It’s Not What You Do | Gentle | The 7 Agile Perspectives
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: an energy (good or bad) word and it’s meaning
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge
LEARN
Something Worth Sharing
It’s Not What You Do
We have a society built on ‘doing’. When you meet someone at a networking event - or barbecue - the first thing typically asked of you is: “…and what do you do?”.
At school, we are measured by what we do, how we do and what we don’t do. On social media, people spend way too much time comparing what they do to what others do - and how well they think others are doing. However, for such a big focus in our lives and businesses, the ‘doing’ isn’t as important as we perhaps tend to believe.
The simple fact is that ANYONE can do what you do because what we ‘do’ is the easiest thing about us to copy - for individuals and businesses. Even when new things are done, such as technology, it won’t be long before others are doing the same things - and probably faster and cheaper than you do it.
One of my absolute bugbears is when I hear people say “we do things this way because it’s how we’ve always done them”. This is not only ridiculous, but it’s dangerous. What (and how) we do things can not stay the same, because if you don’t change them, then at some point the market will. Staying relevant requires us to challenge ourselves to develop and improve - as well as aligning to a true ‘why’. It’s not what you do that builds a sense of loyalty and support - it’s who you are, how you do things and why that matters most.
ENERGY
An emotion or energy; a stand-out word / s
Gentle
The word ‘gentle’ and its use in modern language developed in the early 13c. to mean "well-born, of noble rank or family". The origins are directly from Latin GENTILIS "of the same family or clan" - formed from GENS "race, clan".
The word gentle is linked to being well-bred and associated with being graceful and acting well - in a “gentlemanly” way.
ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference
Move Something
So, over the past two weeks we have closed something and opened something - therefore it felt fitting this week to suggest just moving something! You could get active and move yourself, of perhaps rearrange your office layout, things on your desk, or your view! Moving can suggest a change of perspective or an ability to make progress - to move something along.
PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)
“What is worrying me most about the future?”
This is a big question! You can consider it in terms of personal or professional, of what is in your life or in the wider society, of this year or the ‘big future’. I do encourage you to ask the question of others and start a great conversation.
I’d love for you to send me your own stories / thoughts about this. Drop me a line with your answer / thoughts on this question
SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition - my gratitude or to be celebrated.
Step Back and Question
It’s all too easy to get in your lane, put your head down, work hard and forget to occasionally step back and question things. I worked with a superb charity recently to run an away-day for them. They recognised the problem of being too involved and close to things to be able to step back and properly question themselves. They were brave and willing - and so with encouragement and a creative and fun approach, we ended up creating outstanding questions - including the ever-valuable “what if…” questions. They achieved so much and came up with new and innovative thinking that often can’t happen when 9-5 in the thick of the day-to-day of an organisation. Shout out to stepping back and questioning - and those that are willing to do this!
BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
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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?
