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LOGBOOK
Change.
September - the air becomes crisp and the light is luminous and precious.
Thank goodness that the humidity that made us sloggy has transformed to clear,
dry, comfortable weather. It is harvest - full ripeness, the work of the
garden coming to fruition, and preparation for what is coming
next have our attention. Pickling beets, making dilly beans, canning peaches and turning over
the garden has been the recent focus. Delight overflows with a glimpse of
the full pantry. Exhausting and thrilling simultaneously. Even with the best summer plans other
influences impacted the outcomes - poor tomato crop, fewer kayaking trips, and
rained out cookouts. Yet the desire to engage in those activities prevails -
they breath life into our values and goals. What harvest are you gathering this fall? What are you thinking about during this season change? What do you
want to engage in now? What new challenges do you plan to take on? How can
Paddling the Rapids support you?
Carol & Deb
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RESUPPLY
Tap into your genius, access your creativity, set a goal that thrills you.
Do you have 15 minutes? Watch Elizabeth Gilbert's presentation on nurturing creativity at the 2009 TED conference. Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses --
and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being"
a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and
surprisingly moving talk. Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love, She has thought long and hard about some large topics. Her next
fascination: genius, and how we ruin it.
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Scouting?
For more information,
to engage us in a dialogue about goal setting, and/or to schedule a free 30-minute coaching session, click here to email us.
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 Reading the waters
Change. Seasonal
shifts have impacted and shaped important transitions in our lives. Going back
to school after the long, flowing days of summer is embedded in our
psyches. Today, we watch neighborhood children waiting at bus stops;
bedecked in colorful new shoes, clothes and backpacks; their faces alive with
both excitement and nervousness. Questions flutter around them: Will I
like my teachers? How will I find my classes? Will I make
friends? Off they go waving to parents and talking with friends.
How do we
nurture curiosity in ourselves - that eager learner who loves having her mind
on fire with new ideas? The one who can feel his own brilliance when
having a heated discussion with friends - when the world opens up and
invites us to explore with abandon. Our learning muscles can get flabby from neglect or limiting habits; hectic schedules may preclude our natural interests from leading us
into learning. Where might your curiosity lead you? What goal might you set that has been
simmering with desire under the surface for a long time? Where will you put your attention that
will give you the momentum you are craving? Can you develop a new habit?
A recent article in the New York Times states that new brain research shows we can direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. We can deliberately ingrain a new map that bypasses the old rut. Figuring out what has worked for you when learning new things in the past can help you to figure out a way to draw up a plan for developing new skills, habits, and behaviors for the future. Achieving a stretch - that place between comfort and stress - keeps your brain healthy, and where change happens.
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Steering the Course
New groups for executive directors are starting in October - there are a few places open. Join us on a free information call to learn how a Paddling the Rapids group supports professional goal-setting, and can become a tool for learning with your peers about leadership practice. New Paddling the Rapids groups are being planned for executive directors, board chairs, managers, and emerging leaders.
Curious? Hear our plans, ask your questions, and meet other leaders. Invite others you think would like to know about these opportunities by forwarding this newsletter. We will be hosting calls frequently.
The next calls are:
- Tuesday, September 15, noon-12:45PM
- Wednesday, September 23, 8:30-9:15AM
- Monday, September 28, noon-12:45PM
- CONTACT NUMBER for all calls (518)-825-1300, use code 271884#
Email us to reserve a line at info@paddlingtherapids.com"Paddling
the Rapids is a top-notch forum, skillfully facilitated, that gave me
the opportunity to meet, and learn from, a small group of peers, also
top-notch, who brought an amazing depth of experiences, insights, and
skills. Highly recommended." ~participant Check out our website for more testimonials as well as a list of participating organizations.
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Guidebook
Do you have immunity to change? Try the brief self-inventory on Kegan and Kahey's website to find out. From Minds at Work: "A recent study showed that when doctors tell heart patients they will
die if they don't change their habits, only one in seven will be able
to follow through successfully. Clearly, desire and motivation aren't
enough: even when it's literally a matter of life and death, the
ability to change remains maddeningly elusive. Given that the status quo is so powerful, how can we create the changes we need in our selves and in our organizations? In Immunity to Change,
authors Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey show how our individual habits and
mindsets- along with the collective norms and beliefs in our
organizations-combine to create an overwhelming immunity to change. The
authors go on to show us what we can do to overcome these forces. They present their
lessons learned. These "lessons" amount to nothing less than a radical
recasting, conceptually and practically, of the work of improving
performance. Readers frustrated or disappointed with their current
change efforts (or their clients'), who want guidance in knowing what
to do to turn things around, will find very practical "how to" advice
here, illustrated through a variety of successful real-life, individual
and team improvement efforts."You are invited to the Paddling the Rapids Book Group.
Join your colleagues in a lively facilitated discuss about the following books: - Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, by Margaret J Wheatley
- The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz
- Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization by Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey
- Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work by David Rock
now for a book group discussion!
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Navigation Tool
Do you have SMART goals?
A revealing exposition on the importance of goals comes form a Harvard study In 1979 the graduates of the MBA program at Harvard were asked: "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to
accomplish them?" The results were very interesting. 84% had no specific goals
at all, 13% had goals but they were not committed to paper, and only 3% had
clear goals and plans that were written down. In 1989, ten years after
the first phase of the study, they again interviewed the graduates
of that class. Their results were even more startling. The 13% that had goals
but not written down were earning twice as much as the 84% that did not have
any goals. An even more interesting statistic is that the 3% who had written
down plans and goals were earning on average ten times more than the other 97%.
Further more the mere act of writing a goal down on paper increased its chances
of being accomplished by a staggering 90%. However, new research by Wharton
operations and information management professor Maurice
Schweitzer and three colleagues documents how corporate goal setting can
cause more harm than good. The authors suggest that goal setting should be
undertaken modestly and carefully, with a focus more on personal rather than
financial gain.
That said, we do know that reflection and conscious goal-setting can lead to success in changing behavior, developing new habits, and achieving momentum toward a preferred future. A popular mnemonic for setting the stage in developing goals is SMART. The origin of the acronym is lost and there is not general agreement on the traits.
Most
commonly the letters have represented Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Relevant, and Time-bound. There
are many variations that can be used to provide a more comprehensive or better
values match to you, your staff, and your organization. If you were free to designate each
letter - what would resonate with you?
Significant,
Stretching, Simple
Meaningful,
Motivational, Manageable
Agreed
upon, Accountable, Action oriented, Ambitious
Realistic,
Rewarding, Resonant, Resourced
Thrilling,
Tangible, Trackable CHALLENGE: Design your own acronym and use it to write a goal. Share that goal. Remember to design in accountability. And celebrate your success!!
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