LOGBOOK
I am never lacking in ideas. interests, projects, and work-related initiatives. My to-do list usually outpaces my capacity and the time to engage to my satisfaction.
Several years ago I was interested in the concept of conation. According to Kathy Kolbe, developer of the Kolbe Index, conation is the part of the mind that drives you to act
according to your instincts. These are the natural talents that, when
acted on, lead to success and well-being as you use your creative energy
to solve problems. I signed right up for an assessment. And surprise, surprise - my primary conative action mode is "quickstart". I had to laugh. The first sentence of my report said - 'you say "yes" to things before getting all the information.' Before the month was out I was flying to Phoenix to be trained on the use of this tool. A better understanding of conation has led to better decision-making AND no fewer ideas!
We are happy to explore conation, idea generation, and decison-making questions with you.
Carol
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RESUPPLY
"Measuring what makes life worthwhile"
10 minutes with
Chip Conley
When the dotcom bubble burst, hotelier Chip Conley went in
search of a business model based on happiness. In an old friendship with an
employee and in the wisdom of a Buddhist king, he learned that success comes
from what you count.
Chip
Conley creates joyful hotels, where he hopes his employees, customers and
investors alike can realize their full potential. His books share that
philosophy with the wider world.
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Scouting?
For more information,
to engage in a discussion about your professional development needs, and/or to schedule a free 30-minute, sample, coaching-session,
click here email us.
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 Reading the waters
There is both an art and a
science to making decisions inside the multiple contexts and complex cultures of our organizations. It is challenging enough to make
decisions about things we know about and when there is relative consensus on
the decision-making team. It is
even more difficult when we are faced with uncertainty and contention exists
that negatively influences the process.
We know many leaders that have found tools to help them address bias,
uncover assumptions, stay mission-focused, frame the issues, weigh options, and
make sound decisions.
One of them is Andrea Stark,
Executive Director of the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor. She shared with us: "With limited staff and a facility open to the public 320 days/year,
Maine Discovery Museum has to think carefully about which ideas and requests
for partnerships make sense for us to pursue. I try to use the mission matrix:
one axis for how a project, program, etc. contributes to furthering our
mission; the other axis for its contribution to our financial viability.
There are times when mission trumps all, whereas an idea that provides funds
but does not support the mission at all isn't for us! Keeping
the matrix in mind helps create realistic outcomes for projects and
partnerships so that we end up with a balance of mission and money
that supports our long-term goals."
Another sound option, that
is underutilized, is the courage to say, "no". Decision-making is a key leadership act. Read on to find resources and links to tools that may
help you become a more nimble decision-maker. |
Steering the Course
New groups for Executive Directors will be starting in the fall of 2010 in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn/Augusta, Midcoast, Seacoast New Hampshire, and any other
area where there are nine leaders enrolled.
Curious? Join us on a conference call to learn more about Paddling the Rapids groups, ask your questions, and meet other leaders. Invite others who may be interested by forwarding this newsletter. This is a convenient way to find out how Paddling the Rapids can serve your leadership development.
To find out more participate in a conference call scheduled on:
- Thursday, July 8th, 12:15-1:00 PM
- Monday, July 19th, 3:30-4:15 PM
Email us to reserve a line at info@paddlingtherapids.com
Dial-in and join the call: 1-213-289-0500 (Los Angeles), use code 271884
"I think Paddling has helped me to round out
my leadership skills. In specific, it has been important in improving
my communication approach/skills with my board and staff and in learning
best practices in executive director roles." Don Kniseley, Tedford Housing, Brunswick,
Maine
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Guidebook
neuroscience can teach us something
about how to make better decisions. Lehrer claims (in an interview) Life is
ultimately just a series of decisions, from the mundane (what should I eat for
breakfast?) to the profound (what should I do with my life?). Until recently,
though, we had no idea how our brain actually made these decisions. As a
result, we relied on untested assumptions, such as the assumption that people
were rational creatures. (This assumption goes all the way back to Plato and
the ancient Greeks.) But now, for the first time in human history, we can look
inside our mind and see how we actually think. It turns out that we weren't
designed to be rational or logical or even particularly deliberate. Instead,
our mind holds a messy network of different areas, many of which are involved
with the production of emotion. Whenever we make a decision, the brain is awash
in feeling, driven by its inexplicable passions. Even when we try to be
reasonable and restrained, these emotional impulses secretly influence our
judgment. Of course, by understanding how the human mind makes decisions--and
by learning about the decision-making mistakes that we're all vulnerable to--we
can learn to make better decisions. - About Jonah Lehrer
- N.Y. Times book review of How We Decide,
reviewed by Steven Johnson
- The Human Brain: How We Decide; video, 2:34
minutes
- Jonah Lehrer, talks about How We Decide, at The Commonwealth Club 1/5/2010, 73
minutes. Over the last 20
years, neuroscience research has fundamentally changed our understanding of
decision making. Lehrer, a critically acclaimed science writer and the popular
blogger behind "The Frontal Cortex," explains what the latest in
cutting-edge research can tell us about how our minds work. How do we make
decisions? And how can we make decisions...better?
RECOMMENDED BY A PADDLER: Dalene Dutton, executive director of Five Town Communities That Care, based in Rockport sent along this: In the spirit of sharing, I wanted to let you know about a great book I just bought (if you don't already know about it). It is called "Exposed: A Legal Field Guide For NonProfit Executives" by Melanie Lockwood Herman and Mark E. Chopko and available through the Nonprofit Risk management Center. Great, practical stuff. Some of you paddlers might be interested....Do you have a book to recommend? Tell us. |
Navigation Tool
Mindmaps are creative
tools that use visual templates in the decision-making process. They are a way to sort information,
establish priorities, and develop a clear path for sound decision-making. We
know that strong leaders use a combination of intuition and information. Mindmaps combine the two modes. The
internet has blank templates for you to customize for your purposes. A good place to see an overview of the
eight most commonly used mindmaps is Eight tools for streamlined decision-making which
illustrate Pareto analysis, Paired comparison, Grid Analysis, Decision trees,
PMI, Force Field, Six Thinking Hats, and Cost/Benefit.
Watch this
video to find out how to find and assess options and make decisions with ease
and confidence even in the most difficult of circumstances. 9:59 minutes
Another tool is
the RAPID Decision-Making model, which has been shown to be highly effective in
a variety of situations, and with different types of organizations, RAPID is an acronym for the types of roles or activities in
a decision-making scenario: Recommender, Agree or Approve, Perform, Input, and
Decide. Bridgestar.org has great two
articles describing the process: RAPID Decision-Making and RAPID Decision-Making: What it is, why we like it, and how to
get the most out of it.
Try a new mindmap tool and watch how it influences your ability to make decisions.
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