It's the end of the second week of school, when all of our various activities have fully started, I felt quite tired and unmotivated when I woke up this morning.
All I was thinking about was caffeine, when I could take a nap, and if I really needed to do the work that I have scheduled for today :) When my "How We Feel" app asked me how I was feeling at 8:55, I marked myself as "Meh," which is in the low energy, unpleasant quadrant. Lack of motivation. Lack of inspiration. Lack of energy. Instead of falling into that feeling, I decided to counteract it with movement.
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If you have ever thought about having your whole team, or whole organization read a book together, here are some ideas to consider.
1. STAY ALIGNED As a leader within your organization, you have a duty to support your team and your organization with the utmost integrity that you can. For me, integrity is about practicing our values. When you choose a book for your team, choose one that is aligned with the organization’s values, and with your objectives and strategy. It's my first sketchnote after almost 5 weeks of not touching a pen.
My circles are wonky. My lines lack confidence. The spacing is too wide, or too squished. And that's okay. It highlights the importance of practice - not just practicing technical skills, like drawing, but also practicing those elusive human skills too. When I lead a book circle with a client, my goal is always to move beyond discussion. Discussion is only in the head. It was a beautiful summer day. Not too hot, with a breeze rustling the trees around the yard.
I was outside of Lille, spending a week working, while my children were on the coast with their grandparents. It was the end of the afternoon, and I had no more book circles for the day, so I rolled out a chaise lounge to soak up the sun and start preparing for a September book circle. After about 20 minutes, I put down the book and my pink pen, and headed inside for a glass of water. Then I heard it. It was almost midnight.
Just ahead of us, a young man and woman got up from a nearby bench, and started walking in front of us. The young man then moved in front of the girl and started yelling in her face. She moved around him, and he followed, continuing to yell at her. She continued walking toward another group of boys. He got in her face again, still yelling. I watched the whole time, wondering if I should intervene. When I should intervene. As I sat at the table, the conversation would bounce back and forth around me, and I would turn my gaze from one speaker to another.
Nodding along. Watching everyone else's expressions. Mimicking their facial movements. Laughing when they laughed (though a bit late.) When my husband would finally turn to me to translate, he gave me a 30-second recap of the 10 minutes of conversation prior. My first meeting this morning started with dancing to Rush by Ayra Starr.
I do love to dance. Yet, I know NOTHING about it as a profession. (I leave that to Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD ACC) What I do know, is that professional dancers get judged based on a certain set of criteria, much like gymnasts, or divers do. Tomorrow, I am hosting 2 book circles on Adam Grant's book Think Again. One of the chapters we'll be focusing on is titled "Dances with Foes," where he invites us to think of a debate not like a fight, or a war, but as a dance. The napkin lay between us, with scribbles and notes in my friend Marion's handwriting. He was taking notes on what he had available. My other friend Sandra and I were talking about my recent resignation. Eventually, Marion chimed in: Theresa, you know what your problem is? You've been playing checkers, hoping to get kinged, while all the other leaders around you are playing chess. You've been playing the wrong game. Take out a piece of paper and number it to 15.
As you read each job title below, who's the first person that pops into mind? Interior Designer Technical writer Senior mechanical engineer Piping Designer Receptionist Project engineer Engagement manager CAD Designer Accounting assistant Rail engineer Software developer Administrative Assistant Traffic Engineer/Designer Scheduler Procurement Manager Mark all the men that you pictured. Mark all the white people you pictured. This afternoon, I will be facilitating this activity with a group of readers and leaders as we explore the book The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias by Pamela Fuller. Histrionic.
That was the word that rang in my ears. It was the midst of the pandemic, and I was up to my eyeballs in both paid and unpaid work. My paid work consisted of my coaching practice, and teaching English on the side, as I transitioned from coaching to book circles. My unpaid work consisted of homeschooling my kids, being a parent, and all that that entails, and volunteering as the president of a non-profit. On top of that, my husband had lost a major contract as a result of the pandemic, so money felt tight -- very tight. In hindsight, it was WAY too much. |
Hi there!I am Theresa Destrebecq. |