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January 9, 2023
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Powerful Endings: What am I taking away from today’s meeting?
August 31, 2020 Leave a comment
No matter who started the conversation, no matter whose issue was explored in depth, we can all take something of value away from each meeting. By allocating a specific time at the end of the meeting to share takeaways, we encourage greater self-reflection. And as I hear what you took away, I may agree, may take away a different point, or may be sparked to consider a new approach. Possible takeaways may be in any of these categories:
Question: I wonder why? What if? How come? Would I…? Can I…?
Appreciation: I want to express gratitude to a fellow forum member or to someone else in my life. I will do that before the next forum meeting!
Issue: I need to pursue, explore, gain a greater understanding of X, so I can do a better job of Y.
Perspective: Wow! That’s a new angle, a whole new way to think about my problem or opportunity.
Insight: I can now more keenly see the true nature of my situation, because….
Idea: A new conviction, conception, opinion, principle, or framework is forming in my mind!
Connection: I need to make a note to reach out to person A to pursue…. Or maybe a forum mate can introduce me to person B?
Intention: I have a new goal, purpose, or objective in mind. I need to flesh this out further.
Action: I have a new S.M.A.R.T. goal, one that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-framed. Shall I tell my forum mates about this goal, so they can serve as my accountability witnesses?
What’s Next? Transitioning from all-virtual forum meetings to the new “normal”
August 27, 2020 Leave a comment
Our forums have been meeting virtually for months now. We’re gotten used to Zoom. We’ve adjusted our meeting frequency, length and agenda to accommodate the opportunities and challenges of this new format. Now we are beginning to ask: What’s next? Are we ever going back to the old “normal” of monthly meetings, 3-4 hours in length, and always in person; or will there be a new “normal” for our forum?
How and when will we have our first in-person meeting?
People are hungering for in-person gatherings, but still many are afraid. Given these mixed emotions, it’s important to clarify upfront the lowest common denominator of safety requirements so that people are feeling their safety will be respected should they decide to meet in person. Specific dimensions to consider include:
- Should we start with a shorter meeting, perhaps two hours long, to begin getting comfortable with the idea?
- What venue is acceptable? Outdoors, in the backyard of a member’s home; or inside in a room that is large enough for socially distant seating? How will members be assured that great care is taken in all areas of hygiene?
- If the plan is to meet outside, but it starts raining, will we end the meeting and go home? If we scramble and run indoors, will that lead to someone’s discomfort?
- Will everyone always wear masks or only when social distancing is not possible?
- Do we bring our own food/drinks to minimize close-up contact, or will we take turns going to grab a drink or snack so as not to crowd anyone?
- Should we provide a Zoom back-up option in case the weather doesn’t cooperate, or if the forum decides to revert to a virtual format due to last-minute changes in the health status of individual members or surging local virus rates?
What if some members are not ready or able to meet in-person?
It’s generally considered best practice for everyone to be in the same room, or for all to be virtual. That way, all members participate with equal standing.
However, your forum may reach a point where all except one or two members are willing to try an in-person meeting. We listen carefully and respect the needs of all members. Perhaps some have their own compromised health situations or are caring for family members who need to be protected.
With the blessing of those who choose to stay virtual, the forum may gather in person with one or two members still on Zoom. Each remote participant gets their own separate laptop/screen. If using Zoom, pin the video for one remote user on each computer. Put the computers at different places around the room to give remote participants the best possible view of everyone who is physically present. Follow these best practices for the optimal experience.
What if some members are no longer in your local area?
COVID has disrupted everyone’s lives and some members may have relocated during the pandemic. As long as all meetings are virtual, it doesn’t matter. We don’t care where you are calling from, as long as you continue to participate reliably.
If your forum resumes in-person meetings, those who are temporarily out of the area can continue to participate via Zoom, if the forum allows that. Those who have relocated for a longer, indeterminate period present a bigger challenge. They may also continue to participate virtually for an agreed number of months, while they seek to join another forum; they may take a sabbatical; or they may resign, with our deep appreciation for their time in the forum.
Longer term, would a hybrid of in-person and virtual meetings work best for our forum?
Some forums, now comfortable with virtual meetings, may experiment with a mixed mode of sometimes all-together, and sometimes on Zoom. The frequency, length and format of meetings will vary depending on multiple factors:
- The number of members who are no longer in the local area, but who can return occasionally
- Commuting times to get to meetings or frequency of member travel out of the area
- Planned agendas, with some topics working well remotely and others better addressed in-person
We’re all figuring this out as we go, and open, honest conversation and respectful listening will help get us through this transition.
Thank you to Mo Fathelbab and Roni Witkin for their suggestions regarding this blog post. All opinions are my own.
Guiding principles to discuss race (and other potentially contentious issues) in forum
August 3, 2020 Leave a comment
Discussions in forum about larger societal issues, such as race, racial identity, or race relations, have the potential to derail and to cause hurt feelings and a sense of being judged negatively.
Before beginning such conversations, ask all members to review and agree to a set of guiding principles. These eight principles (adapted and summarized from the Daring Discussions Toolkit) provide an excellent starting point.
Ground yourself in love. Many social problems stem from our willingness to turn people into the “other” and deny their basic humanity. Holding onto hate hurts us deeply while love drives us to invest our time and energy.in each other in a more productive way, raising the level of relationship between us.
Strength is compassion & vulnerability. When we think of strength, we often think of toughness and inflexibility. However, it takes bravery to be vulnerable and great strength to be compassionate rather than judgmental.
Suspend your first judgment. When we judge each other, we shut down our power to listen to what others are saying. Be aware of the impulse towards judgment and advocacy; then take a moment to breathe deeply.
Seek clarification before jumping to conclusions. Assume others in the forum have good intentions and want to find common ground. Rather than launching into a response based on judgment, or what you “think” another member meant, ask open-ended questions.
Be honest about your experiences. Focus on sharing your direct personal experiences, as opposed to stories you’ve heard in the news or through other people. This is the heart of forum: sharing as deeply and truthfully as you are able will help others feel empowered to do the same.
Be unconditionally accepting. It is possible to both accept someone and disagree with them at the same time. The goal is not to “win” a debate, but to find common ground, to see our own blind spots in new way, and to be enriched by the perspectives of others.
Reflective & intuitive listening. Listen patiently and quietly, then reflect back before sharing what’s on your mind. “I hear you saying that….” “I appreciate you sharing with me that….”
Be aware of the privilege you hold in the conversation. Privileges we hold may be exactly those things of which we are least aware. We can simultaneously hold some kinds of privilege or relative power, while experiencing some form of oppression as well. Being aware of the privilege you hold is an important part of creating space in forum for others to share difficult and vulnerable truths about their experience.
Should I travel or not? Reflections on risk, return and priorities
June 9, 2020 Leave a comment
You haven’t been travelling for months, and now the world is (maybe) slowly opening up. As you consider making long-delayed or long-planned trips, what’s the right choice? Should you bunker down or get on the plane? Forum can be a great place to talk through decisions that are multifaceted, involve conflicting emotions, and require you to coordinate with family members or business colleagues.
Invite each member to share one or two upcoming travel decisions (either personal or business) that they’ve made or need to make. Possible questions to address:
- Why do you feel you need to make this trip? Why now?
- What safety or other practical concerns do you have and how might you address them?
- If your spouse/partner or other family members are involved, how do their approaches/philosophies differ? How might you resolve any potential conflict.
- How do you think about risk vs. return in making this particular travel decision? What weight do you give to different factors?
- How do you think differently about business vs. personal travel?
Each member has 2-3 minutes (timed) to share their answers.
After all members have shared, open up to general conversation, including takeaways and possible accountability to report back to the forum. What new perspective, insight or question are you taking away from this conversation? Do you expect to make the travel decision you shared in the next month? Would you like the forum to check in to see what you decided at the next meeting?
Can we talk about race and racial inequality in our forum?
June 5, 2020 Leave a comment
I used to think that sex and money were the final frontiers in forum. If we are willing to share deeply about these topics, perhaps our forums have reached a level of trust and vulnerability that leads to transformational value.
In the America we now inhabit, I wonder if race and racial attitudes might be even more sensitive and taboo. Some questions you might consider at your next forum meeting:
- How has your upbringing influenced the ways you think about people from other racial backgrounds?
- How would you describe the current extent and nature of your relations with people of other racial backgrounds? How do you feel about that?
- What recent or long past personal experiences are you reminded of as you read about protests across America? Why?
- As a business leader, how have you supported (or undermined) efforts towards racial equality and racial justice?
You may wish to read this excellent guide to Daring Discussions before you begin the conversation.
Two recent articles that forum members might read in advance:
“Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?” in The Atlantic by Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist
“Don’t understand the protests? What you’re seeing is people pushed to the edge,” in the Los Angeles Times by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the N.B.A.’s all-time leading scorer
Reacting, Adapting and Growing in the Time of COVID-19
May 29, 2020 Leave a comment
Thank you to James Isaacs from whose exercise this blog post is adapted.
We are passing through one of the most disrupted periods in recorded business history. There has never been anything like this. Kudos to all who are still standing!
While there are glimmers of green shoots coming up around us, and the teasing possibility of “re-opening” from Shelter-in-Place, the cold hard reality is that these current recessionary conditions are going to persist for some time into the future. Forum is the ideal place to talk through how we are reacting, adapting and growing in this time.
Each member prepares in advance to give a brief (5-7 minute) presentation using the following questions to stimulate their thinking.
Reacting – Since we last got together a month ago:
- What was your best moment in reacting to something?
- What was your worst moment?
- What have you done that has worked best in reaction to something?
- What have you done that has worked least well?
- Was there some reaction that you would love to have a “do over” on?
- What was a great decision you made?
- Is there a decision that you are just not facing up to? Why are you avoiding the decision?
Adapting – Since we last got together a month ago:
- What is something that you have changed in either how you operate your business, how your family is functioning, or how you act personally in relation to COVID-19 that shows healthy adaptation?
Growing — Since we last got together a month ago:
- How have you grown in the last month?
- What is a strength or attribute you are showing that you didn’t before?
- Starting with the axiom, “this might be the best work I ever do” under this stress, how have you shown some of your best work this last month?
- What behavior, strength, attribute, tactic, strategy, attitude, motion, action, movement, etc. do you think you need to get through the next stage of this?
A few notes:
- You do not have to respond to all questions. Respond to those that speak to you.
- Feel free to use other approaches to express your thoughts and feelings.
- Try to touch on your personal, family and business life.
- Go for the 5%, your deepest feelings and issues which are most difficult to share outside of forum.
Allocate 2-3 minutes after each member’s presentation for others to resonate, notice, share experience, pose a thought-provoking question, or connect the dots between multiple members’ experiences.
Meeting in pairs to build deeper forum connections
May 27, 2020 Leave a comment
When we meet in person, we informally connect one-on-one during breaks, and can socialize over drinks and dinner afterwards. When we are meeting virtually, the opportunities for casual, pairwise connections are almost non-existent.
To make up for that deficit, consider implementing this plan to encourage paired meet-ups between forum meetings:
- Set up a round-robin schedule with pairs of members (plus one trio if you have an odd number in your forum). The pairs rotate after every regular forum meeting or on a monthly basis.
- Pairs are asked to meet by whatever means works for them: a virtual “coffee” in Zoom; a conversation by phone, perhaps while each is going for a walk; or email, text or WhatsApp exchanges.
- The plan can be left open-ended and flexible with no reporting back to the full forum, or each member can be asked to share one thing they learned about their partner at the next meeting.
Try this for a month or two, and then check-in with everyone on whether all would like to continue on a regular basis, or only as long as the forum is meeting virtually.
Masked and unmasked updates
May 8, 2020 Leave a comment
These days we all need to wear some kind of mask when we leave our homes and can’t socially distance from others. Forum, meeting on a virtual platform, is one place where we can take off both our physical and our “psychological” masks, be vulnerable and discuss what really matters.
Consider doing this combined icebreaker/update activity at your next virtual forum meeting:
- MASKED: Please bring and show your favorite or usual mask, and tell its story (up to 1 minute each, go around the “table”)
- UNMASKED: Take off the “mask” you are wearing in front of your colleagues, family, and/or self. How are you REALLY feeling at this time? What is the Most Important Thing you want to tell the rest of us? Can you be vulnerable with your fellow forum members, and can you ask for what you need? Up to 3 or 4 minutes each (depending on length of meeting and number of members).
- NOTICING (Optional, 10 minutes): Members have one minute each to quickly notice what was said or unsaid, tone and body language, anything you resonated with by deeply listening. No dialogue, questions, judgment, or advice giving. Members will not have time and are not expected to comment on every other member’s update.
Note: It’s best to tell members in advance about this exercise so they can have their physical mask handy, and can reflect on the suggested update questions.
Credit: Thank you to Melissa Weiksnar for sharing this exercise.
Who do I choose to be during the COVID-19 crisis?
April 15, 2020 Leave a comment
We have all experienced a range of emotions as the pandemic has changed so many aspects of our lives.
Manju Melwani, a YPO forum facilitator, suggests possible actions and attitudes which may be either in the zone of fear, of learning, or of growth.
In forum we might ask ourselves:
- In the last few weeks, when have I been in each of these zones? Why? How does that make me feel?
- Not as a victim, but as an active agent, how have I chosen to learn and grow?
- Looking forward, who do I want to be when this crisis is over?
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