This July, Think about Dependence

“We must all hang together.
Or assuredly we shall all hang separately!”

-Benjamin Franklin
American Printer, Writer, Speaker
Founding Father
(1706 – 1790)

Fusion is and requires a miracle.

Consider Fission and Fusion in the 1700’s… The colonies broke away from England in a demonstration of Fission – great forces splitting up component parts. Then Fusion, as the US came together under immense stress to form a new nation, released an explosion of creative talent, energy and united resolve. To become independent, they had to depend on one another. Washington could have become King, but he chose instead to serve in a limited role. Franklin could have remained an inventor and businessman, but he took on the role of elder statesman and Ambassador. Jefferson could have remained a gentleman farmer, architect, lawyer, philosopher and Founder of the University of Virginia, but… In each case, the founders sacrificed their own independent egos and identities on the altar of forming something together that would endure. “What have you given us Mr. Franklin? A Republic Madame, if you can keep it!”

Fusion in the corporate universe… perhaps some similarities. Sometimes it’s nothing more than a great training program for individuals – helping people and teams to find their voices and speak honestly from the heart about their work and their feelings about it. People learn to speak, sell, manage and plan by bringing together body, mind and spirit. Fusion.

Occasionally, something extraordinary occurs. The right combination of servant leadership, dedicated talent, and long term perspective show up at the same time and place. We introduce the concept of “Orchestration” to the team and something clicks. They get it, and begin “pulling together” the field, marketing and the sales desk. First we teach everyone how to read the music for and deliver stories that are crafted to be recallable and repeatable. The whole team contributes to building the stories through a representative system we call the “Story Senate.” Marketing takes the raw story over the jumps to execute for the Field, Phones, Literature, and the Web. Then we launch. When the story reaches the retail arena, it’s the same in person, in print, on the web, in the email and at the National Meeting. “One Story, Many Voices!®” When it happens, it’s miraculous! It can change the face – and the fate – of a firm – for decades.

Making it happen requires a lot of small miracles... A leader who can see downstream and hold people together long enough to let the process work… A National Sales Manager who can motivate the team and marshal the Divisionals to coach and counsel each person to keep on telling the story - and keep it fresh. Leadership is more than putting people through training and dumping them in a territory, expecting results. The Formula? Tell the same story “in a new moment,” counsel and advise; then do it again! Four to five times daily… Again and Again. Then on the phone, then in the literature. It’s a titanic grind… and it can bring about genuinely incredible results.

It’s been done. When it’s great, it’s a combination of selfless, long term perspective and dogged, short term coaching – for years. The X factor is the recognition that we depend on each other to sacrifice our own ego on the altar of making a successful corporation – for everyone.

Application:

When considering training, ask yourself, “Is this an Event, or an Investment?” Consider how the training will be greeted by the attendees. Will they know what to do with it? Will they need some coaching? And some more… Are you prepared to give it? Are you and your managers going to attend? Master it? Coach it? Or, walk away… Can you keep it up long enough to form a culture; create a revolution?

Practice your part for the greatest good for your family, community and company.

Fusion often is a miracle, but it requires many.

We must all hang together…

Life is a Game

“The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil-Rights Leader
(1929 - 1968)

Recommended any good books lately? How about a great movie?

When a good book or movie (or training session…) resonates with you, the natural tendency is to share it. Wow, that was great…who else might enjoy it?! The central theme of the movie you just saw addresses an issue your friend has been grappling with and you can’t wait for him to see the movie – imagine the discussion you two will have! People like to share their discoveries with one another; these shared experiences engender lively discussions about new ideas, and deepen their understanding of one another.

We suggest that life is a “game.” The point of the game is to grow – both yourself and others. Ideas are toys – instruments of play – we exchange them and bat them back and forth like kids on a playground. Playfulness, flexibility and openness allow an idea to be held up to the light for public consideration in “the spirit of play.” It’s the willingness to playfully consider other points of view that makes the game both rich and interesting.

So, what happens when you friend ignores your “must see” movie recommendation? Why are they resisting? Maybe they’re comfortable with what they know and anything new feels like a threat to their very carefully maintained status quo. New ideas can constitute a challenge to what they believe to be true in their own universe.

Sometimes people resist new ideas by shutting down…becoming defensive rather than inquisitive (“Movies are for entertainment – Hollywood can’t teach me anything!”). Other times they’re critical (“That idea will never work!”). There are those who readily accept any idea without examining it (“If you say it’s so!”) or the silent resister muttering under their breath (“Whatever!”).

Pursuing our game metaphor, the resister is the one in the group who looks pinched, defensive or guarded. Obviously, they have momentarily lost the “spirit of play” – the fundamental requirement for getting on the field. Winning is having the other guy say “Wow!” – Losing is refusing to engage. The winners are those who can “keep the ball in play” the longest. The losers are the ones who take their ball and go home.

How do we become open to new ideas? Instead of defense or outright rejection, consider discovering the intention behind the new idea. Communication is the answer. It begins with the spirit of play – the willingness to be touched by what the other person has to say, watching the movie, or reading the book, (or attending the training session) then contemplating the idea, and articulating it to make sure you’ve understood.

So, rather than resisting, we suggest being open to new ideas. Does this mean giving up your beliefs? Well… maybe or maybe not. Does it mean you have to agree? No. But, being closed to new ideas guarantees a limited perspective. Being open to a different viewpoint, there’s opportunity to grow and learn; the willingness to play the game enhances understanding…and everyone wins.

Applications

Personal: Has someone recommended a book or movie to you lately? What is holding you back? Maybe there’s a message they’re trying to share with you. Find out.

Home: When your kids have an idea, don’t shut them down. Hear them out. You might get a glimpse into their universe.

Work: Be open to others’ ideas and see things from their point of view. Are you making it safe for colleagues to question your ideas? Or are they “yessing” you to death? Elicit questions and feedback. Maybe you’ll learn a better way.

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
- Stephen R. Covey

New ideas aren’t always destructive or painful. A game played without exertion – or the occasional tackle and the potential for getting dirty isn’t really a game. Embrace the rough and tumble opportunity for learning and growth. Go play!