Geof Fountain posed a great question:
"What is the biggest (or one of the biggest) lesson you learned since you
have begun practicing the LO disciplines ? Put some heart and soul into
your answer. "
My greatest lesson centers around the realization that one of my most
important responsbilities is to keep working on myself. If I am going to
be truly effective in serving others in my work as an OT/LO consultant I
must continuously work on clearing out my own baggage and issues and not
get triggered/sucked in to the drama/dysfunction that is so prevalent in
many of the organizations I consult with.
I recognize it may sound a bit judgmental to use "drama/dysfunction" in
describing organizations and people, but on one level I must remind myself
of that aspect of reality. At the same time, I also know that it simply
pain and confusion that cause people and organizations to act out in the
ways they oftentimes do and I can also have tremendous empathy. I simply
can't become part of the drama/dysfunction dance. I am most effective
when I can surface what I see and experience without having to blame
anyone and gently confront the "undiscussables" in a way where my clients
can own the ways they are in their own way and choose a healthier, higher
path.
Toni (normally so over-extended all I can do is lurk)
--Toni McMurphy <inspire@earthlink.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>