Bold Business Podcast

Learning new skills and practicing them to gain personal confidence in our abilities at work as well as our hobbies stretches our brain. We step into and fly with the uncomfortableness of being a beginner again. And the big myth is that we are a beginner again. We are not. We bring everything we have already learned to each new skill we want to develop. So, what is the secret to developing new skills? Ivana Taylor, Marilyn Shannon, and Angela Hermans explore this with Jessica Dewell on this Voice of Bold Business Radio Leader's Discuss program.

Starting the Conversation….

• Myth of learning new skills: we don't start over.
• Grow when uncomfortable.
• What's the secret to learning new skills?

Host: Jessica Dewell Panel: Ivana Taylor, Angela Hemans, Marilyn Shannon

What You Will Hear:

Two books that approach learning and experiencing with curiosity.

Incremental improvement - do the work and take action to move forward.

An awareness to surround ourself with people and things to develop skills.

After deciding you have a skill you want to learn, take this first step.

Ask a question. Is it a skill I want to learn, if yes, research. Be ok with stumbles.

Tips for acknowledge ourself along the learning path.

Accountability and Responsibility are not interchangeable. We define the difference.

Recognize we are stuck in being comfortable & tips to change.

Evaluate our network to know who we can help us here and now.

Notable and Quotable:

Ivana Taylor: Go out [to the world] with curiosity. Explore, experiment, and examine.

Marilyn Shannon: We choose how to measure [skill development], we are the scale.

Angela Hemans: Have a system to battle the uncomfortable and do it. Prove it to ourself first.

Jessica Dewell: Step into and fly with the uncomfortableness of being a beginner again.

Marilyn Shannon: Every time I learn something, a seed is planted in me.

Ivana Taylor: Give yourself permission to fumble and fail.

Angela Hemans: We don't wake up and be an expert, give ourself time.

Angela Hemans: Responsible can mean letting something go.

Jessica Dewell: I am accountable for what happened from my actions (in the past). I own it.

Marilyn Shannon: There is nothing wrong with being comfortable. Sometimes it's perfect to just be here on earth.

Ivana Taylor: Get comfortable by stopping. Then go again. Then be comfortable. Repeat.

Angela Hemans: Sometimes our community finds us.

Ivana Taylor: Put out a clear invitation for exactly what you want.

Marilyn Shannon: Be the friend you want to be in the world.

Resources:

• ONE Skill for Every Challenge
• So Good They Can't Ignore You
• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life

Tags: learning, passion, curiosity, acknowledgement, confidence, skills, self awareness, systems, questions, fabulousness, explore, play, observe, problem solving, entrepreneur, sense of humor, stuck, procrastination, action, network, community, support,

We’re always assessing what add-value means to us. And once we know what it means to us, we know how to bring it to our position at work, to model it for others, to build in the expectation of value with each action we choose to take. Because, in the end - it's a choice.

Starting the conversation...

• What does 'add value' mean to you?

Host: Jessica Dewell

Panel: Jason Wiesgerber, Lori Anding

    What You Will Hear:

So many choices of the same …. mean that we aren’t reaching the people that need us.

Each of us has value, and we have something to add value to each interaction.

A business has its own values - so people can own their own values that the business also has.

Values are part of our choices. What we accept when pushed to do ‘more’?

Connections can run deep, if we make an effort.

What do we do when we don’t connect with the ‘value’?

Established businesses, ice cream, and perceived value.

Serve the people that we have a solution for.

Departments talk to each other so that the message lines up with what is being promised.

Connect actions to words. Recognize when disconnect is happening.

Invite feedback with respect to chain of command.

Impact may not be in ideas, it may be in filling the role we were brought in to fill.

What earned value is.

Notable & Quotable:

Lori Anding: We have so many choices. There must be differences.

Jason Weisgerber: Enoughness is what makes you personally value. Your inherent value.

Jessica Dewell: A business brings many people together.

Lori Anding: When there is love in what is made, there is a vibe that you can feel.

Jessica Dewell: Sometimes it’s hard to walk away.

Jason Weisgerber: Amazed at how many people shifted their core identity around cost value.

Jason Weisgerber: This product may not be for you.

Jessica Dewell: Invite feedback. Ask questions.

Lori Anding: In meetings, everyone has a say. Leadership can come from lowest to highest position.

Lori Anding: Everyone has an idea of how to add value.

Jessica Dewell: Avoid the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Pick one idea and follow it through to the end.

Resources:

• Raving Fans
• Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service
• The New Elevator Pitch

Tags: questions, value, intention, enoughness, motivation, culture, pushy, value add, identity, peer pressure, dissipate, dilution, offer, sales, try it, trust, new customers, customer acquisition, sales, marketing, promise, presentation, respect, chain of command, information, reliable

Learning new skills and practicing them to gain personal confidence in our abilities at work as well as our hobbies stretches our brain. We step into and fly with the uncomfortableness of being a beginner again. And the big myth is that we are a beginner again. We are not. We bring everything we have already learned to each new skill we want to develop. So, what is the secret to developing new skills? Ivana Taylor, Marilyn Shannon, and Angela Hermans explore this with Jessica Dewell on this Voice of Bold Business Radio Leader’s Discuss program. Starting the Conversation….

• Myth of learning new skills: we don’t start over.
• Grow when uncomfortable.
• What’s the secret to learning new skills?

Host: Jessica Dewell Panel: Ivana Taylor, Angela Hemans, Marilyn Shannon

What You Will Hear:

Two books that approach learning and experiencing with curiosity.

Incremental improvement - do the work and take action to move forward.

An awareness to surround ourself with people and things to develop skills.

After deciding you have a skill you want to learn, take this first step.

Ask a question. Is it a skill I want to learn, if yes, research. Be ok with stumbles.

Tips for acknowledge ourself along the learning path.

Accountability and Responsibility are not interchangeable. We define the difference.

Recognize we are stuck in being comfortable & tips to change.

Evaluate our network to know who we can help us here and now.

Notable and Quotable:

Ivana Taylor: Go out [to the world] with curiosity. Explore, experiment, and examine.

Marilyn Shannon: We choose how to measure [skill development], we are the scale.

Angela Hemans: Have a system to battle the uncomfortable and do it. Prove it to ourself first.

Jessica Dewell: Step into and fly with the uncomfortableness of being a beginner again.

Marilyn Shannon: Every time I learn something, a seed is planted in me.

Ivana Taylor: Give yourself permission to fumble and fail.

Angela Hemans: We don’t wake up and be an expert, give ourself time.

Angela Hemans: Responsible can mean letting something go.

Jessica Dewell: I am accountable for what happened from my actions (in the past). I own it.

Marilyn Shannon: There is nothing wrong with being comfortable. Sometimes it’s perfect to just be here on earth.

Ivana Taylor: Get comfortable by stopping. Then go again. Then be comfortable. Repeat.

Angela Hemans: Sometimes our community finds us.

Ivana Taylor: Put out a clear invitation for exactly what you want.

Marilyn Shannon: Be the friend you want to be in the world.

Resources:

• ONE Skill for Every Challenge
• So Good They Can’t Ignore You  
• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life  

Tags: learning, passion, curiosity, acknowledgement, confidence, skills, self awareness, systems, questions, fabulousness, explore, play, observe, problem solving, entrepreneur, sense of humor, stuck, procrastination, action, network, community, support,

Organizational culture is always changing. It's reinforced or shifted with every leader's action. While it starts with the mission and values, it's built and evolves with behavior. When times are tough, sales are stagnant/declining, there is high turnover…first we look outside to find out if there are changes that would affect us. And, it is easy to look far and wide to make it not our fault these problems exist - it's just the way things are. Its from this place that disruption can take us by surprise and set our companies farther behind.

Starting the conversation…

• What if we acknowledged current industry trends, declining trends within our organization as something can influence?
• Organizational culture plays a role in our ability to take risk, see opportunity, and achieve goals.

Host: Jessica Dewell Cohost: Tanya Bourque

What you will hear:

Blunt and kind at the same time? Culture matchup required for successful business partnerships.

Articulate the way we do business (internally and externally).

Communication styles … generationally.

Mentors and training shape the way we approach our work.

Scrutinize processes for timelessness (work in today's world) or if it requires change (because affected by changes).

Reactions to good intentions - planning for growth.

Resources (and priorities) vary from startup to established business.

Harder to get a true snapshot in the middle of growth and change.

Watch and document how roles change over time.

Set the expectation experience internally and externally.

"This is the way we've always done it" … comes out of time of change and feels safe. It takes new/different hardship to illuminate the need to change. (By the way, keeping our vision the way it's always done is what we must hang on to.)

The separation between leadership levels is smaller in smaller companies.

Use of resources - not necessarily multiple hats, but how to do-more with the strengths of our people.

Challenge: are we making the most of what we have. Find our assumptions: here's how it's always been done.

We want to contribute. Our identity in our role matters - and can get in the way of reaching goals.

Questions to ask to look at our (and our employees) contribution potential.

Tips to keep ideas going to completion.

The process of thinking through an idea - to present it and prioritize when it will be done.

Nothing is free. The skills people bring add value, give them value.

When we reach the point of no return - we've invested too much and we can only go forward.

Notable & Quotable:

Jessica Dewell: Sometimes we only laugh and breathe - we can only control our own actions.

Tanya Bourque: Culture communication style can make or break a business relationship.

Jessica Dewell: Position the culture to know how a company solves problems, communicates, and effectiveness.

Tanya Bourque: I'm a millennial, but I'm different than most. I think its in how I trained.

Jessica Dewell: Articulate vision, mission, values more important than ever before.

Jessica Dewell: How many times do we forget to get our idea out of our head so someone else can meet us where we are at?

Jessica Dewell: Acknowledge fear exists from lack of or mis communication.

Tanya Bourque: Not changing, will not see success.

Tanya Bourque: There is an ecosystem of people that help each other out in start ups. They solve problems together as a community.

Jessica Dewell: With so much investment in people that companies make, it makes sense to figure out what else they can bring to the organization.

Tanya Bourque: Prove the idea works.

Resources:

97% of all businesses in the US are small businesses (under 500 employees).

Own It, by Meridith Elliott Powell

Tags: organization structure, trends, influence, startup business, established business, thrive, culture fit, business to business, challenge assumptions, growth, plan, innovation, busy, safety, dependability, resourcefulness, responsibility, team building, think time, gig society

Organizational culture is always changing. It’s reinforced or shifted with every leader’s action. While it starts with the mission and values, it’s built and evolves with behavior. When times are tough, sales are stagnant/declining, there is high turnover…first we look outside to find out if there are changes that would affect us. And, it is easy to look far and wide to make it not our fault these problems exist - it’s just the way things are. Its from this place that disruption can take us by surprise and set our companies farther behind. Starting the conversation…

• What if we acknowledged current industry trends, declining trends within our organization as something can influence?
• Organizational culture plays a role in our ability to take risk, see opportunity, and achieve goals.

Host: Jessica Dewell    Cohost: Tanya Bourque

What you will hear:

Blunt and kind at the same time? Culture matchup required for successful business partnerships.

Articulate the way we do business (internally and externally).

Communication styles … generationally.

Mentors and training shape the way we approach our work.

Scrutinize processes for timelessness (work in today’s world) or if it requires change (because affected by changes).

Reactions to good intentions - planning for growth.

Resources (and priorities) vary from startup to established business.

Harder to get a true snapshot in the middle of growth and change.

Watch and document how roles change over time.

Set the expectation experience internally and externally.

“This is the way we’ve always done it” … comes out of time of change and feels safe. It takes new/different hardship to  illuminate the need to change.  (By the way, keeping our vision the way it’s always done is what we must hang on to.)

The separation between leadership levels is smaller in smaller companies.

Use of resources - not necessarily multiple hats, but how to do-more with the strengths of our people.

Challenge: are we making the most of what we have. Find our assumptions: here’s how it’s always been done.

We want to contribute. Our identity in our role matters - and can get in the way of reaching goals.

Questions to ask to look at our (and our employees) contribution potential.

Tips to keep ideas going to completion.

The process of thinking through an idea - to present it and prioritize when it will be done.

Nothing is free. The skills people bring add value, give them value.

When we reach the point of no return - we’ve invested too much and we can only go forward.

Notable & Quotable:

Jessica Dewell: Sometimes we only laugh and breathe - we can only control our own actions.

Tanya Bourque: Culture communication style can make or break a business relationship.

Jessica Dewell: Position the culture to know how a company solves problems, communicates, and effectiveness.

Tanya Bourque: I’m a millennial, but I’m different than most. I think its in how I trained.

Jessica Dewell: Articulate vision, mission, values more important than ever before.

Jessica Dewell: How many times do we forget to get our idea out of our head so someone else can meet us where we are at?

Jessica Dewell: Acknowledge fear exists from lack of or mis communication.

Tanya Bourque: Not changing, will not see success.

Tanya Bourque: There is an ecosystem of people that help each other out in start ups. They solve problems together as a community.

Jessica Dewell: With so much investment in people that companies make, it makes sense to figure out what else they can bring to the organization.

Tanya Bourque: Prove the idea works.

Resources:

97% of all businesses in the US are small businesses (under 500 employees).

Own It, by Meridith Elliott Powell

 

Tags: organization structure, trends, influence, startup business, established business, thrive, culture fit, business to business, challenge assumptions, growth, plan, innovation, busy, safety, dependability, resourcefulness, responsibility, team building, think time, gig society

The ability to articulate a plan (create it) and do a plan (implement it) to get to the desired result takes repetition. What we do with our plans are just as important. The follow through, the implementation also matters. For this Leaders Discuss program, set aside everything you think you know about planning. Jessica shares 5 elements of creating a plan, and then she asks Joel Dawson and Geoffrey X Lane How do you approach planning?

Starting The Conversation…

• 5 Elements of a plan that consider constraints of money and time.
• How do you approach planning?

Host: Jessica Dewell Panel: Geoffrey X Lane

What You Will Hear:

Time moves fast, reflect and remember.

Plans show up in tiny ways and grand ways.

Steps of planning are repeatable.

We've been conditioned to give answers (immediately) to why questions.

'Why' questions ARE NOT part of planning. Avoid to WHY traps.

Three 'what' questions to create a plan.

The two skills plan well.

Values are a large part of planning. Don't let them be a misfit in your business.

Conscious and unconscious action.

The bar is low. Make the plan, get milestones in place, and develop the company's planing and execution process brings results.

Where ice cream and business overlap.

Notable & Quotable:

Jessica Dewell: Keep why questions external - when creating a plan, why questions get in our own way (they build walls).

Geoffrey X Lane: [Why] is the Boobie Prize. If focused on WHY, start to lose all the things that really matter to experience life.

Geoffrey X Lane: I ask myself "What worked?" first.

Jessica Dewell: Planning starts with the skills of observation and listening that include combined with values.

Jessica Dewell: When we take on the values of a business (we are the center) we are likely to weaken relationships and have difficult communication. Have your own values.

Geoffrey X Lane: Values on paper remove communication.

Geoffrey X Lane: People make up the fabric of society.

Jessica Dewell: We all have weaknesses. And, when we understand the weaknesses and see where risks of the team are we can plan for them.

Geoffrey X Lane: A recipe is a plan. It has timing, sequencing, and preparation all in place.

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Building a Succession Plan
• 10 Steps to Creating a Project Plan
• Create A Life Plan
• Five Steps to a Strategic Plan
• 9 Steps to Developing a Plan for Action

Tags: skill, plan, reflection, scramble, anxiety, apprehension, truth, prevention, satisfaction, possibility, strategy, planning, skills

The ability to articulate a plan (create it) and do a plan (implement it) to get to the desired result takes repetition. What we do with our plans are just as important. The follow through, the implementation also matters. For this Leaders Discuss program, set aside everything you think you know about planning. Jessica shares 5 elements of creating a plan, and then she asks Joel Dawson and Geoffrey X Lane How do you approach planning? Starting The Conversation…

• 5 Elements of a plan that consider constraints of money and time.
• How do you approach planning?

Host: Jessica Dewell      Panel: Geoffrey X Lane

What You Will Hear:

Time moves fast, reflect and remember.

Plans show up in tiny ways and grand ways.

Steps of planning are repeatable.

We’ve been conditioned to give answers (immediately) to why questions.

‘Why’ questions ARE NOT part of planning. Avoid to WHY traps.

Three  ‘what’ questions to create a plan.

The two skills plan well.

Values are a large part of planning. Don’t let them be a misfit in your business.

Conscious and unconscious action.

The bar is low. Make the plan, get milestones in place, and develop the company’s planing and execution process brings results.

Where ice cream and business overlap.

Notable & Quotable:

Jessica Dewell: Keep why questions external - when creating a plan, why questions get in our own way (they build walls).

Geoffrey X Lane: [Why] is the Boobie Prize. If focused on WHY, start to lose all the things that really matter to experience life.

Geoffrey X Lane: I ask myself “What worked?” first.

Jessica Dewell: Planning starts with the skills of observation and listening that include combined with values.

Jessica Dewell: When we take on the values of a business (we are the center) we are likely to weaken relationships and have difficult communication. Have your own values.

Geoffrey X Lane: Values on paper remove communication.

Geoffrey X Lane: People make up the fabric of society.

Jessica Dewell: We all have weaknesses. And, when we understand the weaknesses and see where risks of the team are we can plan for them.

Geoffrey X Lane: A recipe is a plan. It has timing, sequencing, and preparation all in place.

Resources:

• 7 Steps to Building a Succession Plan 
• 10 Steps to Creating a Project Plan 
• Create A Life Plan 
• Five Steps to a Strategic Plan 
• 9 Steps to Developing a Plan for Action 

Tags: skill, plan, reflection, scramble, anxiety, apprehension, truth, prevention, satisfaction, possibility, strategy, planning, skills

5 Ways to Step Out of the Center of the Business As the decision makers, leaders set the culture. We decide what is allowed and tolerated (and what isn't). If we walk around and make comments that we will do something so it's done right, the team will quit trying. If we walk around saying no one understand, no one will try. If we only allow one way, our way, the team will quit trying to come up with new ideas and solve their own problems. When we put ourselves at the center of everything, we become a bottleneck and on call 24/7. Jessica Dewell and Stephanie Sims talk in depth about 5 ways to step out of the center of business and let the business work for you.

Starting the conversation...

• We all know someone (and maybe that someone is who looks back at us in a mirror) that has become THE solution. Its hard to be that person…been there. It's hard to work for that person…been there too. But why? Why is it so hard?
• focusing on how each person shows up to do the work and be fulfilled.

Host: Jessica Dewell Co-host: Stephanie Sims

What You Will Hear:

When our identity become intertwined with our company, and our role.

When the leader is in the center and is a bottleneck.

Problems that indicate culture of being the center of everything.

Mission vision values is the first step to shift away from people at the center (and put the company at the center).

Culture comes from each action of the leader.

Skills AND personal values line up.

Team building from skills and strengths. Knowledge helps us have difficult conversations.

Use the exercises of strategy and set goals every day.

Better set of questions to find the root cause and learn from experience. There is always change.

4 steps to problem solving everyone can learn and use (and then…make it right).

Self awareness and the problem solving process to break the default response.

Transparency in the mission, the goals, and the road map.

Road to more ideas and getting the team all-in is about communication.

Take a break (already!).

Mistakes are the foundation of learning.

Create space to give each person on the team a chance to have a voice.

Notable & Quotable

Stephanie Sims: We are hesitant to look at the data that defines the problems we face.

Stephanie Sims: We want to feel like people count on us.

Jessica Dewell: Our culture is set by every action [the leader] makes.

Jessica Dewell: Time spent up front to simply state vision and mission to what we do, how we find customers and deliver product sets the stage for expectations.

Stephanie Sims: Values of business are central to every position in the business. (If not, its a personal value.)

Jessica Dewell: When the company's values are the leader's values, others won't live the values the same way the leader does. It creates disappointment and frustration for the leader.

Stephanie Sims: When we put ourselves at the center, we are not at our highest and best.

Jessica Dewell: Look at and build the skills we need to move through difficult situations.

Jessica Dewell: (Each of us is a link in the chain) and each one of us has strengths and weaknesses. We must be aware of the weaknesses across the team.

Jessica Dewell: decisions are made for the point in time we are working in - be invested in the outcome for now…we can always change later.

Stephanie Sims: What makes business better: create an environment of vulnerability.

Jessica Dewell: If we don't use problem solving…our people will not problem solve.

Stephanie Sims: Build our muscle of self awareness through the problem solving process.

Stephanie Sims: Willingness to appear as a non-typical leader.

Jessica Dewell: We want our teams to learn more skills. And, that means they need to make mistakes.

Tags: decision maker, leader, solution, assumptions, control, risk, problems, hesitation, root cause, recognition, scaling, essential, shared meaning, skills, strengths, burnout, values, decision making, guidelines, failure, attempt, learning, transparent, problem solving,

5 Ways to Step Out of the Center of the Business As the decision makers, leaders set the culture. We decide what is allowed and tolerated (and what isn’t). If we walk around and make comments that we will do something so it’s done right, the team will quit trying. If we walk around saying no one understand, no one will try. If we only allow one way, our way, the team will quit trying to come up with new ideas and solve their own problems. When we put ourselves at the center of everything, we become a bottleneck and on call 24/7. Jessica Dewell and Stephanie Sims talk in depth about 5 ways to step out of the center of business and let the business work for you. Starting the conversation...

• We all know someone (and maybe that someone is who looks back at us in a mirror) that has become THE solution. Its hard to be that person…been there. It’s hard to work for that person…been there too. But why? Why is it so hard?
• focusing on how each person shows up to do the work and be fulfilled.

Host: Jessica Dewell    Co-host: Stephanie Sims

What You Will Hear:

When our identity become intertwined with our company, and our role.

When the leader is in the center and is a bottleneck.

Problems that indicate culture of being the center of everything.

Mission vision values is the first step to shift away from people at the center (and put the company at the center).

Culture comes from each action of the leader.

Skills AND personal values line up.

Team building from skills and strengths. Knowledge helps us have difficult conversations.

Use the exercises of strategy and set goals every day.

Better set of questions to find the root cause and learn from experience. There is always change.

4 steps to problem solving everyone can learn and use (and then…make it right).

Self awareness and the problem solving process to break the default response.

Transparency in the mission, the goals, and the road map.

Road to more ideas and getting the team all-in is about communication.

Take a break (already!).

Mistakes are the foundation of learning.

Create space to give each person on the team a chance to have a voice.

Notable & Quotable

Stephanie Sims: We are hesitant to look at the data that defines the problems we face.

Stephanie Sims: We want to feel like people count on us.

Jessica Dewell: Our culture is set by every action [the leader] makes.

Jessica Dewell: Time spent up front to simply state vision and mission to what we do, how we find customers and deliver product sets the stage for expectations.

Stephanie Sims: Values of business are central to every position in the business. (If not, its a personal value.)

Jessica Dewell: When the company’s values are the leader’s values, others won’t live the values the same way the leader does. It creates disappointment and frustration for the leader.

Stephanie Sims: When we put ourselves at the center, we are not at our highest and best.

Jessica Dewell: Look at and build the skills we need to move through difficult situations.

Jessica Dewell: (Each of us is a link in the chain) and each one of us has strengths and weaknesses. We must be aware of the weaknesses across the team.

Jessica Dewell: decisions are made for the point in time we are working in - be invested in the outcome for now…we can always change later.

Stephanie Sims: What makes business better: create an environment of vulnerability.

Jessica Dewell: If we don’t use problem solving…our people will not problem solve.

Stephanie Sims: Build our muscle of self awareness through the problem solving process.

Stephanie Sims: Willingness to appear as a non-typical leader.

Jessica Dewell: We want our teams to learn more skills. And, that means they need to make mistakes.

Tags:  decision maker, leader, solution, assumptions, control, risk, problems, hesitation, root cause, recognition, scaling, essential, shared meaning, skills, strengths, burnout, values, decision making, guidelines, failure, attempt, learning, transparent, problem solving,

The most basic form of communication is straightforward and easy to understand. With so many nuances, there is a tendency to include everything. Yet, it's in that inclusion that makes it hard to know what to focus on…what's the priority. Simplification is a skill, that requires effort and thinking. It's in the clarity of each message - internally and externally - every person in the company knows their contribution and can reflect that outward to clients, vendors, and contacts. Les Dossey and Jessica Dewell define problems, obstacles, and barriers and demystifying what we do once we recognize a problem exists.

Starting the conversation...

• What if we are intentional and face our problems instead of pretend they don't exist?
• knowing we can't ignore them forever, what if we were intentional with our problems?

Host: Jessica Dewell Co-host: Les Dossey

What You Will Hear:

Stories to set the stage for the conversation.

Steven Covey's finding out what actions will impact.

Problems: day to day issue that can be fixed quickly.

Obstacles: more time to resolve with varying degrees of complexity; internal.

Barriers: hard to identify and define, and made up of many problems and obstacles.

Lack of simplicity and using mission, vision, and values.

Active work. Effort to simplify communication.

Stop and think. Know what we're doing - how we contribute.

What it means to live by giving a little extra.

Tips to practice our thinking muscle, and the skills thinking includes.

Preparation, communication and our level of impact.

Honoring complexity, things happen, and it's how problems are handled.

The experience expectation and disarmingly honest.

Break down and figure out the start of a problem, obstacle, or barrier.

What 'transform' really is (and it starts with a point point) when we say 'I've got to do something here.'

Importance of how we define what we think. It shapes our experience.

Deep thinking about our individual worlds.

Notable & Quotable

Les Dossey: Give our attention to the problems, obstacles, and barriers we can influence.

Les Dossey: We tend to make things complicated, yet it's a habit that can be broken.

Jessica Dewell: It's easy to add complexity as we go along.

Jessica Dewell: The hard work [simplifying] never stops. It gets easier because we use the skill.

Jessica Dewell: Stop and think. The experience of it matters.

Les Dossey: We assign more trouble to problems, obstacles, and barriers than they really need.

Les Dossey: I'll not be surprised today because problems arise. I'm prepared to react the best way possible.

Les Dossey: Problems deserve zero negative emotion from me. Zero.

Jessica Dewell: Plan for what might happen and be prepared for it.

Jessica Dewell: The more time we upfront saves hours after the fact.

Les Dossey: [Upfront communication] makes more meaningful connection throughout our interaction.

Jessica Dewell: It's ok to fly by the seat of your pants as long as you know what direction you are flying.

Les Dossey: I'm human and I make mistakes. I know where I will mess up and where I will shine.

Jessica Dewell: Recognize assumptions too late and the problem is out of control - the pain is acute.

Les Dossey: It's not outside forces that make us feel, it's what we tell ourselves that tells us how we feel.

Les Dossey: We have the power to redefine and give something a different meaning. Give yourself freedom.

Les Dossey: The problem is never the problem. The problem is not knowing how to think.

Resources

• Goat herder Aesops Fable: A goat herder had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, "Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent."
• Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
• 4 Tips for Overcoming Obstacles
• 7 Habits of Highly Successful People
• quote Seth Godin: ready, launch, aim
• Donald Miller Story…framework
• Newport News Shipping Company mission:
• David … disarmingly honest
• Raving Fans (book)

Tags: confidence, courage, problem solving, problems, avoidance, awareness, fear, simplify, complexity, mission, vision, values, articulate, polarize, leaders, think, value, experience, think, thinking, present, emotion management, planning, example, model, integrity, impact, human connection, vulnerability, behave, decision making, assume, transform, barrier, obstacle, problem, influence