After the first full week-and-a-bit of November I must confess I think I’m falling behind on my tasks. Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:
- Define up to three target niches, and what specific offer to make to them. (I defined two niches to focus on, and reserve the third slot for a later brainwave).
- Half-done: Complete a customer analysis for each of the target markets, identifying areas where I need more information.
- Attend training session for facilitators and hand out cards, promoting graphic recording services. (That took me two and a half days – I’ll blog about it in a separate post).
- Complete transition of Directis website from Joomla to Wordpress
I also re-wrote my professional bio, which wasn’t on the task list but needed to be done. Much harder than I expected! Read the rest of this entry »
David Cooperrider is one of the founders of the Appreciative Inquiry school of change, if that’s what I may call it. This morning he gave a conference call on MaestroConference to discuss where AI is going now. The major theme was that AI is moving towards empowering/enabling change “on the scale of the whole”. He felt that Appreciative Inquiry allows people to build strengths from strengths, begin with hope and move towards greater hope, and this is riding a wave of global change.
Here’s my graphic recording of the session. This was done on a 4×6 mural with markers and pastels – compare that to Wednesday’s graphic note-taking of Harrison Owen’s talk.
Thanks to the people at MaestroConference for putting on this event, and thanks to David Cooperrider for an inspiring talk.
David Cooperrider, October 30 - Appreciative Inquiry Conference Call. Graphic Recording by Susan Low
As I blogged yesterday, I’m going to make November my month to complete 30 Days of Marketing Strategy. Except I’ve changed the name, because I already do have a marketing strategy so it’s not like I need to make up a new one. I just need to get back in touch with it; since July I’ve been sort of coasting on autopilot because I knew I’d be away most of October, and frankly my energies were fully engaged in preparing for that big event!
So, here is my plan for 30 Days of Marketing Effort. Sure I make marketing effort all the time, but this is a blitz to see if I can get over my distaste for regimented programs.
I pledge to complete at least one of these tasks each day in November. Some of them are obviously sequential or at least depend on other tasks, whereas others can be completed at any time throughout the month. Some are repeated because I’m realistic about what I can do in a given day, and I need to break down some volume (or, as in the case of blogging, I need to do it repeatedly!).
I don’t want to bore you entirely with daily reports so beginning Nov 9, I will make weekly reports with the tag “30 Days of Marketing Effort.”
This morning I participated in a teleconference call hosted on Maestro Conference, a very nifty telephone and web technology that allows for very large-scale groups to come together for presentations and discussions. I’ll let you head on over to their website to check it out in detail, but in a nutshell you can use a web-based interface to manage your conference call including breaking people up into small groups then reconvening, all while attendees are connected to just one phone number. I called in on Skype and so had the call streaming through my computer speakers at first, then switched to my headset because MUCH to my surprise, in the middle of this global conference presentation, I was actually placed in a one-on-one conversation with another attendee from Toronto! (Hi Tanya).
The conference call was a presentation and Q&A session with Harrison Owen, “father” (although he’d refute that title) of the Open Space Technology. His topic was “Waveriding: Leadership for High Performance in a Self-Organizing World.” The two main ideas I took from the call were 1) leaders often think they are control, but seldom truly are and 2) to be most effective, you need to be who you are, in the moment, and your contribution to the group will come inherently though that authenticity.
I took graphic notes of the call. I distinguish this from graphic recording because I wasn’t using mural-sized paper, just a notebook in front of me, and whereas in graphic recording I would have been more careful to record a balanced, even representation of all questions and answers, in note-taking I focused on what was of most relevance to me personally, since nobody was watching or looking at the work.
Here are the notes! Please feel free to download and save a copy for your own personal use, but if you’re going to post this elsewhere on the web I simply ask that you provide a link back to this post, and maybe drop me a comment or email if your site doesn’t automatically do pingbacks. Thanks!
Graphic notes of Harrison Owen's presentation/Q&A session, October 27 2009
Thanks for the well-wishes via email on my last post. Our trip was wonderful in pretty much every imaginable way. My toddler slept most of the way there and back, our accommodations were simple but covered all our needs, and the people of Australia are incredibly welcoming and friendly. I loved every minute of it!
Coming back to the office is a bit anti-climatic after all the planning and anticipation for this trip, but I am trying to turn that around and use this as an opportunity to look forward and set some new goals. While I’m certainly planning to go to the 2013 World Masters Games in Torino, Italy (and make it to finals in my single scull this time!), there are four years before that, and a life to lead.
I’m pursuing further training in facilitation through the International Association of Facilitators, beginning with workshops Nov 5-6 in Vancouver. After that I will decide if I’m going to attempt to get accredited as a Certified Facilitator through the IAF. That will be an acknowledgement of a certain level of skill and experience documented and proven in facilitation work. I am also going to develop my graphic skills to a greater extent.
The question facing me now is, since I no longer have any significant trips coming up to interfere with marketing: how do I want to market my services? I will be working on developing a new marketing plan in the next month. In fact, just to keep me moving and accountable, I’m going to declare right now that in November, I will complete 30 Days Of Marketing Strategy. I will figure out what the program is going to be this afternoon, and post it tomorrow so people can follow along if they like. Blogging it will keep me honest – I’m not usually good with day-by-day programs but we all have to try new things! Like my mother used to say about brussel sprouts at Thanksgiving – try them again every year. You don’t have to like them, but keep trying. And guess what? After 33 years, I finally like brussel sprouts!
It’s Friday afternoon, and next Tuesday afternoon I’ll be boarding a United airbus to take me to San Francisco, and from there onwards to Sydney, Australia. I will be gone October 6-23. But first let me tell you the story of a dream coming true.
I’m going because four years and three months ago, I made myself a promise. I had just started rowing in 2004 (after the Athens Olympics) and missed participating in the World Masters Games in Edmonton in July 2005 because I was a novice. A number of my fellow club members at the Vancouver Rowing Club had gone and had a wonderful time. I promised myself then that I would go to Sydney for the 2009 World Masters Games, and I would row in the single scull there at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, home of the 2000 Olympic regatta.
In July 2005 I had no idea what life would have in store for me in the four years ahead. I set my sights on Sydney. In October 2005, I told my husband that we’d better hurry up and get on with making a baby in the next year, so I could have the child in 2007, be back in training by 2008 and be ready to go in 2009. People actually laughed and told me that planning to have a family doesn’t go that way. It doesn’t?
In spring 2006 when I was suffering from depression I didn’t give up on Sydney – I found out I was suffering from a thyroid condition and got treated, and also did a lot of self-therapy and soul-searching, and kept rowing so I could stay fit and sane. In fall 2006 when my rowing career suffered a roadblock (back injury) I cried because it meant I might not get to Sydney. In summer 2007 when I gave birth to my son, I told myself that labour was great training for rowing, because I could pretty much guarantee that NO rowing race could be quite as painful as giving birth, and I knew most of the other women in my age division probably wouldn’t have that kind of experience to draw on in Sydney (it’s true – most other female rowers in the 27-35 age category are childless). In fall 2007, six weeks to the day after delivering my baby, I attended my first rowing practice, so that I could get in shape and go to Sydney.
In 2008 when I moved to Victoria and suffered the agony of post-partum depression, it was my desire to row in Sydney that forced me back out into a rowing shell, and it was the exercise and achievement I enjoyed in rowing that helped to make me whole again. Through 2009 it’s been hard to believe that the year is actually here… we have booked our travel and hotel arrangements in Sydney with an air of disbelief. I’ve competed at other regattas as “practice runs” and faced the reality that being “on the podium” in Sydney is not as possible, and not as important, as I originally thought in 2005. Balancing working, family life and rowing means I’m a better person overall but not necessarily a better rower. However, I’m going to go there and compete, not for the sake of winning, but for the glory of the sport and because I made a promise to myself, and I keep my promises. As Baron de Coubertin said, “The important thing in life is not the victory but the contest; the essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well.”
So now it’s 8 days until the start of competition. It’s actually 7 days for me, considering I will lose a day crossing the International Date Line. I’m going to be there, rowing the single scull as well as in four other racing crews, any of which have a good chance of winning or placing if it’s a good day and we have a good start. I’m going to soak up the atmosphere of an Olympic sporting venue, and enjoy the camaraderie of over 2500 other Masters rowers who all row for the love of the sport, not for money or fame or even always the appreciation of their families (5am wakeup calls annoy the most patient of spouses). I’m going to see through this crazy promise. Then I’ll come back – and make another one!
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I just wanted to share this with you all because I’m SO excited about it. I’m actually going to work on a visual depiction of my journey to the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games and I’ll post it here if/when I get it done… it’s one of those “nice to have” items which might get knocked off my priority list this weekend while I’m packing.
Wish me luck!
I had a rowing coach a few years ago whose favorite word was “RELAX.” His crews actually made him a t-shirt with the word “RELAX” written across the front. The funny thing is, he would call it out when the boat was feeling pretty tense, and half the people would inevitably do the OPPOSITE of relax because being yelled at to “relax” is not the most relaxing thing in the universe.
Ergo when I read this funny blog post (“Your anus is too tight“) about the need to just relax about social media in order to get good at it, I had a bit of a cynical chuckle. For the people most likely to be tense and uptight about what to post on Twitter or the rules of blogging are the least likely to be able to follow the instruction to relax. Still, it is good advice!
And then there’s the question that still lingers for me: is this social media thing really that big of a deal? It’s brought me some new friends, a fantastic sense of community, but as some of my finance-geek friends would like to remind me, WHERE’S THE ROI? Oh I know, I know, I should be looking at the ROI of building my brand and developing relationships, etc. I guess that’s where the value is, and nobody should confuse social media with a real sales funnel. This is NOT a way to get new customers. Oh that may happen, almost by accident, but if you’re on Twitter or Facebook or anything else looking to “land a sale” you will not only disappoint yourself, but you may turn others off. Personally I can catch a whiff of desperation from several IP addresses away.
So onward I go… I will continue attending the occasional social media event here in town, and blather on about the pros and cons of social media, probably until the next “big thing” hits us. If you’ll come and keep me company, maybe I can get to know you and send a few referrals your way. *ding*
Tags: social media
On Tuesday I led a brainstorming session for a group of store managers of a travel agency company. It was part of their monthly “team leaders” meeting, held at the area manager’s house.
Here are the charts… this demonstrates how a simple graphic exercise can help a group with “divergent” work – coming up with lots of new ideas – and “convergent” work – developing some of those ideas in more detail.
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- Brainstorm of ideas – I provided the central themes and they created ideas around them.
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- Action plan – putting details around two ideas that were voted on by the group.
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- Craziest meeting venue so far in my graphic facilitation career!
Bless their hearts, they had booked a community meeting room at a local venue but had been bumped, and the only place available for doing graphic facilitation was on his deck. He didn’t get much chance to clean it up. (And yes, he did give me permission to share this photo).
Tags: brainstorming, meeting venues, Portfolio, visual planning
Some of you may have read my previous post on a Social Media Marketing Summit. Due to the fantastic theme proposed by the organizing committee for the Lead The Change week at Victoria Executive Centre, I have adjusted the topic of this event and invite you to consider participating or attending this new session:
Using Social Media to Lead Authentic Change
Tuesday, September 22 – 2:00 to 3:30pm
Victoria Executive Centre, 915 Fort St. 3rd Floor
Cost: Free, as part of Leading the Change Week
Social media is the talk of the town right now, but many are wondering “how do I use this tool as a leader?” This panel discussion will bring together business, non-profit and academic leaders who are all active users of social media to talk and answer your questions about social media as a tool for leadership. By the end of the session, you’ll be equipped to create your own personal social media plan to incorporate these tools into your practice of leadership. Susan Low will use graphic facilitation to draw ideas and concepts from the group and depict them as a visual display in real-time during the discussion. Please note: Some knowledge of common social media tools (Twitter, Facebook) may help you get the most out of this session, as we won’t be covering the how-to’s of setting up accounts or configuring software. This session will (probably, pending logistical confirmation) be webcast for those who cannot attend in person.
Registration details will be posted here soon, along with information about other sessions in this week of amazing speakers and trainers. Note – sessions are FREE but space is limited.
Are you a business leader, not-for-profit leader or academic who has been using social media in the context of influencing change?
I’m looking for five or six experienced social media thinkers/speakers who are interested in forming the panel. Some questions will be provided in advance for you to prepare your thoughts, and others will come from the audience. There will be approx. 20 attendees within the room as well as webcast viewers and possibly videoconference sites elsewhere in North America. If you would like to sit on the panel, please email me (sue at directis dot ca) with a brief bio and how you have used social media in a leadership role.
Tags: social media
As you build a business, whether you seek to simply employ yourself and support your family or you plan to grow a community of leaders and co-workers in pursuit of a common goal, you need to be very purposeful about your vision, values and mission. In the day-to-day busyness and the unavoidable stresses of entrepreneurship, there are a million temptations to do it an easier way, do it a faster way, cut corners or take a few liberties to make your path smoother. I’m all for learning from others so you don’t reinvent the wheel, but at the same time you must consider that business in the past century has been about maximizing profits and shareholder value, at great expense to the communities and ecosystems that support our very existence. When it comes down to the crunch time, you must have the courage to say “I will do it the hard way because it is the right way” and hopefully, you must have assembled the support team around yourself who will back you up. That means that from day one, you need to be clear with the people around you – employees, suppliers, financers, customers – what you feel is “the right way” and do not compromise.
Yes, I know very well how much more comfortable it is to take the easy way. I’ve been there: three years ago I realized I was no longer giving true 100% value to my clients but was scared to turn away from the contract that put a roof over my head, especially as a self-employed person with a baby on the way. When I began my maternity “leave” I told my biggest client that I wasn’t coming back as the same person in the same role I’d been in the past. I essentially let go of “the vine” without having the next one in my hand. It was terrifying but it also felt right. Rebuilding my business on my own terms after my son’s birth, giving value to each client in each minute and hour I serve them, is so much harder than I had it before, but I feel ten times more alive now.
Being a leader of a values-based business is not about one big decision, though. It’s not about writing some mighty vision statement that sits on high and directs the actions of all those associated with the business. Values-based leadership is about the small decisions you make every day, balancing the often competing priorities of community, ecosystem and profits.
I’m hoping that during my Business Break-Away session on October 2, we’ll have a chance to explore more of the practices of strategic planning for values-based businesses and get a good dialogue going in support of each other.
Tags: Business Break-Away, leadership, values
