INtwoIT Leadership Development & Coaching

There is a quote that goes something like this: the quality of your conversations is the quality of your life. Few of us wake up in the morning with a clear sense of who we might end up having a conversation with. At least not the agenda free variety. Sure you might be leading a meeting, or gearing up for “that conversation” you wish you didn’t have to have, but beyond that we rarely set out to have rich and meaningful conversations about anything. This, I think, is a real shame and a missed opportunity to add value to our own lives and the lives of others. Statistics tell us that parents spend on average no more than 10 minutes per week-in conversation with their children. And in the work force conversation is being reduced e-mails, text messages and tweets. An unhurried conversations leads to unpredictable discoveries; it facilitates social bonding, and puts people in touch with their own and other peoples’ values, assumptions, ideas and strategies. The fact is we all know when we have had a good conversation because we leave bigger and better for having had it. Perhaps it’s time to take inventory of the quality of your conversations. Are you providing openings for dialogue? Are you giving people your attention? Are you using conversation strategically to boost creativity and innovation? Are you deepening your relationships through sharing and listening?

By Yael Blum|April 16th, 2010|Coaching, Consulting, creativity, Leadership, Parenting|0 Comments

Six Billion Others

I stumbled upon the most astonishing and ambitious web site i have ever seen. Called Six Billion Others it is the grand work of photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand. In an effort to help the world understand itself he dispatched 5 photographers around the globe to conduct interviews with all sorts of people about big life questions and the result is this interactive website. You can create an account and share your own perspective, you can assist with translation and site maintenance, you can share it with your friends. He also completed a movie that was released for free download called Home that he hopes people will share and use to inspire our collective imagination and commitment to save the planet before its too late. This man is a true champion and should be celebrated for his visionary approach!

By Yael Blum|June 28th, 2009|creativity, Learning Tips and Tools, Parenting, Ponderings|0 Comments

Leadership Coach to Globe Trottin’ Mama

Today marks an official, but temporary, departure from all things coach-esque. For the next five weeks I will be on the road as a globe trottin’ mama with my magnificent 13 year old daughter by my side. We’re in it together. Though I have been the one obsessing over the details of our itinerary. As of February 20th we are bound for the Yucatan area of Mexico. Further afield we expect to explore Belize along with one or two cayes, the Peten region of Guatemala, Copan and the coastal area of Honduras, and maybe even Nicaragua….As we make final preparations over the next week I’ll be keeping a little blog journal…stay tuned. And thanks for reading….

By Yael Blum|February 13th, 2009|creativity, Parenting, Ponderings|0 Comments

Slow It Down, Right Down

The faster you go the farther you get! Nope, not always. In fact, while it might feel like you are getting things done at warp speed, chances are you will have missed most of what happened, lost invaluable reflection and adjustment time, and you’ll be left wondering what happened? why am i so tired? I recently made time for the “mat”, yoga mat that is. The minute i walked into the studio with its tranquil music i felt a sense of relief. I was slowing down. Intentionally. The “mat” can come in many forms, ultimately it is a decision to enter into a state of being rather than doing, and there are many ways to do that. I am looking to make my mat a bigger part of my life and already this week, having joined two yoga classes and one nia class, i am feeling more grounded and appreciative. So in an effort to get us all to slow down, right down here is a list of resources/ideas that might just help you do the same.

1. Join the slow food movement (have you ever heard of eco-gastronomy?).
2. Take a class: Nia, Yoga, Painting, Dance…(call a friend and take them, too).
3. Walk in nature at least once a week (years ago i coined the term non-specific urbanitis, then along came Richard Louv).
4. Turn off the TV (it is not reality!).
5. Meditate (even for five minutes)
6. Stay in bed all day (seriously, with your favorite book or special someone).
7. Wear comfortable shoes (how else will you enjoy taking your time between here and there? and it prevents cancer too!).
8. Get hot (sauna, bath, beach).
9. Don’t drive so fast!(it’s dangerous).
10. Eliminate or moderate your caffeine (pop, […]

By Yael Blum|January 13th, 2009|Coaching, Learning Tips and Tools, Parenting, Ponderings|0 Comments

One more patience?

I heard a little story this morning about a woman who, frazzled by her child’s lack of co-operation stated firmly that she had run out of patience to which her daughter replied (holding up a her chubby index finger): “Don’t you have one more patience, mommy?”

In negotiation, patience can be defined as “the ability to withstand the costs of a temporary impasse” which in turn translates into bargaining power. For the mother, running out of patience, meant succumbing to either her daughter’s misguided behavior or to her own explosive reaction, quite likely a lose/lose scenario.

When we are working with people in teams our ability to manage our needs and wants can have a dramatic impact on organizational success. Artful leadership is all about balance, generosity and strength of vision. Yet so many organizations and teams are led by tyrannical managers who misuse their power to get their way. Our culture is a particularly impatient one. Because of this, we ambush creativity, restrict input, settle on mediocrity, ignore robust disagreement and when all else fails threaten those around us.

The child disarmed the conflict by questioning the obvious: What’s the rush?

Patience is power, bargaining power. By withstanding the temporary impasse, by not rushing to push our agenda through, we make room for innovative ideas to emerge

By Yael Blum|September 17th, 2008|Coaching, Consulting, creativity, Parenting|0 Comments