“’Do Something New’ is about having the courage to take a moment and celebrate it. And finding a way … to move beyond simply seeing and looking to deep observation, or deep listening. It’s about going further than I normally would.” – Bonnie Pitman
The power of observation: Transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary
We get stuck and can’t see new possibilities. We interact with the same people, face similar situations and respond predictably. If we want to avoid the insanity of doing things the same way and expecting different results we have to change our perspective.
Pausing, being more intentional, and deepening how we see people, places and things can transform the trajectory of our relationship with them.
Bonnie Pitman’s chronic illness and unending days in medical facilities was the catalyst for a novel approach to living, which she calls “Do Something New.”
Her experience with physicians and medical staff revealed their often transactional and shallow understanding of her as a human being. She now teaches medical students The Power of Observation and uses art as the medium.
As the former Director of the Dallas Museum of Art, it was natural that she draw from her background in art and passion for education in developing these practices. It’s about “stopping the rush” and “celebrating the beauty of things” to experience joy every day.
I’m revisiting this conversation as we wrap up the year, and I hope you’ll harness the power of Do Something New as well as her Power of Observation Framework for your own recalibration and rejuvenation. Make these frameworks a habit and you will experience more wonder in your life.
The role of awe
[39:47] “Awe may help stop us from ruminating on our problems and daily stressors. Instead, awe seems to pull us out of ourselves and make us feel immersed in our surroundings and the larger world, which may also help explain its tendency to inspire generosity and a sense of connection with others.”
Applying observation and awe to leadership
[31:00] “Look without judgment, so that it’s taking the critical eye and the analysis off of it and just let yourself play around with it and be with whatever the issue is, whatever it is that you’re contemplating – whether it’s a piece of art or a business issue.”
[31:30] “It’s another equivalent to a brainstorming session…Let’s just take a specific thing that we’re focusing on as a problem and go through these steps. You can move the group from this generalizing the problem, down to coming up with new solutions.”
Do Something New
Take a few minutes of an ordinary day and make it extraordinary through:
Visiting new places
Meeting new people
Having new experiences
Planing new experiences with old friends in new ways
New big things & new little things
Even new flavors of ice cream are ok!
Go outside of work or medical experiences
Starting with a new experience each day – don’t carry forward from yesterday
The Power of Observation Framework™ takes us from first look, to increasing focus, new connections and transformational insights. You may recognize these as ah-ha! moment!
“Don’t tell me what you value; show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” –Joe Biden
Put your values into action
A lot of energy goes into defining an organization’s Vision, Mission and Values. It’s an exciting time and an inspiring exercise. Usually, steps are taken to put this Core Ideology into action but it often remains separate from the hard core center of the business. It doesn’t have to be that way. MaryBeth Hyland dedicates the second half of her book, “Permission to be Human: The Conscious Leader’s Guide to Creating a Values-Driven Culture” to this topic.
During our previous conversation (Episode 48), MaryBeth and I discussed wellbeing and mental health in the workplace. Today, we focus on integrating values into cultural norms and operations, top to bottom.
Put simply, MaryBeth shares how to “walk the talk.” She shows how to catapult your values into action throughout your organization – and explains the consequences of failing to do so. Operationalizing your values is the pivotal next step for seeing your values leap off the conference room posters to make a tangible impact.
Be clear about expectations concerning values when hiring
[08:09] “You need to have your values as a part of your process for hiring. Because it is not fair, it is not kind to hire somebody without clear expectations of how they’re going to be showing up every day.
Your values guide your actions
[08:28] “Your vision is your ‘why’ and your mission is what your values are – your ‘how.’ If you have clearly stated values of how you’re going to go about accomplishing your ‘what’ and your ‘why,’ but you don’t hold anyone accountable to them, then you’re basically telling people, they don’t matter, and they’re not real.”
Tracking alignment to your values
[16:28] “You can look at a budget, let’s say, for an organization overall, and start connecting line items to values. You could say, ‘Oh, wow, 70% of our budget is skewed towards ‘excellence’, whereas we really need to beef up our areas of ‘people first’.”
[16:51] “And that’s the same for our schedules – being able to color-code your schedule based on the values you’re activating. When you visually look at your time, you can see, ‘how much am I really investing in these values that I’m here to embody? And how can I start to balance those out?’”
[15:20] “If you really want change, and depth and width in what you’re trying to create with operationalizing your values, you need to invest in them financially as well.”
“This book is a love letter to any fellow humans who have felt like they were the underdogs for deeply caring about people and their wellbeing at work.” – MaryBeth Hyland, Permission to Be Human: A Conscious Leader’s Guide to Creating a Values-Driven Culture
Wellbeing at work
Just as we go to a doctor if we break an arm, we should treat ourselves with the same level of respect when it comes to our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing – even at work. While we might not think of spirituality at work, I put it in the domain of wisdom and purpose, vision or values – important guiding pillars for showing up as your best self. It all plays a role.
This is the groundwork for my conversation with MaryBeth Hyland. She’s the founder of SparkVision, a firm committed to creating environments where people thrive. Especially in the past year and a half, our mental health may have taken a hit – and it’s important to recognize it’s likely the same with those we interact with each day.
From our discussion, you’ll learn:
– What’s included in the term “wellbeing”?
– How do you approach someone if you notice they’re having difficulty with their mental health?
– How do you address the fact you were hurt by someone who’s in a tough place mentally?
Invest in your relationships at work
[10:43] “So much of it has to do with your relationship … It’s a short- and long-term relationship that involves a lot of investments in each other to feel like it’s coming from a place of caring and wanting to help people in their wellbeing instead of maybe wanting to call them out, or stigmatize, or make them feel like something’s even more wrong.”
[15:48] “The more you’re willing to share of yourself, the more willing other people are to share.”
Establishing boundaries
[20:05] “There’s a big misconception with boundaries that boundaries are about controlling other people. But boundaries are actually about creating an environment that’s good for you, that’s going to take care of your wellbeing.”
Taking ownership for your part
[24:30] “To truly be sorry, you have to be willing to sit with what the other person experienced and hold space for that just like they did for you, when you were on the other side of it.”
We will all grapple with trauma in some form. If you haven’t experienced it yet personally, then as a leader, mentor, friend, or loved one, you’ll be with someone who has.
Drawing from my own recent experience, I want to share what I’ve learned from an event that rattled my nervous system. We’ll all get shaken by life, and whether it’s a heated argument, natural disaster, or a dog attack (like mine), it’s important to work through that experience so that unprocessed trauma doesn’t get lodged in our system, only to make a surprise appearance when we least expect or want it. Not coping with trauma can have significant consequences.
I’m sharing my own response to a recent experience. I’m not a trauma therapist or coach. I took on a few practices to move past a jarring event and as of now, they seem to be working. I do give coaching clients contemplative, grounding and journalizing practices like the ones I describe in this episode. I hope it helps you like it has for me.
If you or someone you know have experience trauma, please reach out to a professional.
Here are a few of my insights:
Help often appears where you’re not looking
During the attack, I thought I was powerless and alone. I looked in one direction for help but it came from another. We all have our blind spots, assumptions and ways of seeing reality. We often need others to help us past our limitations. I was not alone.
Trust in Others Who Care About You
It takes time for the fight-or-flight chemicals to leave our bodies. Until then we may function ‘just fine’. Yet our decision-making post trauma is compromised because our nervous system takes a while to settle. Having someone in your corner that sees reality more clearly and who is willing be straight with you is priceless. And you have to be open to listening.
Make time to recuperate and reflect
Take the time you need to heal and process the event. It’s likely you won’t be on your game, so go light on work or take a complete break in order to give yourself the space to recover. While I didn’t take days completely off, I went easy enough on myself to get my energy back and clear my head. Bodywork therapies like NetworkSpinal and Polarity Therapy helped me immensely, and journaling has been incredible as well. Breathwork, mindfulness and movement were also part of my healing. I also spent the evenings with a good novel!
For further exploration:
Network Spinal – search for a practitioner near you
“We want to inspire a change in the social currency to be not one of status or prestige, but one around what it is that we’re doing for others…we think a lot can happen from making small everyday changes or actions.” – Cory Ames, CEO of Grow Ensemble
Using Business as a Force for Good
Inspiring and generous. When I think of my interactions with CEO of Grow Ensemble Cory Ames, he embodies these descriptors with passion and authenticity. He is an exemplar of his goal to make sustainable business and sustainable living the norm.
Prior to Growth Ensemble, at only 22, Cory was the CEO of a digital marketing agency. Next, he began consulting on all things digital marketing and SEO with the aim of using his skills for doing good. Now, as host of The Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, he’s gleaned immeasurable wisdom from leaders in the social impact space. Such experience lends to his credibility and thoughtful dialogue.
Drawing from roughly 180 interviews with these important players and his career, Cory takes us through:
The distinction between social entrepreneurship versus Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and examples of brands in both domains
What’s different about launching a company focused on doing good, plus helpful advice for those entering the space
How he views his role as a leader, his personal philosophy and the impact he wishes to make
And more to inspire you …
Social Entrepreneurship vs. CSR
[08:08] “[Social entrepreneurs’] object and aim is to make some sort of meaningful impact, or some sort of meaningful change. So their business exists to ideally influence something environmental, or social…in contrast, Corporate Social Responsibility is an extension or the arm of a current business model.”
Collaborate, Rather Than Compete, for the Common Good
[27:49] “If you’re in the space of wanting to use your business as a force for good to leave the world a better place, if someone else has a business whose objective is the same way, you’re tackling the same goal; you’re on the same team. So collaboration is a much more important priority than competition is in this space of sustainable business.”
Leadership in a Sustainable Business
[31:50] “I don’t have all the answers, and I want to remain very curious and open to asking questions. That’s an expectation I want to set with anyone I work with – I’m more than okay being wrong and corrected and provided with the right information…it’s for the betterment of what we’re doing, and, ultimately my betterment of understanding the world that we live in.”
