Spotlight on: Story
Never before in our entire history, have we as human beings had to deal
with so much information. We live in a society bombarded by
information, statistics and sound bites; the sheer quantity means that it
can lack a sense of meaning. It is story that imbues raw data with
value and purpose. Stories help us to understand, explain and create
the world in which we live.
Every time we watch television, go to the cinema or see a film, we
become involved with story-telling. Without realising it, we constantly
make up stories in our daily lives. These stories become the scripts by
which we live our lives: they determine our attitudes, responses and
actions. They can inspire us to greater heights, where we excel by
living to our fullest potential, or they can reduce us to mediocrity, as we
dip into negative thinking and back biting.
For millennia, stories have been the way societies passed down their
history, culture, values, insights and wisdom. There is something deeply
(Continued below)
Three highlights
A reader’s perspective on the 21-day programme
The 21-day programme is based on the eight tools taught on our courses; it
helps participants practice the tools and techniques to gain confidence in their
practical application.
“As promised, I did finish the 21-day programme, which I have to admit did
take longer than 21 days, but still worked very well for me! The three
‘highlights’ that I have taken into my daily life are:
- The meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh inspired me so much I now have his
calendar in front of me and I read his book on peace in every day life. It’s
now a regular part of my meditation practice – thank you. (For a copy of
the meditation, email jennifer.hurley@lamontassociates.com )
- The weekly visioning. So rather than just writing one huge long ‘to do’
list, I sit back and contemplate how I want the week to look and feel –
energetically there’s a huge difference.
- The weekly ‘review’ process of highs and lows – it’s fun!! And it’s a great
way to stop, take a breath and be grateful.”
Julia Lewis, VP Global Partner Program, Sales Centric
Open Forum
Is there research on differences in leadership styles between men
and women?
In response to our reader’s question last month, Luke Aherne from University
College Dublin emailed us with this response.
There has been a recent shift on the traits desired by management with a greater
focus on women’s more ‘stereotypical’ qualities:
- Being adaptable and changing to suit circumstances was seen as weak and
is now flexible
- Women’s greater emotional understanding is now seen as balanced rather
than soft
- Their drive for the ‘greater good’ is now perceived as visionary and holistic
It has also been shown that women are more pro-active in adapting their
interaction in the work place to suit the context. For instance women:
- Make requests in stages when a ‘big ask’ is involved;
- Use humour more than their male counterparts;
- Their leadership is more team-based with consensually driven decision
making.
Small differences between men and women may include:
- Men tend to nod to signify understanding while women nod when they
don’t yet understand to encourage the speaker to keep talking.
- Men usually sit beside clients - are their ‘right hand men’- while women are
more comfortable sitting opposite their clients.
What is your experience of the difference in management styles between women
and men?
Email Jennifer at: jennifer.hurley@lamontassociates.com
Spotlight on: Story (Continued from above)
... captivating about this method of teaching: it is potent, engaging and
highly focused. Yet this powerful tool has been largely ignored by business.
It seems a real waste, as stories can be effortlessly engaging and
motivating. One well chosen story has the ability to sustain the culture and
reinforce the values of any organisation, or family.
Through our stories, a company restructuring can become a grim nightmare
or a new opportunity: the stories we tell about the events in our lives
become our experience of those events. So we have a choice about how we
experience our lives, about how we experience our work. We can choose
the stories we tell.
To remind you of the power of stories, we’re including an inspiring story
that shows just how easy it is to make the struggle effortless: it’s simply a
question of the perspective we choose.
For more stories, check out our website.
Rafting
By good fortune I was able to raft down the Motu River twice during
the last year. The magnificent four-day journey traverses one of
the last wilderness areas in the North Island.
The first expedition was led by "Buzz", an American guide with a
great deal of rafting experience, and many stories to tell of mighty
rivers such as the Colorado. With a leader like Buzz there was no
reason to fear any of the great rapids of the Motu.
The first half day, in the gentle upper reaches, was spent
developing teamwork and co-ordination. Strokes had to be
mastered, and the discipline of following commands without
question was essential. In the boiling fury of a rapid there would be
no room for any mistake. When Buzz bellowed above the roar of
the water an instant reaction was essential.
We mastered the Motu. In every rapid we fought the river and we
overcame it. The screamed commands of Buzz were matched only
by the fury of our paddles, as we took the raft exactly where Buzz
wanted it to go. At the end of the journey there was a great feeling
of triumph. We had won. We proved that we were superior. We
knew that we could do it. We felt powerful and good. The mystery
and majesty of the Motu had been overcome.
The second time I went down the Motu the experience I had gained
should have been invaluable, but the guide on this journey was a
very softly spoken Kiwi. It seemed that it would not even be
possible to hear his voice above the noise of the rapids.
As we approached the first rapid, he never even raised his voice.
He did not attempt to take command of us or the river. Gently and
quietly he felt the mood of the river and watched every little
whirlpool. There was no drama and no shouting. There was no
contest to be won. He loved the river.
We sped through each rapid with grace and beauty and, after a
day, the river had become our friend, not our enemy. The quiet
Kiwi was not our leader, but only the person whose sensitivity was
more developed than our own. Laughter replaced the tension of
achievement.
Soon the quiet Kiwi was able to lean back and let all of us take
turns as leader. A quiet nod was enough to draw attention to the
things our lack of experience prevented us from seeing. If we made
a mistake then we laughed and it was the next person's turn. We
began to penetrate the mystery of the Motu. Now, like the quiet
Kiwi, we listened to the river and we looked carefully for all those
things we had not even noticed the first time.
At the end of the journey we had overcome nothing except
ourselves. We did not want to leave behind our friend, the river.
There was no contest, and so nothing had been won. Rather we had
become one with the river.
It remains difficult to believe that the external circumstances of
the two journeys were similar. The difference was in an attitude
and a frame of mind. At the end of the journey it seemed that
there could be no other way. Given the opportunity to choose a
leader everyone would have chosen someone like Buzz. At the end
of the second journey we had glimpsed a very different vision and
we felt humble, and intensely happy.
Lamont Associates, 3 Kinross Avenue, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 9EP. Phone: 01344 628329
Web: www.lamontassociates.com
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please email: info@lamontassociates.com
