We can meet in the middle when we start telling ourselves the story others are trying to share with us.
All in Leadership
When you shoot the messenger because you don't like the messenger, you end up killing their message with it - don't! The insights brought to bear may save a project, save time, heck - even save money!
If life were a chessboard, every time we'd jaywalk, we'd get hit by a car. I grew up jaywalking on my way to school; as I sit here, I can attest that a vehicle has never hit me. Why is that?
This entry concludes a series of articles inspired by her work. I highly recommend taking a read for yourself; perhaps you'll find different inspirations?
Gifts and Risk.
A gift is an act that fulfills a need. To give a gift is to disrupt one's life to show them something better. To receive a gift requires the recipient to allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to have their being "disrupted" for something better.
Family Dinner.
Conflict is a necessary part of the human experience. We require conflict to grow. Without an ability to stretch our muscles, and break them, we cannot rebuild stronger than before. In the same way, we must be as intentional with how we introduce conflict into our gatherings. What do I mean?
We need to rethink how we invite people to connect. What's our mission? Do we know the people we seek to serve well enough that we can craft a meaningful invite? Is our message relevant to them?
If you want to inspire people to act, start with your mission. Assert who and why we are and what we are meant to do. Make our gathering matter.
It's no secret, I've never been a fan of the large annual meeting. Why?
I find them to be a waste of time. Why? Have you ever been to meetings that begin with announcements?
The beauty of the "other world" is found in the freedom it offers — the freedom to be something different, if only for a moment.
Imagine how much more powerful the tribe would become if they could see each other, feel comfortable being vulnerable (not necessarily deep) with one another, and knowing that one another had each other's backs?
Protecting your event, your audience, and your mission can involve being unpopular; however, if you believe in your mission, it's worth the risk.
Great things happen when we work together on the same level. No one is better than another, we're different. When you want to bring people together in a way that inspires action, be at the same level.
You are the steward of your gathering's mission. When you serve the audience with an experience that ties into the intention of your event, they will be inspired to act; you will create art.
If you want to bring people together in a way that inspires them to act, consider the space. Consider where your tribe likes to assemble, how they like to gather, the size of the groups when they do congregate, and whether or not you're bringing them together for a focused and intimate experience, or helping them see the bigger picture.
You can't make everybody happy. But you can work to give something meaningful to the ones you seek to serve. The ones who will be touched by your work. Those people who will tell others. You can't make everybody happy. But you can work to give something meaningful to the ones you seek to serve. The ones who will be touched by your work. Those people who will tell others.
Invite the people that you serve. They want you to share your message with them; they want to be inspired. When planning your next concert, gig, meeting, conference, or gathering - choose wisely.
Like this artist, I believe we can all do more to bring each other together for a purpose that inspires action. There's an art in how we bring people together, and Priya Parker, in her book, "The Art of Gathering," shares her insights into "How we meet, and why it matters."
You can't build a bridge across a chasm if you can't see the other side.
You can't connect with another human being if you can't see them.
Connect with others by learning to see and to speak.
Help others see the "something better."