I hope this finds your new year off to a great beginning!
Several years ago at the new year, as I was clearing out old files and closets, I thought of a new word:
Clearity
Clearity is a state of being that is clear of things that drag on you. Think of a clean canvas, an unplanted garden, an empty room, a blank page, a clear vista – all places to potentially create anew without the distortions of the past or present. Even a new fresh relationship may have the quality of clearity.
For me, as I approach my days, I’m determined to clear my needless doubts, fears, and judgments. I know I can do this by deepening my centeredness, continuing to refine my intentions, and choosing growth-minded support.
Clearity has huge relevance to the work I do with leaders and teams.
Here is how:
Some of the most rewarding work I’ve done is with teams who have dysfunctional conflict. Often, team members think we are going to get together and hash out all of their issues.
Hashing out issues doesn’t work. And makes matters worse.
Clearity comes from setting aside the ‘issues’ so you have a clearing for a path forward. Some people get uncomfortable setting aside the issues. But, If you try to clear them up by ‘hashing’ them out the issues get bigger and often more emotional and convoluted – like too much paint on a canvas, a garden overrun, too much clutter in the room. Have you experienced that?
So much of what drags people and progress down is the inability to handle conflict effectively, leaving emotional residue that contaminates relationships and the opportunity to innovate.
Freedom from drag is found with mastering conflict (Oh yes, that is what the Spiral Impact Method teaches!). Then with guidance of a skilled facilitator create a clear values-based agreement of how they want to work together. This clears a path forward.
This process brings forth clearity to see their co-workers in new ways often revealing how much they have in common. It creates a safe space to explore the future and shines a light on possibilities. It may also be clear for some people they don’t want to be there, this is good. They can move on, and it will be clearer for all.
We may not go from highly dysfunctional to Kumbaya – but there will be clarity about next steps! Those next steps must be nurtured and supported along the way, just like a new garden.
May you have a year filled with Clearity!
Karen
Copyright 2019 edited 2022
