Jessica Connor

Reap what you sow

2012-01-12T15:45:00.001+11:00

Ok, we're almost two weeks into 2012. I'd best take a deep breath and have a cup of tea at this point. It has been frantic so far and other people are telling me the same. If you reap what you sow, best make sure all of what is being sown now is done with mindful awareness. What might you be sowing? How fertile is the ground? Are you putting elements in place to support the seeds? How will you prevent them from 'going to seed' and harvest at just the right time?

We could get into cropping schedules now but I won't turn all agricultural on you. My friends from uni do that much better than I do.

Want focus?

2012-01-10T12:05:00.001+11:00

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"--so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you’re sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, L. Carroll

The Art of Creating workshop is for you if you're interested in making 2012 as rich & fulfilling as it can be. You may wish to enhance family living, improve your career, be more resilient, cultivate a stronger relationship, energise your small business or study. You may be like Alice, completely unsure of where to step next. You are warmly invited to come along, consider whatever is on your mind & see what emerges!

Visit http://theartofcreating.eventbrite.com.au for more information and bookings.

Are you a visionary or a tweaker?

2011-11-09T19:26:00.001+11:00

The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world. The tweaker inherits things as they are, and has to push and pull them toward some more nearly perfect solution. That is not a lesser task.

Read more in this article about Steve Jobs

Mindful reading

2011-11-03T09:55:00.002+11:00

Yes I can improve my ability to understand and learn from what I'm reading. By being more mindful, less distracted, more present when reading.

Iain McGilchrist: The divided brain | Video on TED.com

2011-11-02T10:10:00.000+11:00

This is what I was trying to say ....

Iain McGilchrist: The divided brain | Video on TED.com

Responsibility

2011-10-18T08:30:00.000+11:00

If I was asked to run training on responsibility what would I do? I responded to this question on the Australasian Facilitators Network list this morning and it got me thinking. I'm very interested in the idea of responsibility and 'being responsible' for oneself and collectively.

My first thought was to design a process and use tools with the group to explore responsibility individually, in their own 'inner world' because it is from this place that thoughts and behaviour arise in the 'outer world'.

Also responsibility is a very diverse term, and quite a loaded word. Mixed in with duty, obligation, leadership, power, maturity, guilt and blame. Talking about it (or making representational drawings/mindmaps) wouldn't sufficiently reveal the different interpretations or understandings of the word so I'd use processes that use and also go beyond linguistic modes. Specifically, the Story Box, and/or Open Mind Open Heart cards created by Dr Natalie McDonagh. The process would certainly be informed by these art-based tools to help reveal what is not yet known about each persons inner world of responsibility.

And from here comes the easier part to simply make links to the workplace.

2011-10-03T15:30:00.002+11:00

I collaged the above 'play' sketchbook on the weekend, my first go. I thought it would help me grasp the concept of design concepts, and I think it did even though there is no evidence of that in my first piece.

Play sketchbook detail

Energy sketchbook

Today I heard about Emma Thompson's very funky graphic design on sketchbooks http://emmathomson.wordpress.com/category/sketchbooks/

2011-09-23T13:09:00.000+10:00

You are invited to the creative thinking space HeadRoom on October 7th, visit http://mcdonaghdesign.eventbrite.com for more

And for facilitators and teachers check out the workshops for some fantastic, innovative professional development.

2011-09-23T12:53:00.002+10:00

Emergent learning spaces are those in which you cannot know just what may become known, until it actually becomes known.

2011-09-13T15:23:00.001+10:00

Emergent learning spaces are those in which you cannot know just what may become known, until it actually becomes known. This is the calibre of unexpected, often profound, new knowledge that is the catalyst for radical, individual, collective and organisational change and growth.

Natalie McDonagh

2011-09-13T09:08:00.000+10:00

If you never change your mind, why have one?

Edward de Bono

2011-08-24T17:40:00.000+10:00

Coming soon. Oct 7th to Oct 12th. Melbourne.

A facilitators' festival... bite-sized workshops for anyone working 1:1 or with groups in education, counselling and organisational learning and development who would like to be better at what they do (inside out) and bring tools to the table that enhance what is possible.

Attendees will be immersed in arts-based learning benefiting from Dr Natalie McDonagh's PhD research/practice and art and design-based thinking tools. This type of professional development has transformed my facilitation practice to great effect.

2011-08-18T08:53:00.002+10:00

One of the Roving Thinkers in Residence. Courtesy of the National Employment Services Agency Conference, August 2011.

2011-08-16T15:26:00.002+10:00

Breathe

2011-08-02T11:09:00.000+10:00

'Focus' is on my mind today. How to focus, what takes my focus, how to decide what to focus on. This also means that 'distraction' is on my mind. Determined to avoid distraction because every moment of distraction is a moment I could have used for something much more helpful (granted there are the occasional moments of insight while distracted).

For me, distraction is an avoidance tactic, to avoid something I need to do that is difficult in some way. Perhaps it requires a long period of logical thought or courage or clarity. So I have to go to the root of the distraction, what is it that moves me to distraction, what am I avoiding?

After some reflection I see what it is and move into a new way of relating to it. Intuitively I break down my aim into smaller steps and start with the first one and keep suspending my distraction as best I can.

Dr John Kabat Zin writes about 'suspension of distraction' as it happened in New York after September 11; people were fully present, meeting strangers in the street with full eye contact, not distracted by the buzz of busy lives. He says it's difficult to do that in this world (especially in places like New York), so even a moment of suspending distraction is a worthwhile aim.

Fittingness: that is when your chosen pursuit and you ability to achieve it - no matter how small or insignificant both might be - are matched exactly, are fitting.

2011-08-01T14:27:00.000+10:00

Fittingness: that is when your chosen pursuit and you ability to achieve it - no matter how small or insignificant both might be - are matched exactly, are fitting. This, Claire argued, is when we become truly human, fully ourselves, beautiful. ... In Claire's presence, you were not faulty or badly designed, no, not at all. You were the fitting receptacle and instrument of your talents and beliefs and desires.

Zadie Smith, On Beauty

2011-07-29T17:38:00.002+10:00

2011-07-27T17:47:00.001+10:00

Soften.

What a great word. I say it several times over and can't help but soften mind and body in kind. A great word to remember when reacting to something, someone, some thought, before responding.

Generative questions

2011-07-19T17:11:00.000+10:00

I was so excited to see that the ABC's 'QandA' program last night was about god and religion. Yay, I love mysterious, complex topics, exploring them, twisting them about to see from many directions, looking at the wisdom that might arise. It was fantastic to see a group of adults discussing topics of such great attachment in relative ease yet ... the conversations were nothing new. Something was going on that prevented truly new ideas from arising.

It was good to see that the panel members were open to others views e.g. "this is what I believe but I accept other people have different beliefs" and they were all fantastically thoughtful people on the panel. But because of the questions asked and answers given, it seemed that the panel members were there to declare and protect their own views which only served to reinforce their own position (John Safran perhaps the only exception). Yes, as a human, I can admit to doing this too sometimes...

I see people 'projecting and protecting' their views at times in groups I facilitate but religion is a prime example of a topic that seems to click (almost) everyone into a very fixed mode of mind, not open, receptive or exploratory. It would be great to facilitate a TV program like this where people move out of their well worn patch of ground, with the aim being to create a space where new knowledge, new ideas and connections can emerge.

In this case of Q and A I don't think the panel members set out to project and protect their views, it was more subtle, a defensive way of thinking that, if it was noticed it might actually shift a little allowing softer, more open meeting of minds. Now that I think further the whole model of the show prevents it from breaking new ground. Even though I think they'd like to break new ground 'questions and answers' is not a generative, expansive facilitation process but different questions might help. I'd love to hear:
'to what degree are you protective of your views? and why?'
'what is similar about what you all believe?'
'what has led to your views changing over the years?'
'what challenges you most about your beliefs?'

'how (not what) do you think about *insert topic here*?'

'how do your beliefs affect how you make choices?'

Then we could learn so much more from amazing people on TV!

Distracted from distraction by distraction

2011-07-14T13:25:00.000+10:00

It's a real talent to notice procrastination before or soon after it sets in. Someone I'm really inspired by at the moment is Rachael Jayne Groover (my soul-sister-in-law), founder of The Yin Project. Geez has this woman done a huge amount of work in the last two years or what!? A book launch this week saw her writings rise high up on the bestseller charts of Amazon dot com. Once when I was getting a little advice from Rachael Jayne on how to be more effective with my work time she said I should try 'swallowing the biggest frog first' i.e. look at the job list and do the one I most want to AVOID. This has worked a treat. But to day in day out take huge steps like Rachael has, and many others do, demands so much self-discipline and clarity of purpose I sit back in awe.

Now that makes me think about verticality. Being vertical (metaphorically speaking) is a way of being that promotes clarity, decision and action, as opposed to being horizontal, where we are more likely collapsed in indecision, procrastination and low motivation. I'll write more on this some other time, it's a concept that's very helpful and may one day lead to me publishing books, hosting sellout events and building a centre for emergent learning.

That line 'Distracted from distraction by distraction' is from a T.S. Eliot poem. Cool isn't it.

2011-07-07T13:59:00.000+10:00

I'm still making up my mind about what I want to say within this post. What I know is that I'm inspired by a mind-expanding book I'm reading and that by articulating some insights that are arising they will become (more) real and exist in the world with others, not just in the lone space of self.

"An inner experience only achieves true completeness when spoken" S. Batchelor

Stephen Batchelor in 'Alone with Others' writes about becoming better able to rest in our capacity of full aloneness, and better able to more fully be with others. He writes that self-concern, affection, indifference and aversion to others actually prevent me from truly being with others, they get in the way.

He says self-concern can 'operate very deviously even in the person who outwardly appears to be thoroughly altruistic'. Self-concern 'stunts and distorts the growth of a person as a whole' because, despite good intentions and generous deeds, it 'silently measures the ultimate worth of these things in terms of the personal satisfaction that results from them.'

Tell me if I'm wrong but I think that, in our society, the personal satisfaction one gets from doing a good deed is commonly reflected on as a key motivator. Batchelor is saying that this is what keeps us apart, that instead we could look differently on helping someone or alleviating someones suffering. 'Just as I seek comfort, security and happiness, and wish to avoid suffering, fear and pain, so do you'. So given that we are all so similar, he suggests that I ask myself 'what is so special about me? Why do I strive for my happiness alone? And when both myself and others are similar in that we do not wish to suffer, what is so special about me?' These questions are to be held and pondered to challenge what I experience as overwhelming cultural inclination of self-concern. Helping someone is not about me feeling good, it's about benefiting others because they are beings like myself, and alleviating misery because it is suffering, just like my own.

After a good sitting with the book and arriving at the train station last night in the constant rain I wanted to offer people who had to walk a lift home in my car so they could stay warm. I wasn't quite courageous enough to suggest it in the moment, but maybe next time.

2011-06-30T12:28:00.000+10:00

I'm loving the following thoughts on innovation. Dr Natalie McDonagh, who I collaborate with, included these thoughts in a piece of beautiful communication material about tools, workshops and design commissions we're offering organisations.

"In a modern company 70 to 80 percent of what people do is now done by way of their intellects. The critical means of production is small, grey and weights around 1.3 kilograms. It is the human brain.

By innovation, ... we mean total innovation - a frame of mind that applies to everyone at the company, everything, everywhere, and that goes on non-stop. it turns the company into an idea and dream factory that competes on imagination, inspiration, ingenuity, and initiative.

In our times, organisational innovation means creating conditions that enable a constant flow of creativity ..." - Norstrom and Ridderstrale "Funky Business"

And then, Natalie writes "Being innovative is a dynamic set of inner world conditions where mind is self-aware, capable of insight into itself and its habits; able to work in diverse and nonverbal modes; open, flexile, exploratory and imaginative in its workings."

I tell you there are some people who are, when required, mind-bogglingly innovative and Natalie is one of them. Some people are better at being helpfully innovative and can activate this way of being better than others. And most certainly like a muscle, if you work on your innovation muscle it is prepared to respond when you need it to. I'm off to the innovation gym...

2011-06-23T14:21:00.000+10:00

I'd begun writing content for a new thinking tool 'to help farmers make sense of and relate information to their own situation', aka a sense-making tool. I thought this tool would form the basis of a process I could use with farmer groups after expert presentations and significant amount of content delivery to facilitate sense-making.

This idea arose in response to a. my clients objectives and b. my pressing feeling that I could help attendees make sense more effectively than using the already quite helpful facilitatory processes I was employing in these sessions.

A thinking tool, after considerable thought, didn't sit very well with me for this particular purpose. I realised that it isn't helpful to introduce new 'stuff' at the point in a learning space after lots of content delivery combined with sense-making.

Less not more is required.

Tangible thinking tool to the back-burner.

I took a walk, to think about what might help folks make sense of information. I ambled, power-walked, thought and didn't think. All of a sudden I noticed that I was sense-making.

This realisation made me see the obvious. What people need in order to relate new information to their own situation is time and space to do whatever it is they need to do in response to what they've heard. This forms the basis of my enjoyable and neatly effective "Connecting the Dots" process.

The name of the process and the emergent space in which it emerged credited with thanks to Dr Natalie McDonagh.

2011-06-17T14:08:00.001+10:00

Emotional and irate people and groups are common experiences for many facilitators. Recently I've been in a conversation about this topic on the Professional Facilitators Network. One facilitator asked - how to handle venting?

She was given some very constructive advice relating to processes e.g. circles of control, concern, influence. I added some other thoughts that might help the facilitator make the most of the three hours available.

"It is worthwhile considering how you will prepare yourself to be truly present for whatever arises. This is just for your private reflection. You might do an activity on www.mcdonaghdesign.com using the thinking tool 'The Art of Care' ask 'what might I consider to will sustain myself during and after these sessions?' NB You don't need to sign up to use this tool.

Regarding the physical space - arrive early and consider how you can make it as nurturing and welcoming as possible: Music, lighting, arrangement, temperature, cleanliness, refreshments, etc.

During the workshop it is worthy noticing you 'hold' yourself and the group when venting occurs. What thoughts and feelings arise for you? Hold these as lightly as possible. The intention here is that by you being more aware of self, others and the process it will enable you to respond more effectively in the moment to what arises."

So for any facilitator working with people who are angry or upset I wish you well, it's not easy.

Feedback on feedback

2011-06-13T14:29:00.000+10:00

Feedback part 1.

I've been chatting with a few people about giving and receiving feedback lately.

One person, in her workplace as part of management training, found it beneficial and (generally) affirming.
Another person, in a friendship, would like to offer some feedback to another friend of ours.
And an ex-colleague and friend, invited me to respond to her 360 degree feedback process. I declined.

How much of giving feedback is about wanting people to be more like me? Live more like me? Act more like me? Inevitably the feedback I give is tied to how I think life should be lived (gently, thoughtfully), what I value (care, fun, harmony), and what matters to me in a workplace (including creativity, flexibility, efficiency, curiosity).

So feedback is given through a particular lens, the lens of the giver. Often with the hope that the feedback recipient will modify something about what they say or do at work, home or in a relationship. Perhaps this makes us all more like each other and reduces diversity. I wonder if organisations with very strong feedback cultures have the lowest diversity - I imagine they would, because any time someone's behaviour is inconvenient or disliked by others there is an easy channel for asking that person to change. I'm open to the idea that I may be way off the mark here. It just seems worthy to question it.

Many great improvements have been achieved through giving and receiving feedback but how much harm has it done? How often is it given unwanted and unwelcome, judgementally, and to the detriment of self-confidence? Why do many of us value someone telling us that we've done a good job more than realising to ourselves that we've done a good job?

Next time I'll go on a little more on this old high horse, maybe to talk about the value of cultivating acceptance of diversity and how...

2011-06-10T20:41:00.000+10:00

Galleries are great, but I sometimes forget that I'm in one every day. I look up and there's a new feast for the eyes exhibiting itself, moving arrangements of blue, white and greys that have never been before and never will again. I call it (unoriginally) the 'sky gallery'. At certain times of the day a whole new range of colours enter the gallery, the exhibition slowly shifting through shades of purple, orange, yellow, magenta, black and so on.

From Spencer St station (oops I mean Southern Cross) today I caught a view framed by the roof and walls, a square through which I could see the sky. The most gorgeous cloud passed over the blue backdrop which made the wait for the train all the more interesting.

Truth be told the train broke down on the way home, a hose had ruptured and the handyman train driver needed to fix it. I forgot about the gallery out my window then, and shared a snack with my fellow passenger.

This is a story for story's sake. No point. Just fun. Why do things need to have a point anyway?

2011-06-09T08:26:00.000+10:00

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

Through the unknown, unremembered gate

When the last of earth left to discover

Is that which was the beginning

T.S.Eliot - Four Quartets

2011-06-07T17:31:00.000+10:00

I was in a room last night with 45 odd people, all with different views on the topic under discussion. Not just different views, but the whole range of positions on the issue. Some were unclear, some were clear and fixed, others angry and / or skeptical... which is totally understandable because it was such a complex topic with acres of grey area.

As facilitator I kept trying to open up the thinking, rather than allow proceedings to close down or collapse - which is what it felt like might happen.

Climate change & the carbon crisis are huge issues and there's already a lot of angst in (parts of) the community. I think we need to put resources into helping people be ok with the angst, to work with the angst in the face of mega uncertainty. I've mentioned Keats before and his sentiment about negative capability is becoming more and more relevant... people need to develop their capacity to be in the mysteries, uncertainties and doubts of life in order to remain productive, functioning humans who can make good decisions.

Along with that reliable sources of information on this complex / uncertain topic, and decisions about ETS and carbon tax should be a priority of government. There are psychological costs allowing people to hang out in the fog when their livelihoods are under question.

2011-06-06T11:39:00.000+10:00

I was talking with a few very wordly women on the weekend, we were discussing the 'dodgyness' of governments. We talked about asylum seekers being sent to Malaysia and electronic waste being shipped to the developing world for children to sort through. We then wondered, how much do we actually know about the wrongs that happen in the world? Do we hear about 10% of them? There was a heavy feeling that filled the air, such ominous thoughts as the backdrop to our conversation. Lots of thought and energy going into talking about the problem. Then the key question came out - what can we do about it?

What can we do?

The whole focus shifted, some of us agreed to take some action, some small steps this week to support human rights.

Instead of using my time and energy venting (although I find that some venting is also important), I want to take some small step to address my concerns. As Gotye (Wally de Backer) says 'write a letter'.

2011-06-02T15:10:00.002+10:00

My observation of most of the western world is that humans tend to operate in a way that is very pragmatic, externally-focussed and action orientated. This is not a criticism, it just seems to me that the inner dimension gets neglected in this, and this is the place I’m coming from.

So for better living and working I believe the focus on 'doing' needs to go hand in hand with consideration and contemplation of the more philosophical and the human inner world, where our values and beliefs reside, given that this is the space that gives rise to our focus and actions.

Tomorrow I facilitate at a conference where there is an opportunity to explore and consider both inner and outer worlds, to put a more considered step forward, which will make for much richer discussions and create better and more sustainable outcomes.

In essence the conference will be contained by a process of creative reflection conducted at beginning and end, and at a few intervals in between, supporting and enhancing the Open Space Technology process.

I'm excited, my guess is it will be a welcome balance for those involved.

2011-06-02T08:18:00.001+10:00

Too much time in front of a computer screen this week I reckon. You too?

Today I commit to finding ways to use paper and pencil, pin board and cut outs and books, real books, to support my work day. The tiredness at the edge of my eyes is grateful for this commitment. I shut them for a moment, take a deep breath and continue on for now, there's a list sitting next to me that needs some tick offs.

It's funny how being in front of the computer feels like work, even if I'm not being productive, or doing some research that should take 10 minutes ballooning into 1 hour before I know it. This would be a good point to get back to my job list.

2011-05-31T10:35:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I was asked 'what stops you?' A learning space emerged where I was able to reveal previously unknown habits of mind to myself. Cast back to age 13, I didn't want to be heard or stand out, I preferred to fade into the background. My intellect / reason tells me I'm well past that. My bodily memory had other ideas.

That's what was stopping me.

2011-05-30T14:52:00.000+10:00

The barrel with open seams cannot contain itself.

As is a mind that thinks and reflects unnecessarily, compulsively, from sheer force of nervous habit. A leaky mind.

- from p18 'Become What You Are', Alan Watts

What shall I do with that? Nothing. Just sit, breathe and relax my concentration, seeping into the task at hand.

2011-05-27T09:10:00.001+10:00

I wish that everyone who truly wants to improve, improves.

2011-05-25T21:10:00.002+10:00

Download pdf flyer - facilitation by Jessica Connor

What's on your mind today?

2011-05-25T20:28:00.000+10:00

What's influencing my mind today?

Well a workshop I ran today is staying with me. Does anyone else think trees are beings? The group I was facilitating a workshop with, an exploration of connection to nature, don't think trees are beings. Do they think about trees? No. And this question set of a round of laughter. I didn't laugh at them for the fact they never think about trees.

You do what you do.

It's just easy to forget that what I value and think about isn't the norm. It's just normal for me.

2011-05-24T14:44:00.001+10:00

Sometimes the 'stars' have little pearls of wisdom that come at just the right time. This is why I read them. Today in a cafe, I picked up the weekend magazine of a Victorian newspaper and the Taurus write up said;

'Don't ask why something can't happen, instead ask why it can and how'.

Positive psychology 101, I know. But it is easy to forget that a simple shift in the question can change my whole outlook. Thank you random tatty weekend magazine, found on a Tuesday.

2011-05-23T19:51:00.002+10:00

Are you able to notice your mind's response to this image? Is it with like, dislike, curiosity, rejection or something else?

I wonder about the person who painted this with his or her two spray cans in a Brunswick park as it looks to me like some kind of creative expression of their inner world. It seems that they aren't very happy, cornered in that doorway yet somehow securely fixed onto the security door. Hopefully they felt better after painting it.

2011-05-20T11:53:00.001+10:00

To concentrate - what a joy. But it is so difficult. I guess practice can help, which reminds me, I'd better get back to what I'm supposed to be completely concentrating on.

'To the degree to which you are seeing

properly, you are unaware of your eyes. In

the same way, if your clothes fit well, you’re

unaware of them on your body. And if you’re

completely concentrated on what you’re

doing, you’re unaware of yourself.'

- Alan Watts (1960)

2011-05-19T16:22:00.000+10:00

Thank you Keats...

'At once it struck me what quality went to form a Man (or Woman) of Achievement... I mean Negative Capability, that is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after facts and reason.'

Reference from Claxton, The Wayward Mind p.149.

Adaptive facilitation

2011-05-16T18:06:00.002+10:00

Today I handed the learning back to the group, ah such a lovely moment. ‘Do what you need to do in response to what you have just heard. Make notes, chat with a presenter or other attendees about what you want to be talking about. Make an important phone call. Read the flyers that might normally sit in the ‘to read’ pile for a month then become a firelighter another month later. Then let us know what you’ve come up with.’ It was wonderful. These busy people who had taken time out of their day to attend a forum were energised and refreshed, we trusted they’d gravitate towards their own learning styles and they did. As a result this processing time, the time when learning is integrated and related to ones own situation was more relevant and meaningful, the feedback attested to this. I get to try it at two more forums tomorrow…

'I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection' - Leo Da Vinci.

2011-05-14T11:14:00.000+10:00

"Often the organisations declared vision, structure and model are almost irrelevant compared to its ability to incorporate differences of opinion and diverse styles of communication."
From A. Mindell 'Sitting in the Fire'

How do I respond to differences of opinion? How might I better accommodate diverse styles of communication?

2011-04-26T10:31:00.001+10:00

Have you ever been taught that it is important to identify your emotions to others in the workplace? And that sharing your feelings and emotions with your team is promoted as being a way to build a more inclusive and better functioning team. This can be helpful but only to a certain extent.

When was the last time you felt ‘put out’ by what someone said? Probably recently, it is easy to feel that way. But what if sharing that you had an emotional response to the comment was actually a less helpful response? Do you ever just notice your own reaction and sit with it without acting? Or at least wait until it is looked at from a few angles when you have the presence of mind to determine if you need to respond/seek clarity or you might see that it is just part of a bigger pattern of your own.

There’s a chance that feeling ‘put out’ is related to a habit of mind, a pattern of thinking and if so, you will benefit from considering that pattern. Do you ever:

take things personally when they weren’t intended that way?
make what occurred mean something before you’ve checked the intended meaning - e.g. they said x so that means they think I am no good?
feel under-valued?

This is very, very common and the only reason I see this so clearly in workplaces is that I’ve experienced it too. I invite you into the thick of it, which might mean holding your emotions more lightly while you zoom out, zoom in and zoom around the issue at hand.

Courageous choices

2011-03-30T16:45:00.000+11:00

I had to share this, it's from Mark Silver, a business mentor from www.heartofbusiness.com
"I had taken off work Wednesday morning to spend time with one of my sons. I got the bike trailer out, put Sam's helmet on his head, buckled him in, hitched up and pedaled off for the park.

I spent time following him from the swings, to a play structure with a bridge he likes to run across, to the see-saw, to the sandbox, and back to the swings.

He likes to go on the big boy swings, where he just holds onto the chains instead of sitting inside the bucket seat. An older boy was on the next swing over, and he was leaning way over, doing antics like young boys do. His cool corduroy hat fell off into the woodchips.

"Dude, your hat fell off!" I told him. "Yeah, I know." "Want me to get it for you?" I offered. "Nah, I want to try."

He held on with one hand and one leg, leaning way over trying to grab the hat. He missed, falling into the woodchips, and smiled ruefully.

His mom yelled out, "What were you trying to do?" "I was just trying to get my hat, mom." "Not a good choice, was it?" she told him.

Huh? I thought the kid had made a terrific choice. He tried something, he reached, he stretched.

Listen, I know parenting has one thousand heart-attacks a minute. So does running a business. If that young boy had been swinging over an alligator pit, or standing on the roof of a moving car, that would've been a bad choice.

But having fun reaching for a dropped hat?

Question: Where are you being too careful, trying not to skin your knee, when you could be having fun and being a little reckless in your business?"
To add to that when you could be having fun and being a little reckless in your career, following your interests, creating the year you're hoping for?

Quality of step

2011-03-11T18:43:00.000+11:00

I was up at Mt Baw Baw this week, hiking with a group young adults and I spent some time walking through fields of Sphagnum Moss, a very beautiful and unique plant! It’s estimated that one hoof print in this moss from a cow takes 50 years to recover. I wonder what steps we take that make much more of an impact than we realise? How conscious is your step, at work? At home? In nature?

What's so special about quotes?

2011-02-08T13:18:00.001+11:00

Many of us love hearing a good quote. There's been an energised discussion about quotes within the Australasian Facilitators Network over the past week.

He wrapped himself in quotations -

as a beggar would enfold himself in

the purple of Emperors

- Rudyard Kipling

What’s so special about quotes?

To me they serve as a modern day, bite-size poem. Good quotes have a poetic effect of opening our minds to more than was there a minute ago and can interrupt the speed of thoughts, the noise that so often prevents clear and spacious thinking. Each person has their own private response to a quote, good quotes are like good art. Victor K says that, in relation to one of his favourite quotes, ‘after all these years typing it still gives me goose bumps’.

One often cited reason many facilitators value good quotes is that timely use of a quote can shift the whole thinking in a room when a group is working together, destabilising the ‘group think’ which can be a great step towards more productive, innovative groups.

Let’s say we want to think about boredom, we could brainstorm about it, draw it, make a plan to avoid it or soak this in:

The cure for boredom is curiosity.

There is no cure for curiosity.

- Eleannor Roosevelt

Are you able to notice how your mind responded to the above?

Quotes can give us indirect reminders and inspiration when considering a decision, planning or life in general:

When faced with the choice between two evils

I always chose the one I haven't tried before.

Mae West

What was Mae telling us? Perhaps be courageous, or don’t take life too seriously. More importantly what inspiration did you take from her words? And speaking of not taking ourselves too seriously...

Hydrogen is a colourless odourless gas

that given enough time turns into people

- Unknown

And finally, Einstein knew the value of quotes, poetry and art (and potentially predicted there would be web-pages full of his bite-sized wisdoms) because:

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

The newish year ahead

2011-01-24T10:17:00.003+11:00

At this time of year many of us will be contemplating the new year ahead, perhaps feeling compelled or wishing to make changes in our ways of being and ways of doing. We may be forming intentions, setting goals and making plans ... but, as we know, even the best laid plans and the strongest commitments can go astray when we experience unanticipated changes in our circumstances or encounter unexpected events.

How can we be more adaptive in meeting whatever the year may bring?

How can we be responsive and flexible enough to both adapt well and hold true to our commitments to self and others?

These questions are worthy of consideration, if you would like to know more about the Creative contemplation workshop based on these questions 'Self as adaptive vessel' contact Jess for a flyer via jlconnorconsulting@gmail.com or visit the 'Creative contemplation' tab.

5 ways to see in the new year

2010-12-29T17:18:00.002+11:00

Have you ever wondered, how will this new year’s eve be any different? How can I make it more meaningful? Why do I often have a disappointing night? There are a lot of options out there in terms of what to do on NYE, but how will you be?

Intuitive

What do you feel like doing? Something adventurous or wild? Something restful or quiet or creative? Who would you like to be around?

Expectant

Notice your expectations, what are they? Dig deeper, what are they really? Of yourself, of others, of the night, of the new year? Allow yourself to be more aware of your expectations, then hold them lightly.

Accepting

Practice gracious acceptance of the given, where you are, who is there, what you are doing. Imagine that the level of acceptance you can have for this evening alone will transmit throughout your year ahead.

Generous

Be generous simply by being present to those around you and the space created, be interested, listen well, be caring and non-judgmental towards yourself, others and other people's choices.

Grateful

Wherever you are, whatever you do, take this time to think about what and who you are grateful for, what you’re proud of, what you’re looking forward to. Keep these thoughts with you over the course of the evening and into 2011.

Mindfulness

2010-12-15T17:46:00.002+11:00

Mindfulness is the practice of being in touch with and aware of the present moment, as well as practicing accepting your inner experience. For those of you who would like to read more about mindfulness the Internet hosts many and varied definitions. I like the following on-line reference:
http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/mindfulness-wellbeing

If you are practicing or interested in practicing mindfulness I'd love to hear from you, how is it going? What have you noticed?

Some notes on Creative Contemplation and The Art of Wellbeing

2010-12-09T12:56:00.003+11:00

Anyone who has ever enjoyed creating something with their hands will be able to relate to artist Lee U-fan’s insightful reflection on art-making. His poetic description takes us beyond art as making into art as a way of knowing – into the wisdom of the thinking body. I offered a workshop recently on Wellbeing, and we delved into the wisdom of the thinking body using Creative Contemplation^®, a potent methodology of art-based self-inquiry to reach beyond our intellectual knowledge to access the embodied wisdom of Lee’s observation.

For the past seven years I have trained and practised with Dr Natalie McDonagh, originator of Creative Contemplation^®. Natalie is an experienced designer and artist and we share an unshakeable belief in art as a vital way of knowing much needed in our complex and uncertain times. Creative Contemplation^® evolved during a decade of Natalie’s applied practice and doctoral research investigating art-based thinking in organisational learning and development. Emergent spaces created by this methodology of thinking through the hands, readily accessible to people who are not trained or practising artists, is proven able to generate profound self-insight and, from this, radical and sustained changes in ways of seeing, thinking and doing, far beyond anything achieved by more conventional approaches.

More about The Art of Wellbeing

The Art of Wellbeing workshop offers time and space to activate (and cultivate) the mind of the sensate, knowing body and compassionately contemplate physical, mental, spiritual wellbeing as it is to you, in your life. This gentle, small group session is now available to interested groups (minimum of 10)as an enlightening, restorative and timely way to attend to your wellbeing, to deepen your self-understanding and fortify yourself as we move into the new year and meet what it may bring.

Tea and tigers - supporting yourself during times of change

2010-10-19T11:24:00.001+11:00

I’m just back from facilitating a personal growth journey with a group of volunteers in Cambodia. There were many challenges and learnings for them along the way, but the biggest jolt for most would be returning to life at home, known as reverse culture shock. I prepared them for this jolt in advance which has inspired me to write about what you can do for yourself or your work team or group when facing change.

So you have a big change looming. E.g. a career change, lifestyle change, or you are overseas volunteering and returning to ‘normal life’. You can support yourself through this change by preparing for it, using the time before you make the change to do some individual or group reflection. A simple reflection on the following is helpful, give yourself plenty of time, space, tea and a journal and if you have one use a thinking tool e.g. Oblique Inspirations (www.mcdonaghdesign.com) … ask:

- What might I consider to sustain/support myself during this time of change?

- What actions will I take daily that will help keep me balanced?

Returning to the Western world after time in a developing country is a special case. No matter how long one has spent in the developing world whilst away, most enjoy aspects of it that are unique to the lifestyle. So, again give yourself plenty of time and space to reflect and ask:

- What are the aspects/characteristics of living in this place that I enjoy?

- Which of these would I like to cultivate in my daily life back home? How might I do this?

Change is the only constant. Let’s get better at coping with change by growing our inner world resources. I’d love to hear from you about how you are coping with change and provide support as needed.

Change and decision making

2010-09-09T17:32:00.002+10:00

In my experience, when given the time and space to reflect on it, most people realise they aren't living out a personally sustainable lifestyle, but they do know what they need to do to sustain themselves. It's really helpful to slow down and ask yourself 'how am I?', 'what do I need to consider in order to sustain myself or to be sustaining?'

What sustains you? What are your healthy ways of relaxing and stilling your mind?

The above responses are from a great group of people in a rural Victorian community at a change and decision making workshop I facilitated in August. What is there to tell people who have been making decisions all of their lives? The collective age in the room was high, over 550 years.

Well we proceeded in a way that got all involved, talking about and pondering our own experience, and what we’ve learnt, alongside activities to enliven the exploration and inquiry. It was clear that we make better decisions when we're coping well and sustaining ourselves.

If you'd like to be emailed an introductory activity from this workshop I offer, to help you relax and sustain yourself, please email me at jlconnorconsulting@gmail.com and request the 'Active Relaxation' process.

Building your intuition and creativity muscles

2010-08-04T20:21:00.000+10:00

Two things I’m really interested in are intuition and creativity, and the connections between the two. When we’re thinking and ‘in our head’ we’re much less in touch with both intuition and creativity.

When we’re not in touch with our intuition what’s the effect? Is it our well-being the suffers? Do our decisions suffer? I say, as do many researchers including Guy Claxton, that we are tapping into a greater level of intelligence when using intuition. What does this mean? It means that by thinking and being ‘in our heads’ all the time, we are making ourselves dumber than we need to be!

So let the intuition exercises begin! Result = more intelligence, more creativity… Perhaps!

I once solved a problem much more effectively when, after exhausting myself trying to solve it, I turned my attention elsewhere, to a more intuitive, relaxed mode when an answer arose, it just popped in to my awareness. I’d give credit to my thinking skills if I hadn’t read so much on the power of intuition. You hear stories like this all the time too, even Einstein worked out most of his complex problems after taking a break from thinking about the problem, when he had a ‘still mind’.

Ok back to the intuition exercises…

Exercise 1: When deciding on something – ask quietly – what does my intuition say?

Exercise 2: If your thought is running overtime, simply slow and deepen your breath and stay with it for as long as you need.

Exercise 3: When your feeling/emotion around something is conflicting with the thought, try trusting the feeling instead of the thought, see what happens.

I’d love to hear from you if you are practicing developing your intuition and creativity – what works for you? What have you noticed?

Jess

How to support the people working in climate change and sustainability sectors?

2010-07-13T14:15:00.002+10:00

One big motivator for me (and JL Connor Consulting) is to provide support and services to people working in areas connected with sustainability and climate change. In these fields there is a huge amount of focus on the outer world, on how to sustain our world. What is the most sustainable option? How should it be managed? What are the likely impacts? How can we get more community support and education? And the list goes on. What I see as very important to address is that this sector holds a significant 'weight' on behalf of the public as they understand the science more than the average person, they have some idea of the complexity of the situation and are faced with the uncertainty that a fragile and changing climate creates.

In our work in the sustainability sector we've become clear that there is a real need for a) time-out for people to re-charge, reflect and reconsider sustainability on a personal level, and b) tools designed to help navigate the inner landscape, to reveal habits of mind and cultivate adaptive/creative mind better equipped to deal with the complexity and uncertainty we all face and the associated big emotions.

JL Connor Consulting provides the above, through ready-made and custom designed thinking tools and experiential learning forums based on PhD research by Dr Natalie McDonagh. If you are interested in learning more please feel welcome to be in touch, you can email me, Jess Connor at jlconnorconsulting@gmail.com.

Susie Waller, PhD candidate – sustainability education, Curtin University, WA:

"I've had lots of thoughts since the AM,SS (Adaptive Mind, Sustaining Spirit) workshop. It really is amazing that having studied and worked in the area of sustainability for more than a decade, I hadn't really sat down and asked those questions of myself! I can see it is a valuable tool for engaging people in both personal reflections and broader discussions about sustainability."

Rodney Safstrom, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia:

"In May 2010 Jess Connor ran an Adaptive Mind, Sustaining Spirit workshop in Perth WA with self selected experienced sustainability practitioners from government, university and community in Perth.

I am familiar with this style of self reflection for learning but I was pleasantly surprised at the insights the process brought me. I really looked at the rhythms of my life that currently support me, are they habitual, do they serve me, what could I do differently? A very timely wake up call!"

Intuition as a tool for decision-making

2010-06-29T18:30:00.000+10:00

Intuition’s not a feature decision-making tool in schools, in workplaces or in politics. In some settings I’ve heard it mentioned, or not heard it, with many unhelpful associations. The research evidence shows that intuition is actually a valid tool to assist decision-making. Nevertheless, we’re much more likely to rely on a more limited approach to working something out, using techniques including strategize and analyze.

How do you make decisions? There are many applied ways of trying to solve an issue, to identify the solution by deliberate, earnest thinking. Guy Claxton calls this hard thinking and, although these kinds of strategies have their uses, they can be counter-productive. He even quotes research demonstrating people having more success with choices made intuitively than systematically and explicitly!

Why write about intuition?

I’ve been considering how we might more effectively include intuitive decision making tools and methods in group facilitation and community engagement. The experiments have begun, I offered a workshop last week which was all about enhancing intuition and creativity, with fabulous feedback. Here are a few comments:

"I appreciated the safety of the space and the private - yet collaborative - atmosphere. And there is stuff to keep! I developed greater confidence in my intuition and the ability of my creativity to traverse genres/art modes" - Belinda McArdle, Acabellas Singing

"I enjoyed the 'time out' to enjoy just being" - Liz Patterson, Department of Sustainability and Environment

"My intuition and creativity needs a lot of work. Today was a starting point to getting it to work and putting it in motion. I enjoyed relaxing and painting" – Anon, Business Manager.

In the spirit of ‘being the change I wish to see’ I will continue to experiment with various modes of thinking and decision making – both personally and in my facilitation practice. If you would like to experiment using different modes of thinking with your team then I’m happy to help.

Self-sustaining inner landscape

2010-05-31T10:40:00.000+10:00

A number of JL Connor Consulting activities this month have focused on sustaining self (Adaptive Mind, Sustaining Spirit), or this topic has come up indirectly. I was working with some young adults on an outdoor education program in Western Australia and they told me they have trouble with 'busy mind', especially when it comes time to sleep. I told them I use a number of strategies to assist with this, 'would you like to try some out'? In a group of 18 I finally had their undivided attention - so they could learn how to consciously relax.

In other work, with courageous and inquisitive sustainability professionals, some identified their desire to 'slow down', to not spread themselves so thinly ... in this case too much diversity working against sustaining the inner world. Is this you? Or are there changes you need to make that you have been putting off? Do you see the world in back, white and one shade of grey - how might this be un-sustaining for your inner world, how does it show up in your outer world?

Only you have the answers and self-inquiry will allow the answers to emerge.

Professional reflection

2010-05-03T14:47:00.001+10:00

How often do you reflect on:

Your performance?
Whether you are on track?
How your team is working together?

The benefits and value of this process you can only know after going through it. You will find blind spots, risks, opportunities for improvement that only you can identify. Facilitating a recent event I was reminded of one of my facilitation values. There was much to discuss with some emotional content and time kept slipping away due to longer than planned presentations and lots of questions. We got through the day balancing the conflicts of limited time with a high degree of content and energy. The value I was reminded of:

'Don't make agendas too busy - we live in a busy world and there is a high degree of value and better learning and outcomes when we create a spacious meeting'.