the public support was mobilised.

The leadership team headed by E Sreedharan saw the challenge not merely in terms of communication, but as winning people over to the corporation’s philosophy and approaches. For example, a number of procedures were instituted at work sites to minimise     disturbances.   The   procedures