Gnarly roots

While out walking on the beach a month ago, I ran across this fallen tree with the most amazing gnarly roots. It reminded me of the complexity of interpersonal communications on some teams. We sometimes need a lot of patience to unravel issues and get back on the same page.

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Everything is just fine …

I’m teaching a teams workshop with the University of Alberta today, and inevitably someone talks about being on a team that goes sideways. What I find fascinating is that most times people know something has been brewing but thought it would just “blow over.” Trust me, it never does. It takes courage to surface issues and may feel uncomfortable but that is a whole lot better than dealing with the broken trust that happens after things blow up.

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Leading through happiness 3

The third happiness practise focuses on taking the time daily to notice what others around you are doing that contribute something to your quality of life (work life included) and acknowledging them. It’s amazing how this practise helps me “get out of myself.”

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One tip to lighten your day

Is this you? It’s certainly been me at times and I have gone through phases of watching too much doom and gloom on TV (and this includes the daily news – sorry all you news junkies who think you can’t live without it – you can). It’s amazing what cutting back on this sort of stuff will do for your energy, optimism and creativity.

Of course, this doesn’t include those compelling evening soaps, too numerous to name at this point đŸ˜‰

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The Extravert/Introvert Conundrum

Today’s blog is inspired by the sometimes complex interactions between extraverts and introverts and a most hilarious clip from Big Bang Theory. Enjoy!

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Feedback is like oxygen …

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“So what have you learned from doing this 30 day challenge and what’s next?” asked my friend and gifted visual recorder colleague Lisa.

“Well, let me think.” Long pause.

“That you need feedback!” Dave exclaimed.

“I do not!” As that would be needy. Another long pause. “Well maybe a little …”

“Why don’t you use your 30th blog to ask people for some feedback?” Lisa quickly sketched out today’s visual. (Thank you Lisa!)

And so I am, but with some hesitancy, because of course what if the feedback is not what I want? I hear the adult educator in me coaching the oodles of learners with whom I have worked over the years urging them to put feedback in perspective and learn from it, blah, blah, blah …

And as for what’s next, I have already decided I am going for another 30 days as something seems to be happening for me (more on that tomorrow when I list more of what I have learned.)

Unlike my other attempts at blogging, I LOVE doing this. In fact, I would rather do this than any other work I need to do to make a living. Gulp …

Being curious

Yesterday I blogged about an amazing group of people who are making great things happen in Victoria. The word that came up over and over throughout the day was curious, and I observed that this was a pretty curious group and that their curiosity led to some amazing results. The room also buzzed with excitement and energy. This doesn’t always happen when we work with groups. Sometimes we spend a lot of time trying to chip away at the brick walls in people’s minds. What’s your curiosity quotient and how does that impact the teams you work on?

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Being Vulnerable – Part III

Sunday and Monday I blogged about Patrick Lencioni’s 2010 book, Getting Naked, and the first two fears that block consultants from building client relationships and loyalty. The third and final is fear of feeling inferior which leads to consultants putting their own needs before the client. The remedies are to honour the client’s work, make everything about the client, do the dirty work, and take a bullet for the client.

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Being Vulnerable, Part II

Yesterday I blogged about Patrick Lencioni’s 2010 book, Getting Naked, and the first fear that blocks consultants from building client relationships and loyalty. The second is fear of embarrassment, which can keep people from sharing their best ideas with clients, and admitting to mistakes. The remedies are to ask dumb questions, make dumb suggestions and celebrate your mistakes.

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Being Vulnerable, Part I

I just ran across Patrick Lencioni’s 2010 book, Getting Naked, and thought his message that consultants need to be vulnerable particularly relevant given today’s business environment. I completely related to the three fears that block consultants from providing excellent service to their clients and will be profiling one a day. Today’s blog is the fear of losing business which causes consultants to avoid the very things that ultimately build trust and loyalty. It can be remedied by entering the danger (speaking up in high risk situations), telling the kind truth, giving away business and consulting instead of selling.

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