You Say Potato
“I’m foe-and-a-HALF!” proclaims the four-year-old aching for acknowledgement.
“I’m 39…” she says up until the day before (maybe even the hour before) she turns 40.
“I’ll be 77 in October,” says the grandparent grateful for every moment on this earth, knowing that to reach that next milestone would be a gift they very well may not receive.
All three are aging at the exact same rate according to the calendar.
But their language is distinctly different.
It’s all about ‘reframing.’
“Reframing is the process of redefining how a person views a problem and, in turn, adjusting the emotional complexity of the problem so that one can identify possible solutions.” – The Google
Reframing is a powerful leadership tool.
Done in the wrong spirit, it can be perceived as spin, deceit, manipulation, or lying.
But done in the proper spirit – with integrity, truth, and in the best interest of the receiver – it brings hope through a fresh perspective.
Good leaders hold in tension two often opposing ideas: Facts are our friends AND perception is a person’s reality.
As leaders, we are often required to figure out a way to help our teams appreciate the facts of a situation while framing it in a way that the hearer retains hope, motivation, and optimism for the future.
You’re right, hope is not a strategy.
But it IS a critical component of a healthy workplace (and church, and home, and life…).
May we all learn to reframe well and offer hope whenever and wherever we can.
Blessings to you, my friends!
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
– Romans 5:3 – 5
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation(s):
“The Power of a Positive No: Save The Deal Save The Relationship and Still Say No”
- William Ury
From Amazon: In The Power of a Positive No, William Ury of Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation teaches you how to take the next step toward getting what you want. It all begins with the most powerful and perhaps most important word in any situation: No.
But saying the wrong kind of No can destroy what we value and alienate others. That’s why saying No the right way—to people at work, at home, and in our communities—is crucial.
You’ll learn how to:
• Assert your own interests while respecting the other side’s
• Use power effectively
• Defuse the other side’s attack, manipulation, and guilt tactics
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Develop healthier relationships
• Stand up for yourself without stepping on the other person’s toes
In today’s world of high stress and limitless choices, the pressure to give in and say Yes grows greater every day, producing overload and overwork, expanding e-mail and eroding ethics. Never has No been more needed. And with The Power of a Positive No, we can learn how to use No to profoundly transform our lives by enabling us to say Yes to what counts—our own needs, values, and priorities.
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“Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory”
- Tod Bolsinger
From Amazon: Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along.
Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. In Canoeing the Mountains, he offers:
• illuminating insights gleaned from decades of experience,
• practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world, and
• an expanded study guide to set you on the right course.
If you're going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools to give you the confidence and courage to lead in places you never expected to find yourself.
MMS 25-17
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Blessings to you, my friend!
