OUR APPROACH TO STRATEGIC PLANNING
At the end of the day, our clients’ conference room was lined with flip chart paper, sticky notes, and dry erase boards, all marked with words and phrases written in colorful markers. Paper, pens, and index cards were strewn about the tables. It was, in a word, messy. And it was quiet. Until, finally, the head of the organization slapped her hand on the table, and said, “Well, I was just going to shut the…
Keep readingWhy Jennifer starts (and ends) with gratitude
Several years ago, I was preparing a webinar on strategic planning and stumbled upon a business parable called “The Gardener’s Badge.” In the story, employees at a thriving landscape store always seemed to have a positive outlook and wore buttons that said, “Business is great!” Through economic cycles of ups and downs, the business persisted along with the wellbeing of those who worked there. People around them assumed that the shopkeepers and tenders were happy…
Keep readingWhy Tara Wants To Be More Like A Navy Seal
Part of the approach we use at Emerging Perspectives involves slowing down to create space. If you visit our website, you’ll see this at the top of our Approach page: SLOW DOWN TO CREATE SPACE.BE OPEN TO WHAT EMERGES.MOVE FORWARD WITH CLARITY, INTENTION, AND COURAGE.And yet, I often find myself trying to rush toward the finish line. In the back of my mind are items to check off my to-do list. My life is busy, just like yours.…
Keep readingRobin’s Quest to Boost Her Memory
How is your memory these days? About the same as always, getting better, or getting worse? Memory is something I think about a lot because I have always believed I have a terrible memory. My go-to fix for this has been to be a consummate note taker. I write down everything. Note taking only goes so far though.Recently, I read that no one has a bad memory, just one that hasn’t been trained! Our memory is like any other skill; it can improve…
Keep readingmovement and the mind
Here at Emerging Perspectives, we enjoy learning about the ways our brains and our nervous systems contribute to both personal and professional well-being. Understanding our “operating system” helps us create habits that align us with our goals and sense of purpose. Since each of us also values physical activity as a component of a meaningful life, it’s been exciting for us to follow the emerging research on the profound impact that exercise and movement can…
Keep readingHow to Flex Your Creative Muscles
Tara recently had the honor of judging a short story competition. As she read story after story centered around the theme “tree,” she began to see some commonalities emerge. By the fourth story told from the perspective of a tree, she began to suspect that… maybe sometimes we’re not as original as we think we are. And that’s okay. An idea doesn’t have to be completely unique to be implemented well. But there are ways…
Keep readingSimple Rules
Simple rules can ease our minds Our brains seek to simplify information and processes so we can better respond to unfamiliar or complicated aspects of our lives. Parts of our brains are devoted to habit formation and create habits very easily, even when we’re not aware of it. One natural response to change and complexity is to try to pay attention to and manage every little detail. However, this isn’t an approach our brains manage very well,…
Keep readingDon’t Believe Everything You Think
Perspective taking seems more important than ever in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. As program planners and evaluators, much of our work centers around gathering and making sense of multiple perspectives on a program or challenge. We’d like to share a simple story along with some ideas and resources we’ve curated. A few years ago, Jennifer was strolling through Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. She was heading to a women’s leadership retreat and arrived…
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