Final Week: Place for everything...

We think we have had a magnificent journey over the last 10 weeks.

Here is the place for any and all comments that you would like to share with your class mates (plus Julie and Hal).

Going forward, this blog will still be here. You can reread segments, or more importantly post your "further experiences" with the materials we have covered.

Keep it alive.

Thanks,
Julie and Hal

Week #9: Prosperity Challenge and Leadership Failures

Some of the insights from your seeking to achieve balance can carry over into the next challenge: the Prosperity Challenge. As we will discuss in class, true prosperity is defined as "a thriving, flourishing condition of knowing oneself; being at peace with it; and sharing confidently your essence with the world." Comments and ideas promtpted by the reading of CIB are welcomed.

By covering briefly the Nissan and Home Depot situations, we will segueway into failures of leadership. Not everyone is a good or effective leader-- we can learn from the errors as well as the successes.

Please share any ideas triggered by the three cases: Nissan, Home Depot and Mt Everest.

Have fun,
Hal

Live-With: Recognize Your Decision Now

Please share your experiences with this Live-With. How are you using this to help both your understanding of the balance challenge and your actions to create a "balancing" of your life?

This is also the place to post any experiences of using ANY Live-With during the holiday week to your "advantage"-- peace of mind; more productive relationships, etc.

Cheers,
Hal

See With Your Heart Addendum

After our class last night, I realized that we didn't address another aspect of this very important live-with: See YOURSELF with your Heart! In reading your posts, I can see how wonderfully you have applied this live-with to others. At the same time, it is a heart-opening experience to See Yourself with your Heart.

Please share any experiences you had, or have, with this aspect of week 7's live-with. What happens when you see yourself with your heart? What opens up? What might shift? How does seeing yourself with your Heart change your experience of seeing others with your Heart?

I know you have a new live with as well that we gave you last night. I have a sense that seeing yourself with your Heart won't get in the way of discovering the answer that is already inside you...in fact, it might help.

Julie

Live-With: See with your Heart

As I hope I made clear in class, this is a biggie. We all can work on this for the rest of our lives. Not only does it tie together the other 4 tools; but you must employ those tools effectively to accomplish the optimal and effective level of compassion.

Please do share your experiences-- positive or not. Pay particular attention to "reciprosity": how are others relating back to you when you begin to see with your heart?

Week #8: Balance, Leading Change and...

The challenge you will read about is finding balance in your life. It is a logical extension from what we have been covering.

Leading change covers two VERY different companies and situations: Nissan and Home Depot. Compare these companies to Whole Foods and IDEO...

While there is no assigned reading, we have added the topic of gender differences in leadership. Hal has found the book, "Leadership and the Sexes" quite interesting, particularly as it begins from findings about brain differences between men and women and then goes on to articulate a strong case for "authentic, gender-balanced leadership."

Here is the link to an excerpt from Chapter #1:
http://800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/008408.html

Feel free to post in advance of class, or after.

Hal

Just Do It! and Fear/Stress experiences

Okay, here's where to post your experiences with the Live-With. Share your efforts to clarify and clear out your "stressors"
Thanks,
Julie and Hal

Week #7-- Relationship Challenge and Whole Foods case

Firstly, if you have not looked at last week's comments, it would be a good idea. Some really nice thoughts have been posted.

There is nothing more "pervasive" than relationships... Please share your thoughts after you read Michael Ray's chapter (in the reader, not the CIB book).

While Whole Foods has come upon tough times since the case was written, it still contains interesting ideas for us to consider. Strong culture, unique organization and special leadership.

Dig in and enjoy it.

Hal

Steve Job's Commencement Address at Stanford

A couple of you requested the link to YouTube for Steve Job's Commencement Address at Stanford:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Week#6-- Love What You Do.../ Culture / Southwest Air

One heading this week for all the posts.

Please share your successes in doing what you love and finding unique ways to love what you do (the less pleasant tasks).

Also feel free to discuss the reading on organizational culture annd/or the case about Southwest Airlines.

Enjoy,
Hal

Great Article on Questioning: Disturb Me! by Meg Wheatley

Hello Questioners,

Hope you are having a disruptive week asking all sorts of dumb, penetrating questions.

At the end of class on Monday, Hal mentioned a great article on the benefits of questioning called Disturb Me! by Meg Wheatley. Please read it. It's eye opening...

http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/pleasedisturb.html

Have a great weekend!

Julie

Week #5-- Purpose/Vision and IDEO

Please post any thoughts generated by what we have covered or by what this week's content might stimulate... Hal

Tool #4-- Penetrating Questions

Okay... let's hear it: what are you finding with your questions? Internal and external.
What reactions and vital learning is going on?
Thanks,
Hal

Crossing the Ravine

Please share any insights you have had after reflecting on your experience Crossing the Ravine.

Crossing the Ravine is a powerful exercise in that it brings to awareness what you uniquely think and do when you come to a creative edge. If you really stop and look at your experience in the ravine, you will notice parallels with how you perceive and act in moments of life.

Take some time this week to write in your journal about your experience, to let things percolate up to your awareness so you can become more clear about your own process, what VOJ beliefs and statements get in the way, and your usual way of dealing with them. This is an opportunity to see them come up in your everyday life and experiment with doing things differently.

If you didn't get to the crystal palace, take time to sit down and complete the journey. It is well worth the time.

Hope you're having an attentive week!

Julie

Week #4-- Emotional Intelligence & Leadership

Please share any thoughts you have about this week's readings or the ideas we have been discussing so far.

I am particularly interested in what elements you think will be useful for you-- either in leading your associates or in understanding the person who is trying to lead you.

Many ideas may seem obvious as we present them. Your reaction may be, "Oh, I do that already." Yes, you probably do, occasionally... The power may be in the rigorous and consistent application of the framework in order to gain clarity before action.

Good luck,
Hal

Tool #3-- Pay Attention

This Live-With is pretty straight-forward. However, its simnplicity does not diminish its potential to provide some wonderful insight...

Remember that observations are both internal and external. These observations tie back to the previous Live-Withs: carefully observing your expectations; noting the presence of your VOJ; and seeing the judgments, actions and reactions of others.

Have fun and report on your experiences.
Thanks,
Hal

Week #3-- Precise Observation, Mindsets of the Manager and CoolBurst

In advance of class, please post any thoughts provoked by reading the material.

Live-With #2-- Destroy Judgment

This is a good one... Get to know your VOJ. See how it has impacted you-- both in big and in subtle ways. Note your observations and how you feel once you gain insight about how it is "working" you over. Good luck. Hal

Apply the Live-Withs to a Current Challenge

As we mentioned in our welcome page in the course reader, the Live-Withs are a way to practice the tools of creativity in all areas of your life. They are a fun and productive way to get the most out of this material.

We have also found, through teaching this material to many people in a variety of courses, that applying the tools to the most important challenges you are facing right now helps leverage the material most effectively.

When you pick at least one major challenge to apply the Live-Withs to, you can really see the effects your new practices have on you, others, and on the outcome of the challenge. And, by the end of the course, you can look back to see how far you have come with regard to this major challenge.

So, pick a good juicy challenge and dive in. We look forward to hearing how it goes!

Julie

Have No Expectations

Please share your experiences-- successful or less so-- with this concept. How did it work in meeetings, in meeting deadlines? What did you try? What did you notice about your own reactions?

Off and running

Hope you enjoyed the start of the course. Julie and I were pleased with the broad participation and will continue to encourage all to share your ideas and experiences.

Please post comments and thoughts about the class here.

Welcome...

You have found us...

Here is where, we hope, most the out-of-class participation will occur. Beyond any partnering you do with other class mates, your sharing here of insights, ideas and experiences will enhance the learning for everyone.

Visit often.

Thanks,
Julie and Hal