Part 1 - Indentured Care
For a little while now, I have had the honor to work with students who have made the personal choice to pursue individual development through the use of a tutor – specifically, a writing tutor. Tutoring is an unexpected chapter in my life that was made possible by faculty who had confidence in me. This confidence is defined by their entrusting to me the individual development of their students. The students reveal some personal part of themselves each time we meet. Together, these are the threads that weave the fabric of trust.
Trust is the foundation of individual development. In this post, I write to the unexpected gift of trust that is multi faceted and exchanged through shared experiences.
Lifetime Experience
I am beyond the half-century mark of my lifetime, where my own experiences have developed a sense of standing in me – I know those things I know. Still, I have learned new things about myself through my experiences with students who are at the quarter century mark in their lifetime. These experiences which inform my learning are the unexpected gifts of working one-on-one.
Gifts
To get to trust, an individual must allow themselves to be open, vulnerable. Vulnerability is less given, rather, vulnerability is a state of grace, unconsciously revealed in a moment of focus and connection. Vulnerability is an attribute of trust. Let’s start with the definitions of the words trust and vulnerable.
trust (trŭst) n. 1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. 2. Custody; care. 3. Something committed into the care of another; charge [From Middle English truste, perhaps from Old Norse traust, confidence] (American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. p.1851).
vulnerable (vul’nәr-ә-bәl) adj. 1a. Susceptible to physical or emotional injury. [From the Latin, vulnerãre, to wound] (American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. p.1931).
The definitions seem simple, uncomplicated, and easy to understand; and maybe as an intellectual exercise, they are just that: simple. However, to be open to the experience of trust requires being vulnerable – made apparent by consciously putting in plain view (revealing) those personal rails that knowingly need improvement.
How the tutor treads on those tracks is at the heart of the relationship – the bridge walked together over time. In this relationship, the tutor is indentured to hold the development and care of the student above the tutor’s self. This concept is the foundation of developing trust by honoring the vulnerability of the student. Over time, this experience will reveal unexpected gifts.
Do you have an unexpected gift received through indentured tutoring?
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Back and Better
Just a quick update observation.
Everyone has time to do 'the work,' but no one seems to have the time to think about the work first.
The whole concept behind a project is planning - without planning, no one would think of embarking on a project. Without planning, a bank would not give you money. But what is it about leaders, that charges full-steam-ahead - DAILY - without a plan?
How is it, that an organization's leadership doesn't believe it needs to take the time - REGULARLY - to strategically plan where it wants to land? How is it, that leaders can operate by simply arriving at work each day, and only doing those tasks that present themselves as telephone calls, calendared meetings, and emergencies - as they pop-up.
What's going on in your world?
Everyone has time to do 'the work,' but no one seems to have the time to think about the work first.
The whole concept behind a project is planning - without planning, no one would think of embarking on a project. Without planning, a bank would not give you money. But what is it about leaders, that charges full-steam-ahead - DAILY - without a plan?
How is it, that an organization's leadership doesn't believe it needs to take the time - REGULARLY - to strategically plan where it wants to land? How is it, that leaders can operate by simply arriving at work each day, and only doing those tasks that present themselves as telephone calls, calendared meetings, and emergencies - as they pop-up.
What's going on in your world?
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Remain Still and Let the World Rise-up Around You
You remember I talked about being offered my Dream Job. I didn't act on it but I did have an opportunity to do some limited work with the group and subsequently I have learned some things that have given me pause. I'm glad I remained still and let the world rise-up around me. In reflection, what I learned can only be learned over time - and that's the real lesson, that true understanding can only happen over time. That is what I want to write about today - about time.
How many of us have met someone or had a good experience and thought, wow, she's really cool, or gee, he's great to work with, or gosh, I love working with that team; and then you move from that limited experience to the next level - dating, applying for a job, or joining the team. Then six months down the road of experience you realize that she doesn't share your values, that organization has a blame culture, or the team is driven by a micro-manager. But now your in it. You're married, hired, or beat-down. Yeah, this is the personal lesson, but personal lessons are where we can derive learning. The theoretical learning here is that the evidence first observed are not applicable to the future. It is only a snap-shot in time, a single event from which you cannot project future behavior.
Allowing time to pass, being patient with both yourself and the 'experience' with which you are engaged, is not easy in a world where decisions are expected to be made quickly. How long can you sit in a group and let silence rain? How long can you date someone and remain in observation mode without making a life altering commitment? How long do you collect data to know if the organization you're in is the right organization? How long?
The challenge is two-fold. First, allowing yourself enough time to collect data. Not to the extent of 'analysis paralysis' but have enough experience from which to draw conclusions. The second challenge is to know how to decode the data.
If you have examples of either challenge, please share it.
How many of us have met someone or had a good experience and thought, wow, she's really cool, or gee, he's great to work with, or gosh, I love working with that team; and then you move from that limited experience to the next level - dating, applying for a job, or joining the team. Then six months down the road of experience you realize that she doesn't share your values, that organization has a blame culture, or the team is driven by a micro-manager. But now your in it. You're married, hired, or beat-down. Yeah, this is the personal lesson, but personal lessons are where we can derive learning. The theoretical learning here is that the evidence first observed are not applicable to the future. It is only a snap-shot in time, a single event from which you cannot project future behavior.
Allowing time to pass, being patient with both yourself and the 'experience' with which you are engaged, is not easy in a world where decisions are expected to be made quickly. How long can you sit in a group and let silence rain? How long can you date someone and remain in observation mode without making a life altering commitment? How long do you collect data to know if the organization you're in is the right organization? How long?
The challenge is two-fold. First, allowing yourself enough time to collect data. Not to the extent of 'analysis paralysis' but have enough experience from which to draw conclusions. The second challenge is to know how to decode the data.
If you have examples of either challenge, please share it.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Dream of a Lifetime
I just returned from lunch. I just received an invitation to join a group of consultants to do what I dream of each night, daily. I don't need a bathing suit, I'm prepared to go skinny dipping. I think the question that comes to me is: "How do you know when what you have been presented with, IS the dream that you have been having?"
This is the test. Now I press my own models into service and see if all that coaching I've been spouting for the past eight years rings true. I'll let you know - I still have some spelunking to do.
Evolution of the Knowledge Spirit still lives.
Base Isolation Communication is strong.
The Teachings and Reflections on Organizaton Development (TAROD) are in design, and my Change Management Rodeo is almost ready for a ride.
Life is good.
cmf
This is the test. Now I press my own models into service and see if all that coaching I've been spouting for the past eight years rings true. I'll let you know - I still have some spelunking to do.
Evolution of the Knowledge Spirit still lives.
Base Isolation Communication is strong.
The Teachings and Reflections on Organizaton Development (TAROD) are in design, and my Change Management Rodeo is almost ready for a ride.
Life is good.
cmf
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Monday, September 01, 2003
The Evolution of the Knowledge Spirit - The DNA of Wisdom - Chapter #2: Integration & Synthesis
"Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more." by William Cowper 1731-1800
I shared the DNA of Wisdom with Jade, Barbara and Terri. It's really fantastic to get such wonderful challenges and suggestions. Amongst friends true learning occurs.
Right off, Jade surmised a component was missing: Integration. Later, Barbara noticed that somewhere all of the pieces had to come together: she named this component Synthesis. After three hours of conversation we concluded with this addition to the theory - there are two nexus points (points where the helix crosses itself), each creating the transition to get from one stage to the next, Integration and Synthesis.
Integration. The first nexus is the conversion of Education into Knowledge. Additionally, Learning is applied to Experience. In the beginning, our knowledge is a collection of knowledge from others. One must integrate what one learns academically to create the fabric of our knowledge base. This is more of a collection of facts (fact particles) that can be proved - not disproved or disputed. Learning then, is more of an empirical experience.
We take that education, combine it with learning and apply it to experience, moving from stage one (Education/Learning) to stage two (Knowledge/Experience) - this is life's experimental stage. This is where we skin our knees once in a while, testing our collection of knowledge with others, perhaps through experiences, the written word, or when speaking and interacting with others.
Synthesis. The second nexus is the conversion of Knowledge into Outcomes and Experience into Wisdom. The transition is the Synthesis. We develop our Wisdom after we have synthesized Knowledge plus experience into successful and failed outcomes which intern develop our body of Wisdom.
Are the nexus points more like bridges that we cross or transitions that we experience? Hum, we'll have to think on that!
Feedback?
I shared the DNA of Wisdom with Jade, Barbara and Terri. It's really fantastic to get such wonderful challenges and suggestions. Amongst friends true learning occurs.
Right off, Jade surmised a component was missing: Integration. Later, Barbara noticed that somewhere all of the pieces had to come together: she named this component Synthesis. After three hours of conversation we concluded with this addition to the theory - there are two nexus points (points where the helix crosses itself), each creating the transition to get from one stage to the next, Integration and Synthesis.
Integration. The first nexus is the conversion of Education into Knowledge. Additionally, Learning is applied to Experience. In the beginning, our knowledge is a collection of knowledge from others. One must integrate what one learns academically to create the fabric of our knowledge base. This is more of a collection of facts (fact particles) that can be proved - not disproved or disputed. Learning then, is more of an empirical experience.
We take that education, combine it with learning and apply it to experience, moving from stage one (Education/Learning) to stage two (Knowledge/Experience) - this is life's experimental stage. This is where we skin our knees once in a while, testing our collection of knowledge with others, perhaps through experiences, the written word, or when speaking and interacting with others.
Synthesis. The second nexus is the conversion of Knowledge into Outcomes and Experience into Wisdom. The transition is the Synthesis. We develop our Wisdom after we have synthesized Knowledge plus experience into successful and failed outcomes which intern develop our body of Wisdom.
Are the nexus points more like bridges that we cross or transitions that we experience? Hum, we'll have to think on that!
Feedback?
Thursday, August 14, 2003
The Evolution of the Knowledge Spirit - The DNA of Wisdom - Chapter #1: From Wild Burr to DNA
The concept of the development of wisdom has captured my thinking for some time now - almost to the exclusion of other thinking. I started working on a model as a way - a process - to begin exploring two concepts: how knowledge becomes inherent wisdom (DNA); and how the evolution of information from education to wisdom occurs.
Some quick history: Kath and I started this thinking one afternoon, four years ago, while building a framework for a program about Adult Learners (Individuals who have worked for some time and now have knowledge, experience, and skills - a foundation for applying innovative thinking independently). We hypothesized that the delta between traditional students and adults in training or returning to educational programs is experience. Experience coupled with knowledge fuels wisdom – the wisdom to know whether that burr under your saddle is worth pursuing or just a thing either to be ignored or plucked and trashed. That idea of wisdom, coupled with the invention of Velcro established our Wild Burr Theory (WBT). Today, I propose that the Wild Burr Theory is really the DNA of Wisdom.
DNA The molecule that encodes genetic information is the metaphor for the development of wisdom. For this metaphor DNA stands for Dynamic kNowledge Attributes. (For you member bloggers, please understand that I'm not married to the proposed definitions of the D, the N, and the A – although I am fond of the D and the N.) some tentative definitions include:
D: Dynamic is: Thinking in motion; Dynamic Thought is: a state of constant evolution; Dynamic Thinking is also the practice of double-loop learning.
kNowledge is: Quality content - not information – knowledge that is not debatable, e.g. content that is the quality of theorems. Knowledge is made up of “fact particles” (definition not defined) that once can call-up to apply to many situations. Facts, not debatable and therefore something we always trust. Knowledge is also our Tuition Trust (definition not defined.)
Attribute is: Inherent behaviors that serve you well again and again. These are the little ladder connections that hold the double-helix together. There is a complete list of them in the model I’ll send out to member bloggers.
For the development of the model, I propose we label the arch points of the two helix strands as:
Strand 1: Education - Knowledge - Outcomes
Strand 2: Learning - Experience - Wisdom
Along the strands are our Attributes – or the tracer elements – of our DNA: immersion, focus, insight, awareness, prudence, intuition, fascination, accident, curiosity, commitment, and judgment.
Feedback?
Some quick history: Kath and I started this thinking one afternoon, four years ago, while building a framework for a program about Adult Learners (Individuals who have worked for some time and now have knowledge, experience, and skills - a foundation for applying innovative thinking independently). We hypothesized that the delta between traditional students and adults in training or returning to educational programs is experience. Experience coupled with knowledge fuels wisdom – the wisdom to know whether that burr under your saddle is worth pursuing or just a thing either to be ignored or plucked and trashed. That idea of wisdom, coupled with the invention of Velcro established our Wild Burr Theory (WBT). Today, I propose that the Wild Burr Theory is really the DNA of Wisdom.
DNA The molecule that encodes genetic information is the metaphor for the development of wisdom. For this metaphor DNA stands for Dynamic kNowledge Attributes. (For you member bloggers, please understand that I'm not married to the proposed definitions of the D, the N, and the A – although I am fond of the D and the N.) some tentative definitions include:
D: Dynamic is: Thinking in motion; Dynamic Thought is: a state of constant evolution; Dynamic Thinking is also the practice of double-loop learning.
kNowledge is: Quality content - not information – knowledge that is not debatable, e.g. content that is the quality of theorems. Knowledge is made up of “fact particles” (definition not defined) that once can call-up to apply to many situations. Facts, not debatable and therefore something we always trust. Knowledge is also our Tuition Trust (definition not defined.)
Attribute is: Inherent behaviors that serve you well again and again. These are the little ladder connections that hold the double-helix together. There is a complete list of them in the model I’ll send out to member bloggers.
For the development of the model, I propose we label the arch points of the two helix strands as:
Strand 1: Education - Knowledge - Outcomes
Strand 2: Learning - Experience - Wisdom
Along the strands are our Attributes – or the tracer elements – of our DNA: immersion, focus, insight, awareness, prudence, intuition, fascination, accident, curiosity, commitment, and judgment.
Feedback?
Sunday, August 10, 2003
The Creative Community
"Without creative personalities able to think and judge independently, the upward development of society is as unthinkable as the development of the individual personality without the nourishing soil of the community." Albert Einstein, Mein Weltbild, 1934
The Creative Community is you. It's us. It's wrestling with ideas, playing with models, looking at new dents on old fenders. The Creative Community is developing the new society of relationship through learning together. Learning takes on multiple forms, none of which are barred, all of which will be explored. Learning form can be described in this recent conversation I had with my father and [to me] famous sculptor, Peter.
"You know Dad, I've been working on this piece of sculpture for months now and it's not coming together. I don't know what's wrong."
"What does "working on it" mean?"
"I don't think it's done, so I sit and look at it, waiting for something to hit me. I think I'm waiting for the inspiration to evolve the piece to the next step."
"Christina, you can't sculpt outside of yourself. You have to feel it. Sculpture is an emotional thing. You get excited and high with creating, building, and seeing it done. But once it's done the high is over until the next inspiration comes to you - while you're looking at a tree or a pretty girl."
"So, what are you saying?"
"Christina, it's over, your piece is done. You're bored with it. Don't labor, get on to the next thing."
My next thing is the Creative Community. Where inspiration happens everyday.
Welcome.
The Creative Community is you. It's us. It's wrestling with ideas, playing with models, looking at new dents on old fenders. The Creative Community is developing the new society of relationship through learning together. Learning takes on multiple forms, none of which are barred, all of which will be explored. Learning form can be described in this recent conversation I had with my father and [to me] famous sculptor, Peter.
"You know Dad, I've been working on this piece of sculpture for months now and it's not coming together. I don't know what's wrong."
"What does "working on it" mean?"
"I don't think it's done, so I sit and look at it, waiting for something to hit me. I think I'm waiting for the inspiration to evolve the piece to the next step."
"Christina, you can't sculpt outside of yourself. You have to feel it. Sculpture is an emotional thing. You get excited and high with creating, building, and seeing it done. But once it's done the high is over until the next inspiration comes to you - while you're looking at a tree or a pretty girl."
"So, what are you saying?"
"Christina, it's over, your piece is done. You're bored with it. Don't labor, get on to the next thing."
My next thing is the Creative Community. Where inspiration happens everyday.
Welcome.
Saturday, August 09, 2003
The Journey from Learning to Wisdom is Experience
The journey from converting information to knowledge to wisdom is along the road of experience. This is the brain child of Kath & Christina's - it's their foundation of the Wild Burr Theory. It comes from understanding Communities of Practice - the social gathering of folks to share their knowledge for the good of all,- not to the credit of one. The Wild Burr is another thing - it's about natural born leaders who know when that idea that's nagging at them - like a burr under their saddle - is something worth exploring further. It's about individuals who understand that exponential thinking [thinking with others] is meta thinking - beyond individual thinking.
No one of us can have all the experience needed to answer all the questions. It’s when we come together as colleagues, openly share experiences without the power struggle of trying to out-do or over-do one another, and add our experiences to others, that information becomes knowledge which later is crystalized into wisdom. Now, Kath and I haven't talked about this in a while, but she would be the first to tell you that even wisdom has it's stages - like the stages of team development - but I'll let Kath tell you about that. Kath?
Hence, true collaboration work best when we allow room for the full expression of each colleague's expertise. Leveraging skills and expertise is high-crystalizing toward new ideas that evolve into great ideas. When we do not struggle to control all things, and let others own and use their knowledge to enhance our thinking, we all can learn significantly more.
No one of us can have all the experience needed to answer all the questions. It’s when we come together as colleagues, openly share experiences without the power struggle of trying to out-do or over-do one another, and add our experiences to others, that information becomes knowledge which later is crystalized into wisdom. Now, Kath and I haven't talked about this in a while, but she would be the first to tell you that even wisdom has it's stages - like the stages of team development - but I'll let Kath tell you about that. Kath?
Hence, true collaboration work best when we allow room for the full expression of each colleague's expertise. Leveraging skills and expertise is high-crystalizing toward new ideas that evolve into great ideas. When we do not struggle to control all things, and let others own and use their knowledge to enhance our thinking, we all can learn significantly more.
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