Insights Into Cultural Understanding

A realization, we never have enough information necessary to make a good decision. This goes for everyone. In fact, great decisions, are no more then accidents. Bad decisions often look like they are planned in some back room. When the wrong decision is made the correct decision miraculously becomes immediately available to everyone else. And they let you know.

What Were you Thinking ?

In every culture, norms are set in words, made into law and then overridden by the actions we take. In our defense, nobody ever consults a law book prior to making a decision, but still, what were you thinking?

No One is Above the Law

Recently news commentary programs have been focusing on the law and that no one should see themselves above the law.

For instance lying under oath, denying an election result, is OK as long as it doesn’t involve dogs, betting on games, performance enhancing drugs or a twenty something who may not understand the consequences of what DUI means.

The question of the day should be why should Michael Vick know that what he is alleged to have done was wrong and punishable. He has money, talent, friends with power and was doing what he had always done. (All are innocent until convicted in a court of law!!)

You get What you Reward. What do you Reward?

There is always a cry of “Never Again”, “Save the Children” “End Poverty” and so on. How have we failed so badly? Could it be that we reward bad behavior? What should we be rewarding?

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This quote is from Sir Randolph Fiennes, a professional adventurer who has been called the ‘world’s greatest living explorer’: he’s spent thirty years circumnavigating the globe, and ran seven marathon’s in seven days…internationally: “The voice telling you to stop must be treated with suspicion. “ Think about it.

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I am reading Authentic Power by Courtney A. Kazembe, a transformational coach, speaker, and facilitator  I met during a recent training program. In his book, he gives a very thorough overview of what a paradigm is and how ours impacts our lives. Here’s an abbreviated tidbit: “It’s the way we “see” the world – in terms of perceiving, understanding and interpreting certain aspects of reality. Suppose for example, I was going to visit my friend in New York City. A street map would be of great help to me in reaching my destination. But suppose I purchased a map that was incorrectly labeled. The map was in fact a map of Los Angeles. Can you imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach my destination? There is just no right way of doing the wrong things. As long as you are consistently sticking to the wrong paradigm — that map will limit anything you do.”  

I agree with Courtney, to get from where you are to where you want to be you’d better have the right map. I delight in coaching people to find their way from where they are to where they want to be. Whether I am coaching, leading a training, or speaking, I cherish the “miracles” people create when I facilitate their discovery of a new paradigm - map, perspective, way of thinking. One of the time-honored exercises I talk about in How To Be A Positively Powerful Person is the powerful experience we have when we shift our language from “I have to (be do or have something that I don’t want to be, do, or have most of the time)” to “I choose to…” Whenever you catch yourself saying ”I have to” replace it with “I choose to” consistently for the next three days. Let me know what you notice in the shft.  

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Authority vs. Leadership

We often think that by giving someone the authority to produce progress that we will have progress. When there is progress, leadership at some level is involved. When there is no progress, then what we have is authority which is fearful, lacking in imagination and often suppressive.

It is reasonable to think that if what we want to do is to produce a positive impact on the world, it will require us to set up a couple of rules, benchmarks or guidelines to help us get the job done.

• What should the end result look like
• How long should it take
• A means for maintaining focus

These are basic and I am certain that you can add to this list. (please feel free to add your comments)

So, today, the questions I find myself asking are

Why is it that many of the people uprooted from Katrina have not had their lives mended ? (Photo by Lee Celano for The New York Times)

With out taking a pro or con view towards the war in Iraq, what was 550 billion dollars used for?

20% of all citizen of the United States are without health Insurance? There are many more examples.

Jack of All Trades, Master of None

The sky is not falling, but we have been lazy when it comes to getting something done. Recently we’ve shifted focus rapidly from “Darfur”,” The Environment”, “The War on Terror” , “Elections in Palestine”, “Saving Africa”, “Saving Coal Mines”, “Child Obesity”,”Lowering Gas Consumption” and “Steroids In Sports”. At the end of the day, at the end of the month, even at the end of the year, not much has changed.

Repeat after me, I am responsible!

When I have too many things on my plate and I am not able to focus on what I truly want, I am in essence creating a plan to do nothing. However when I am absolutely clear and focused, I am able to complete what needs to be completed. I can then serve others with certainty, care and with vision.

“Everybody can’t do everything but everybody can do something. If everybody does their one thing everything will get done.”

I am responsible for getting at least my one thing done everyday!

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