Celebrating Community, Leadership and Learning: Reflections on 2010

Seasons Greetings!

As 2010 draws to a close, I'm reflecting on what there is to celebrate and what I've learned. I'm celebrating being part of a community full of committed, talented and passionate people. I'm also celebrating the diversity of experiences I have had in work and life and the many rich lessons I've learned along the way. Here are a few "Lessons from the Field" that I found particularly valuable in 2010.

"An ounce of practice is worth more than ten tons of preaching." Mahatma Gandhi

1. Practice behaviors you are looking for in others. A team I worked with wanted to improve services for their culturally diverse community. Their strategy was to conduct a series of interactive workshops with staff. The desired outcome of the workshops was that staffwould communicate with clients and each other about issues of difference. There wasn't much interaction in the first few workshops, so the team was concerned that they weren't having the desired impact.

The team members reflected on what was happening and realized that they were not "being the change" they hoped to make in the organization. They recognized that they could play a pivotal role by practicing the behaviors they expected of others. In the next workshop, they began sharing their own experiences and perspectives about race, class, gender, sexual orientation and other differences. They then began to notice a difference in the group dynamics. Once people saw the value in this type of dialogue, others began to engage. Soon, they were having substantive dialogue and using communication tools they had learned. They respectfully shared and listened to very different views about controversial issues. It was sometimes uncomfortable and things didn't always go smoothly, which leads to the second lesson...

"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." A.A. Milne

2. Change can be messy. When I first started practicing flip turns in the swimming pool, I was clumsy and I often ended up with water up my nose. It took me a long time to get them right and I had to be willing to look bad in order to get better at it. This experience was also a great reminder that learning new things takes a willingness to let things get messy. I remind myself of this lesson in my work with organizations. I am constantly trying on new approaches in the workshops I do. They don't always go over the way I want them to. But, my willingness to experiment has allowed me to develop new and powerful curriculum that I would not otherwise have. If we expect things to go smoothly all the time, we may be disappointed. But, if we allow for twists and turns along the way, we can be patient with ourselves and continue moving forward. We can also experience discomfort as a valuable part of the process, which is my next lesson...

"When I dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." Audre Lorde

3. There is tension in creativity. I often remind myself that tension is a natural and very useful part of a creative process. In one organization, staff members recognized that their tendency to avoid conflict got in the way of full self-expression and dialogue. People in leadership made a concerned effort to begin expressing their concerns more openly, using communication tools and guidelines they were learning. This new behavior required a willingness to take risks was sometimes uncomfortable and upsetting. Their willingness to experience tension had many beneficial results. The organization has since made exciting advances in their programs, services and staffing and is a much more dynamic place to work.

In closing, I hope you find some value in the lessons I've shared. I wish you a peaceful and happy winter season and much joy and creative discovery in the new year!

Laurin Mayeno

Mayeno Consulting

Sign up for Mayeno Consulting e-news.

Note to readers: I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. If you find this information useful and want to share it with others for purposes of learning (not for profit), please feel free to do so. Please acknowledge Mayeno Consulting and include my web address if you pass it on to others. Thanks!

I invite you to Email me at laurin@mayenoconsulting.com with topics that come up in your work. As a special incentive, I will provide 3 hours of free consultation to organizations that send me "Dear Laurin" letters that I use for future commentaries.