16.03.2022

Behind The Curtain | Possibility | Investigate

Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS. 

You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach: 

Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: something that’s creating an energy and positive impact
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge

Have you taken the GLAS Understanding Assessment
and received your free report?

LEARN
Something Worth Sharing

Behind the Curtain

Two weeks ago I got to see behind the curtain of our house - as the walls came down during the next phase of the building project - I could see the wiring, pipes and brickwork that are usually hidden out of sight.

It reminded me of the film The Wizard of Oz, when Oz tells Dorothy to "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain". Behind the curtain is where all the secrets, systems, mess, tricks of the trade and truth lie. Pulling back the curtain and seeing this is not always easy. When our sons first started working - initially behind cocktail bars and cafes - they quickly saw ‘behind the curtain’ and it shocked them. I remember working in an “international” business for a while which seemed - at least on the outside - competent, focused, driven and professional. As I pulled the curtain back I found deceit, chaos and incompetence.

We all spend a great deal of time making ‘front of house’ beautiful - I guess for many people this starts with the website, marketing strategy and reception areas. But what about behind the curtain? How much effort is put into the systems, culture and other internal elements that are so often neglected? The curtain shouldn’t be a distraction - to be truly agile and successful, we need to be happy to fling the curtains open and be transparent. If the curtain is to hide and direct attention elsewhere, there’s some questions to be asked.

ENERGY
Focusing on an emotion or positive energy; a stand-out word / s

Possibility

This is one of my absolute favourite words. From Latin POSSIBILIS, it means "that can be done". It originates from POSSE: "be able" and is connected to the word ‘potent’. The definition of ‘potent’ is "powerful, able, capable; possible".

When we see things as possible, we believe that there is a way forwards - even without knowing any detail or strategy, yet.

ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference

Investigate something

I am a curious person by nature - some may even say nosey! I love to understand things and so my action for you this week is to become an investigator so you can learn something. Go and research, read, discover, ask or challenge something. This could be about a person, a fact, an issue, news, history, geography… anything! Just remember how great it is to investigate and learn.

PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)

“What are you compromising?”

I read a wonderful book that said that compromise means no one wins and everyone is disappointed. My question for you this week is what are you compromising?

This can be followed up with the question “and are you happy about this or is there is a better way forwards?

SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition, my gratitude or to be celebrated.

Local Architecture

Although my further education involved design and art, I’d forgotten how wonderful it is to draw - for drawings sake. I recently restarted doing ink drawings of local architecture and it’s helped me to see my surroundings in a new and detailed way.

My local area is Birmingham - the centre of the UK. The industrial revolution was key to the growth and development of my home city, with the waterways transporting coal, iron, chemicals and other heavy goods. They played a crucial role in the development of Birmingham and the Black Country, with more than 100 miles of canals making up the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) today.

As I draw the detail of doorways, spires, tiling, and stunning windows for these now Grade 1 listed buildings, it amazes me how intricate each one is. I don’t just draw them however, I want to understand the history and stories that sit with each one too. My shout out is to all of these wonderful and historic buildings.

BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
This week’s little extra for you - from me

This week my recommended book is from the incredible Sir Ken Robinson. Sir Ken delivered a sensational TED talk in 2006: “Do schools kill creativity”. In this book, Imagine If…, he wanted to create a ‘call to action’ for the world - ahead of his passing from cancer. His daughter Kate completed the book and launched it at the beginning of this month.

If you’d like to discuss having your ideas, business or culture captured visually - you can also let me know via email.

*** ORDER YOURS NOW ***

Order Your Deliberate Year Calendar & Logbook Set

LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis. 

I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:

• L: what have you learned?

• E: what’s your energy / feeling word

• A: what’s one thing you need to do?

• P: what are you thinking / processing?

• S: who or what can you shout out?