“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next years words await another voice”
T. S. Eliot American poet 1888-1965
So, yes, traditionally we set new resolutions, plans, and hopes….a clean slate so to speak…..one of up-looking, and within our grasp, most likely. The key part to me of T.S. Eliot’s quote is he use of the word “await”…connoting choice, i.e., action we can take….Thus the hope!!. I feel a surge of it for 2015 and send some along to you, if you’d like!
There’s an increasing amount of literature, including some very powerful books, covering this topical area. All reference /support or re-position the scenario, of A2I [Advanced Artificial Intelligence] possibly , in the not too distant future, surpassing general human capacities, enough to control or “rule’ us….like “HAL” in the old movie epic “2001- A Space Odyssey”. But with enough astonishing things already possible, and being done, in many professions, that the fundamental ?’s, or issues, already worked over, in literature and art, are very real. They require much more exposure, dialogue, and personal experience. I have been in technology, and people handling, all my life, but only have read sporadically of AI, now A2I .Will change that in this 7th phase of my life, the Legacy phase…….more to come…..
Fall is wonderful in New England. The attached photo hints at its color, its serenity, its holistic-ness. Past photos, shown still in the archives on this page of my evolving website, show different seasons, all with their own purpose/meaning.
May yours, in your leadership aspirations, be as fulfilling as possible!!
The two photos shown below are of the first larger size Inukshuk I just did, in our back yard as it sloops off to the dammed up river and conservation area we live on. Building such a Sculpture Garden has been a fantasy goal of mine for years…..ever since moving to Cape Cod ten years ago, actually! The general write-up is also attached, as an explaination. Some of you have seen one or more of the smaller Inukshuks, which I’ve given as personal gifts, to family, clients, friends. Our evolving Sculpture Garden includes other pieces Barbara and I have aquired over time, and will contiue to do so. This Inukshuk is to celebrate our life here, and the many already in the hands of others.
On 3/20 I talked about creating your own magic as an Internal Consultant, recognizing the “Color of a Dollar”, or perceiving what will bring bottom line value to the organization, using the “magic” of individual, open, connections, with multiple others, collaborating across functional lines. For ANY organization. The flyer describing this presentation, and the more detailed handouts are posted under “Documents”, under “Magic’ on this website. There were many graduates of my Leadership Learning Forums and of SIM’s Regional Leadership Forums present, who resonated with this perspective. It was a fun interaction, and is adding to the “Wood-lore” being shared about that “magic” on this website
I just returned from an uniquely designed LLF for clients of the hosting organization, SmithBucklin Corp. Of course the Forum process includes more reading, beyond the participant’s field, than many current business leaders are accustomed to…. thus the ?’s. My current reading list, with some historical data, is a frequent handout [Post 130 Reading 3-11-2014],in Forums and the “Core Books” list [Post 290 Core Books 3-10-14] is also reflective of my evolving focus.
The photo below is from our deck out to the lake we front on, which has been in other past videos [click here]. It’s from 2/16/2014. Having just returned from a week in the Berkshires with Barbara, where they had 2 feet of snow, but know well, how to handle it, we were surprised by 9 inches here. A “panic” on the Cape. The two swans [ just perceptible out there] seem to enjoy it!! Hopefully it won’t inhibit my travel to Chicago Wednesday 2/19, to run a Leadershi0p Learning forum there for two clients together. Which is generating it’s own special “Magic”!
At long last, I’ve taken the steps to replace my Dell laptop, used for several years here in the office & on the road, with two 23″ monitors, a new Lenovo ThinkCenter, plus an iPad Air Wi-fi + cellular. Hopefully all this will help support my grtowing virtual work with clients helping them run superb Leadership Learning Forums, @ their sites. and for when I do travel, to do so, more lightly & conveniently. 2014 will tell!?!
Most, perhaps 99.9%, of those who have engaged completely, in the Leadership Learning Forum process, have had a deeply beneficial, both individual and group, “magical” experience. Some of us who have facilitated this over the years [ I began it in 1984], have communicated about how/when, & under what circumstances does the “magic” occur? And what might get in its way? There is already a body of thought resulting from this quest!
During the Nov.2013, 45th annual SIMposium, hosted by the Boston SIM Chapter [superbly done!!], I began pondering a revival of this research/dialogue, as part of this current 6th phase of life, my “legacy” phase. A quest revitalized, so to speak. That would be fun for me, very absorbing, and perhaps usful in coming years to those who wish to continue providing such powerful leadership development, as I am. I will reach out again to as many of you as I can.
This ” magic” surely happens in most Forums, but also in tons of other situations! All needed now, all over, and likely more so, in the world we are inheriting. It goes way beyond I.T., of course. Our past working of this quest already has shown that
Some past contributions/perspectives from my network, are posted under “Magic”, in this growing section of my website. hopefully you’ll find it useful. Please connect with me directly with you comments
Having been in several all day planning/exchange sessions the last two weeks, with I.T. executive leaders and clients, three topics seemed dominant, and concerned all:
3D printing – didn’t know enough [ only hype]- unsure of real applicability in theirorganization
Rampant mobility & personalization of tech. use – especially among new hires, & high level techs!
Disappoinment in the existing architechure/standards/governance process by those two groups
Great, but diverse, subsequent discussions!!
One of the books referenced below in that superb internal Leadership Learning Forum is ” Crucial Conversations” by Petterson,Grenny, McMillan & Switsler. If you haven’t got it, or read it, do both for sure, please! It’s a core book [Adlerian definition = a book that grows with you!] in almost all the Forums done recently. And invariably such reviews are accompanied by off- the-cuff remarks like “My favorite”….. “life changing…. “addresses a real need I have.”, etc. It’s been on my list of “core books” for some time also [ Click here for that list]. They have also written two other superb additions to our learning/growth/change…. “Crucial Confrontations” … and …..”Influencer”. Same coments re. both.
A fast taste of what’s in “Crucial Conversations”. Super quotes throughout, summaries of each chapter, flyleaf praise & forward, excellent diagrams, & examples. Definiton = 1) Opinions Vary 2)Starkes are high 3) Emotions run strong. STATE = Share your facts. Tell your story. Ask for others’ path. Talk tentatively. Encourage testing
Some one-liners = p11 “In the best companies, everyon hlds everyone else accountable”…p22 “When people purposefully withhold meaning from one another, individually smart people can do collectively stupid things”…….. throughout =”Make it Safe”…… p217 ” “your ability to pull yourself out of the content of a discussion and to focus on the process is inversely proportional to your level of emotion”
p220-221 “there’s too much material in this book to try to master in one sitting….you haven’t talked them [concepts] enough to make them part of your vocabular”….p224 “Remmeber the costs: focus on the rewards”
There’s much much more!!
I chose to allow a long diversion from this communication vehicle, unbelievable c. 8 months…..while helping several Retainer Clients do their own form of internal Leadership Learning Forums…and because of two quite serious, surprise, unusual surgeries while vacationing on the west coast with Barbara. Luckily we were right by Stanford Medical Center whose emergency room staff, & recovery facility, handled me superbly well over 8 days. Now having returned to Cape Cod, & largely finished careful rehabilitation, I am refocusing in my 6th life phase. The Legacy Phase . And will detail those phases, on this website, in connecting with my Legacy Representational Perspectivre Next 15 years [LRPN15], which has been shown here for the last almost 20 years! [under”My work” as E -15 year Full Plan]
