Corporate Newsletter: SureWest
Issue 2: Partners & Dangerous Learning
December 4, 2001
Howdy, CIA agents! Here's another dose of antioxidants for the many parts of the SureWest body, building those change agent muscles and keeping away the winter cold! Passion is how it's done, folks, a passion for CHANGE will keep that life blood pumping through the arteries of this company!
>> MAKING A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER
One person can make a difference... but two are better. And three are awesome! You'll discover that pushing for change, standing up against "the way we've always done it", can take its toll. The best way to keep your energy high, your determination strong, and your ideas fresh is to have a partner.
Grab one or two people (ideally, in your work group or near your work space) who also believe strongly in pursuing positive change. Agree together that you're going to live by the CIA manifesto (which is posted on your wall next to your desk, right? If you need a copy of it, email me...).
And then don't hesitate, do it NOW: Pick one thing that you do, however small, and improve it. The next time you see your CIA partner(s), share with them the progress you've made. Give each other a high five, sing a little SureWest ditty, practice your secret CIA handshake... ;-P
>> THE CYCLE OF DANGEROUS LEARNING
The ultimate weapon in a change agent's arsenal is learning.
"Learning? That's not a weapon!"
Guess again! Let me introduce you to dangerous learning -- the kind that rocks the boat and has the power to reconstruct reality.
Real learning is not just the process of taking in information. It is a continuous cycle that includes reflecting, connecting, deciding and doing. If you don't include all four parts of the cycle, you can't rock the boat and you can't effect change! What happens if you only think (reflect) about things, but never do them? Or what if you're so busy doing things all the time that you don't realize the scope of the problems (reflect), don't take time to brainstorm the answers (connect) and decide on the best solution to implement?
1. Reflecting - Become an observer of your own thoughts and actions. Review something you just did. How well did it go? What were you thinking and feeling during the process? What underlying beliefs affected how you approached the situation? Do you view it any differently now?
2. Connecting - Create ideas and possibilities for action, and rearrange them into new forms. Look for links between your potential actions and other patterns of behavior around you. What did your last action suggest might be a good path to follow -- or not to follow? What new understandings do you have about the world? Where else could you look for ideas?
3. Deciding - Settle on a method for action. From alternatives and options generated in the connecting stage, choose and refine your approach. State your choice and the reasons for it.
4. Doing - Perform the task, and keep an open, experimental frame of mind. Action usually happens quickly, but the groundwork is laid during the first three steps. Once you've acted, move back to reflecting. Ask yourself, how did it turn out? Was the outcome what you expected? Could it have been better?
Start living dangerously! Exercise the cycle of learning. Determine which of the four steps you've most neglected, and make time to alter the cycle and rock the boat.
Don't wait -- start today! Pick one step and apply it to a current project. And then share with your partners how it goes. Take that learning missile, load it up... ready... aim.... FIRE!!!
>> YOUR MISSION (should you choose to accept it...)
Find a partner or two and commit to helping each other improve! Communicate with your partner(s) at least once a week, and share how things are going. Don't feel bad if a week goes by and you haven't done anything -- use the time to give each other a pep talk instead! That's the point of the partnership: if one falls down, there's someone there to pick them up. Start each day with a fresh determination to pursue positive change, regardless of yesterday's successes or failures.
Practice the cycle of dangerous learning. If you already do this, terrific! Encourage your partner(s) with your experiences. Or, if you still have a couple of steps to work on, share with your partner(s) which ones and how you plan to integrate them into your life.
Share your experiences. If you have an example of change in action, email it to me or let's do lunch and talk about it! Or if you're having trouble applying the concepts shared in this newsletter, let me know! Talk is not enough -- action is where change happens!
"A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much,and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all."
--Georges Bernanos
See you in the hallways, change agents!
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Some ideas and definitions used in this newsletter were found in the "Fifth Discipline Fieldbook" by Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross and Smith (ISBN 0-385-47256-0)