Dec 27, 2016
The most basic form of communication is straightforward and easy to understand. With so many nuances, there is a tendency to include everything. Yet, it’s in that inclusion that makes it hard to know what to focus on…what’s the priority. Simplification is a skill, that requires effort and thinking. It’s in the clarity of each message - internally and externally - every person in the company knows their contribution and can reflect that outward to clients, vendors, and contacts. Les Dossey and Jessica Dewell define problems, obstacles, and barriers and demystifying what we do once we recognize a problem exists.
Starting the conversation...
- What if we are intentional and face our problems instead of pretend they don’t exist?
- knowing we can’t ignore them forever, what if we were intentional with our problems?
Host: Jessica Dewell Co-host: Les Dossey
What You Will Hear:
Stories to set the stage for the conversation.
Steven Covey’s finding out what actions will impact.
Problems: day to day issue that can be fixed quickly.
Obstacles: more time to resolve with varying degrees of complexity; internal.
Barriers: hard to identify and define, and made up of many problems and obstacles.
Lack of simplicity and using mission, vision, and values.
Active work. Effort to simplify communication.
Stop and think. Know what we’re doing - how we contribute.
What it means to live by giving a little extra.
Tips to practice our thinking muscle, and the skills thinking includes.
Preparation, communication and our level of impact.
Honoring complexity, things happen, and it’s how problems are handled.
The experience expectation and disarmingly honest.
Break down and figure out the start of a problem, obstacle, or barrier.
What ‘transform’ really is (and it starts with a point point) when we say ‘I’ve got to do something here.’
Importance of how we define what we think. It shapes our experience.
Deep thinking about our individual worlds.
Notable & Quotable
Les Dossey: Give our attention to the problems, obstacles, and barriers we can influence.
Les Dossey: We tend to make things complicated, yet it’s a habit that can be broken.
Jessica Dewell: It’s easy to add complexity as we go along.
Jessica Dewell: The hard work [simplifying] never stops. It gets easier because we use the skill.
Jessica Dewell: Stop and think. The experience of it matters.
Les Dossey: We assign more trouble to problems, obstacles, and barriers than they really need.
Les Dossey: I’ll not be surprised today because problems arise. I’m prepared to react the best way possible.
Les Dossey: Problems deserve zero negative emotion from me. Zero.
Jessica Dewell: Plan for what might happen and be prepared for it.
Jessica Dewell: The more time we upfront saves hours after the fact.
Les Dossey: [Upfront communication] makes more meaningful connection throughout our interaction.
Jessica Dewell: It’s ok to fly by the seat of your pants as long as you know what direction you are flying.
Les Dossey: I’m human and I make mistakes. I know where I will mess up and where I will shine.
Jessica Dewell: Recognize assumptions too late and the problem is out of control - the pain is acute.
Les Dossey: It’s not outside forces that make us feel, it’s what we tell ourselves that tells us how we feel.
Les Dossey: We have the power to redefine and give something a different meaning. Give yourself freedom.
Les Dossey: The problem is never the problem. The problem is not knowing how to think.
Resources
- Goat herder Aesops Fable: A goat herder had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, “Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent.”
- Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
- 4 Tips for Overcoming Obstacles
- 7 Habits of Highly Successful People
- quote Seth Godin: ready, launch, aim
- Donald Miller Story…framework
- Newport News Shipping Company mission:
- David … disarmingly honest
- Raving Fans (book)
Tags: confidence, courage, problem solving, problems, avoidance, awareness, fear, simplify, complexity, mission, vision, values, articulate, polarize, leaders, think, value, experience, think, thinking, present, emotion management, planning, example, model, integrity, impact, human connection, vulnerability, behave, decision making, assume, transform, barrier, obstacle, problem, influence