We are all artists...are we choosing our brushes intentionally?
Last week as I was preparing for an initial conversation for a new client. I had interviewed a number of people to get perspective prior to the meeting. I thought I had a name for our issue and of course since I hadn't spoke with my client I was wrong. Based on the feedback from those I interviewed I thought some of the concepts from Gallwey's "The Inner Game of Work" might make sense, so I dove back into the book. He certainly emphasizes the power of questions. As I was reading the book I was reminded of the Mineral Rights model from Fierce Conversations. As a result, I went into the conversation with an open mind and desire to use the Mineral Rights framework. As I walked through the model I was reminded how powerful some of the questions I learned from Fierce are, such as, "What if nothing changes and we are sitting here in six months talking about this issue, how does that make you feel?", "Where are your fingerprints on this issue?", "What does ideal look like?", and "How can you best close this gap?".
I realized (through a conversation with Jim) that a brush that I would benefit from using more frequently is my team members!! There is so much to be learned from sharing a situation and getting a new perspective on how to approach it. Expect more questions from me this next year!
ReplyDeleteAnd a question for Jim....knowing you believe your strength is 'not in writing', what other story is possible around that belief?
Ditto to Jim's post - tapping in to the toolkit of brushes is salient for me now as I keep my work with FY11 NPs fresh, strike up FY12 relationships and needs, and take on other new clients and requests. I tapped Jim for support in using EQ material/model with a client and appreciate the access we have to each other in that way. Barb shared OPAL and I have yet to use but really want to and need to - same for the Lominger tool she has access to. So stay tuned Barb as I'll want to borrow some brushes from you soon.
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