Friday, September 25, 2015

Refresh... whatever works for you!

Many of you know I recently returned from my annual vacation. Some of us call it a family reunion, some call it a concert, some call it a festival, some call it a pilgrimage.




We've been going for about 14 years now, and have made some of the best friends in our lives from, literally, all over the world. We can't wait each year to see one another. A couple times, we even put together a "mid-year trip" just so that we could see each other before having to wait the whole year.

In an interview with one of the band members that played this year, he said " When is another time in the world when I would be able to hang out with an obstetrician from Alabama, a half-Brazilian booking agent from Connecticut...? We have very little in common except for the fact that we love this sort of music... it's like a warm, fuzzy place."




While it not a vacation with a lot of sleep and rest, it is definitely an amazing rejuvenation of a completely different sort. A week that starts with hugs, hugs and more hugs. A week of complete divorce from reality. No TV, no social media, no email. A week of connecting. A week of laughing until your face, ribs and stomach ache.

I come home feeling new again. Feeling like a computer after a reboot.

What do you do that completely reboots your system? When do you give yourself the chance to disconnect from tasks, lists, responsibilities, worries, etc etc etc? 

I'd love to hear how you rejuvenate yourself. What do you do or use to divorce yourself from your daily constraints, how often and what difference do you see after?  


Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Did I say what I thought I said?

Communication. 

We do/use it every day. Sometimes, things become so obvious to us, so taken for granted that we assume everyone is operating from the same basic understanding that we are, the same starting point. 
But, that is not always the case.



A great example is an old riddle...

There is a bit of water and broken glass on the floor. George and Gracie are dead. How did they die?
In an attempt to solve this riddle, you offer many solutions, you also have many questions. As with all murder investigations, the important first detail is the identity of the victim or victims. 
Most people begin to solve this riddle (assuming you haven't heard it before) with the same basic assumption; that George and Gracie are people. In fact, this basic assumption sends you down a path of thinking that will direct you away from the solution. 
George and Gracie are goldfish. They died because their tank (bowl) broke.

Often times in our daily communication, we believe that others around us are operating from the same basic assumptions that we are when, in fact, they may not be.

Equally often, we may form half a thought in our head and communicate the rest of the thought without even realizing the first half no one heard but us.

A brilliant step in clear, connected communication is making sure that your audience is absolutely on the same page that you are. This is true whether you are speaking to a group, an auditorium or one individual.

Can you think of places where you have run into a misunderstanding based on faulty basic assumptions? I know I can! 

Keep this in mind this week when you're communicating and make sure you are saying what you mean to be saying.