Print Registration FormThe Heart of Leadership
We are pleased to announce that Gale Leadership Development, LLC
This workshop enables people to deepen their foundation of connection with others, themselves, and with their community; to expand their vitality, power, and heart
This five day Self mastery program enables people to take a deep dive into empowering others, the heart of listening, integrity, developing themselves and coaching others, creating collaboration, completing the past, and breaking through whatever constraints and barriers and patterns that are currently operating and constraining them, creating new possibilities, etc.
In this program, people awaken to the possibility of living life from their own soaring spirit and from the opportunity to shape their lives and create their leadership. Through discovering and standing for their own unique talents and gifts, participants are freed up to generate work for themselves that is meaningful and that allows for increasing personal and professional accomplishment with decreasing effort. They are released to their passion, spirit, creativity, and power, and enabled to fulfill their intentions through collaborative communication with others.
The Heart of Leadership will next be held on April 17, 18, 19 and May 8, 9, 2012, 8 am to 5:30 pm each day.
As a firm oriented around developing people, we are dedicated to the possibility that one's work and all other aspects of one's life can be a source of joy, inspiration, ongoing development, contribution and meaning. In the past thirty years of developing people, we have observed that living well and working well are related; that accomplishment, productivity and satisfaction are related; and that forwarding people’s development over time ever increases the power of people to fulfill their intentions and to create environments around them that nourish themselves and others.
While The Heart of Leadership has reliably shown its power through time for people who work in larger settings, this course is also for individuals, for medium or small business owners and single practitioners, educators, or entrepreneurs who have a small staff or few or no employees. Because this program enables your ability to cause alignment and trust, to deepen relationships and connectivity, to create communication across functional areas or cultural boundaries, and to resolve alignment issues, you may obviously wish to take it with others with whom you are actively involved in projects. This is certainly not required, however. Quite personal in its approach and its nature, the program allows people to move forward on their journey of personal development and to create new opportunities for themselves for leading meaningful lives, for being enlivened and satisfied at work, and for producing results across all domains of life.
If you find yourself interested, please review the more substantial description of the program on the following pages. Registration information and comments about the program from previous participants also follow.
We look forward to the possibility of speaking with you, and contributing to you.
"Work should be and can be productive and rewarding, meaningful
and maturing, enriching and fulfilling, healing and joyful.
Work is one of our greatest privileges. Work can even be poetic."
Max Depree, Leadership is an Art
“Tell me: what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Mary Oliver
The Heart of Leadership is a developmental program that unleashes the heart and spirit component in work and in life. This rich conversation develops people to live and begin to master what is at the heart of leadership, communication, trust, connectivity, empowerment, and accomplishment. It enables people to create work and life as a pathway for meaning and fulfillment, to create a present and a future where people are released to their own passion, to their ability to release others' brilliance and passion, and to being productive, accomplished, and fulfilled.
We can hear in our work with our clients, a call for expanding "edge", competence, and mastery through forwarding the growth and fulfillment of human beings. The work environment is a domain that can contribute to every aspect of a human being's life, but is often not constituted to do so. We have seen, over and over, this profound call for inspiration in people's personal and professional lives, particularly now, when it is clearer than ever that we live in a changing and uncertain environment.
The Heart of Leadership addresses that calling. It aims at awakening and engaging the vast resource that is the human spirit. From that awakening, participants are able to create changes in their personal and professional lives that generate breakthroughs in ease, fulfillment, accomplishment, and the experience of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Through this program, people are able to bring into being the core ingredients for awakening a culture in the workplace and in the other dimensions of their lives of trust, inspiration, partnership, connection with others, accomplishment, success, creativity, and fulfillment. Some of the key elements included are: access to honest, authentic communication based in powerful listening; compassion; honor and regard for one's own and others' gifts and unique contribution; a capacity to take risks and embrace mistakes; integrity; forgiveness; the ability to fulfill intentions and accomplishments with ease and velocity through collaborative conversational pathways; keys for creating breakthroughs from breakdowns; and an increased ability to forward and empower others to fulfill their intentions. This program opens up territory for people to connect with living life from a place of profundity, meaning, and inspiration as well as accomplish what they intend. In fact, the two are very much related.
What are the results of the program?
This program, delivered through a three-day session one month and a two-day session the next month, opens people up to the collaborative nature of leadership, with authentic communication as the base for ever-expanding power in the area. It addresses what is at the heart of leadership, communication, and empowering others. It leaves people causing a relationship with their work that has meaning and substance. It leads people to be able to create relationships with others that have heart and that allows for gracious and effective collaboration, including in the face of breakdowns, so that people are both successful and fulfilled.
Through this program, people have reshaped their work, their lives, their personal relationships, and their organizational environments into environments that are fulfilling and nurturing to human beings, in which people can thrive. Through this program, people have reshaped their cultures from:
• No trust to trust
• Little communication to communication that works
• No partnership to partnership
• Having barriers and walls between people to healing those barriers ongoingly
• Control to empowerment
• "Silo" thinking to creating possibility, opportunity and actions collaboratively
• Longing for what they don't have to being satisfied with what they do have (or creating it)
Appreciation, communication, and integrity become the background of the culture in a sustained way. These environmental or cultural shifts have allowed individuals, partners, and organizations to produce surprising, concrete, and extraordinary results. In these five days, participants create breakthroughs in their ability to listen, in their ability to speak from commitment, compassion, and inspiration, and in their ability to create innovation from problems and breakdowns. New freedoms, openings for action, and new outcomes are produced.
Some of the questions we address and develop people to live from are:
• Where does leading a meaningful life and empowering others come from?
• What is my purpose (in life and work)?
• How do I deepen my relationship with others?
• What is the unique contribution I am?
• What is the role of completion, forgiveness, and integrity in living and in leading?
• How do we accomplish completion/learning before moving on to the next project?
• How does appreciation release my own creativity and the creativity of others?
• What blocks appreciation?
• How do I get access to connecting powerfully, committedly, and generously, with both others and myself? (especially when I don't like them)
• What are the conversational pathways for fulfilling intentions collaboratively?
• What are the principles for creating and sustaining trust through time?
• How can I resolve interruptions and breakdowns with ease and grace?
• How can I create breakthroughs from breakdowns?
• How can I engage the teams I work with to be in effective communication and action on an ongoing basis?
While most people would agree that leadership and management based in hierarchy, paternalism, and control are no longer viable, there are few schools educating people to be able to make a new kind of leadership--both in our work and in our private lives and families – operational. We suggest that to move forward into the next era will take a new kind of leadership: a leadership that is based in fulfilling one's own life, releasing one's self to one's own heart, joy, wisdom, and soaring spirit. From there, one can take on being someone who releases others to fulfill the possibility that they are. We are not well trained in releasing our own and/or others' brilliance. This program provides that training.
Who can participate?
Anyone who is interested in and willing to committedly and seriously explore questions that allow for an explosion in creativity and freedom, taking action on enriching their personal and work life with meaning, expanding their ability to create alignment and trust with others, and fulfilling their intentions with velocity.
Because the program enables your ability to break down walls and to create communication across functional areas and resolve alignment issues, you may wish to participate with other people, either personally or professionally, with whom you are actively engaged. This program is a potent and reliable resource for developing a greater level of unity and connectivity with others, for the present and the future. However, participating in it with others with whom you live or work, though useful, is certainly not critical or required.
How is it organized?
The program is delivered in two sections: the first is three days in a row, followed by two days approximately three or four weeks later. The first three days provide a breakthrough in authentic communication, completion, integrity, forgiveness, creating a meaningful future, a deep regard for one's self and others, healing with others, and the distinctions for creating trust and partnership on an ongoing basis. The second two days cover the conversational pathways for fulfilling intentions collaboratively, in an integrated way with others, and the keys to reliably creating breakthroughs from breakdowns. Participants report dramatic breakthroughs in their personal and professional lives from the first three days; many of the comments in the "Previous Participant's Comments" section stem from people having participated in a workshop based solely in the distinctions of the first three days.
Particulars:
The tuition for the program is $1595.00, which includes lunches.
The Heart of Leadership will take place on April 17, 18, 19 and May 8, 9, 2012, 8 am to 5:30 pm each day. Upon registration, we will send you additional information.
Further information:
If you have any questions about the program or this program’s applicability to you and/or your business, please call our Registration Coordinator, Ruth Blaney, at (206) 842-2774, and leave a message, or you may email her at r.blaney@usa.net and she will contact you.
How to register:
1) Please fill out the registration form, attach your tuition or a $200 nonrefundable deposit (made payable to the Gale Leadership Development, LLC) and return it to:
Amba Gale
16416 Agate Point Road NE
2) Or email the registration form by sending it back to Ruth as an attachment in Word, to r.blaney@usa.net and mail the deposit to her.
3) Or fax the filled out form to us at (206) 842-2691 and mail the deposit to Gale Leadership Development, LLC @ 16416 Agate Point Road NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.
Full tuition is due by March 27, 2012. Reservations for guest rooms at Clearwater Resort Hotel are due by March 20, 2012, to take advantage of the deeply discounted room rate. Please call 866-609-8700 to reserve your space and indicate that you are part of our group.
We would be happy to speak with you about the program, look with you at how it might be able to benefit you personally, those in relationship with you, or your organization, and to answer any questions you may have.
I knew the experience of "HOL" would be very interesting, but I did not anticipate how life changing it would be. The tools you have given us are priceless. My life at work and at home are forever changed in such a profound and absolutely wonderful way! The relationship Bruce and I have has grown and is going in the direction we both want. Without this knowledge, we may never have known the possibilities for our future together. We are happier, calmer, sharing more in conversations, are so much more aware of each other and are just freer and more relaxed in general. As time passes, we realize that what we learned has now become a natural part of our lives. We cherish our new way of communicating because we are able to truly listen and understand each other. Our relationship has deepened and we are now looking forward to the next level that "The Joy of Being" will take us to.
Lori Price
“My career has been much more rewarding and successful since taking this program and other ongoing work over these past years, largely due to my new found willingness to confront the risk of changing myself to be more effective with other people. It has changed my whole life. This has also been true for many people in my organization whose approach to life and work have been fundamentally altered by learning and applying basic principles of effective human relations they have learned from Amba.”
(Below are comments Greg made re: the contribution made to his organization.)
I can demonstrate hundreds of millions of dollars were accrued to the bottom line because of our development work.
Our rate of learning is accelerating with every generation.”
(The Gale Leadership Development has been working with Hewlett-Packard Company in various formats for the last fifteen years)
Greg Merten,
Worldwide Manufacturing Operations Manager,
Inkjet Business Hewlett-Packard Company
“I’ve developed my comfort and ability to be in relationships with others — from my most intimate others to the most casual. I’ve uncovered a process for unfolding my life and moving toward my personal vision and my dreams. That is now grounded in a series of commitments—statements of promises and pledges ... which I hold sacred at the level of my soul. It is clear to me that people see me as the CEO in this organization, differently and more positively. My leadership has been freed up in my commitment to personal development for me and for our whole school community. The level of trust has been greatly enhanced and the leadership team has been empowered to pursue their dreams. A belief in the future is emerging in the last twelve months where it did not exist a year ago.
I now know in my heart and in the most profound places in my soul that leadership can provide an opening for work to be inspirited — where all who work in our organization can discover joy and fulfillment in their work.
In May of 1995, the school district conducted its first annual employee satisfaction survey. One of the demographic indicators included in that survey was participation in the Gale Leadership Development programs.
Employees who participated in one or more of these classes were more satisfied in key areas such as trust, belonging, appreciation, their ability to influence what happens in our school district, and how well informed they feel. My observations confirm that the programs significantly altered the overall level of satisfaction among all our employees as a result of their participation. For example, the presidents of both employee unions participated in the August 1995 course. Each spoke powerfully to the entire workforce in early September at the annual employee convocation about the power of personal responsibility, and working together as a team. Those stands continued throughout the year in the leadership of their organizations.”
Bruce Harter,
Superintendent of Schools Corvallis
Oregon School District
“I have come to believe that leadership is a force that causes value to be created where it might not otherwise be made available. I have also come to find that my effectiveness as a leader has much to do with the intersection of my commitments and collaboration skills. Over the past twelve months, I have been exploring this terrain in a one-on-one coaching partnership with Amba Gale. Looking back I am startled by the impact of Amba’s methods and by the business results and personal progress that I am achieving. I have found two aspects of this coaching particularly valuable. First is the power of wrestling with choice and the clarity of commitments (stands) that will drive my business leadership and my living. Second is the attention paid to communication, listening for the concerns and contributions of partners, and working on distinctions that shape the quality of collaboration on and off the job. Amba’s approach to this work is relentless in her search for ‘insight matched to practice’…commitments that yield value in the workplace and across the field of life.”
Boyd Lyon
Hewlett-Packard Company
“As I edit my comments below, they seem to have a flatness that resembles the feeling I’ve sometimes experienced when I take a photo of a magnificent scene, only to be disappointed that the image doesn’t capture whatever it was that compelled me to take the photo. Likewise, the answers here don’t really seem to capture the depth and magnitude of what has opened up for me so far. That said, here goes.
What has continued to open up for you out of session one?
Everything! I’ve discovered new possibilities in relationships, seen the contributions of others I’ve not seen until now, been able to recognize areas of growth for me and have “tools” to move my work forward in those areas (e.g. I now have a set of relevant questions I can ask to help me move conversations/relationships forward), have been able to formulate a new stand for my life and as a result, feel more centered-complete-integrated!”
Denise Kelly-Ballweber
Multicare Health Systems
“Your work with groups is very unique in that it draws out personal values of the participant and allows these
values to become a foundation to be used as a source of power in facing challenges. This breakthrough in perspective, power, and leadership, occurs in four days of training because you tap human potential versus offering “six steps” or other prescriptions usually offered in leadership training. The approach taps the uniqueness of the individual and converts the potential leadership that is there to active, dynamic, leadership.
Because I have attended your courses and because my project and section managers have also attended, we work more effectively as a team. This has allowed an acceleration in decision-making and problem resolution that I feel has saved us 10-20% in schedule time. We have also been able to organize projects in new and different ways. I have reduced my management staff by three without a loss of effectiveness and with clearer communications using what I learned in your class.”
Cheryl Katen,
R & D Manager
Hewlett-Packard Company
“Amba has a gift that is rare in my experience though I have taken many courses, seminars, workshops and conferences – especially during my Human Resources years when I was seeking things for my company as well as for my own personal development. She is able to take a body of information that, while not necessarily a brand new topic to you, is presented in such a way that you have a whole new level of listening, ownership, and genuine learning that truly inspires you to design action plans to make positive changes in your own life. It is equally applicable to personal life and professional life, and people define their own purpose in taking the course in advance and are free to work in the area where they will find the most benefit. For me that area changed after I opened up to the new pathways for deeply exploring my own personal inventory, but that was an unexpected surprise that I continue to be grateful for.”
Susan Keith, Owner
Defining Directions, LLC
“Participating in one of Amba’s classes is unlike any other experience I have had in the past. Her intuitive ability to understand others creates a safe space for people to share who they are and allows for an atmosphere of honesty, respect and appreciation…which we can all use more of in our lives.
We started working with Amba back in 1996, and her programs have made a lasting impact on our company and for those who have attended. She brings out the best in people by creating an atmosphere of openness, respect, and appreciation. I would recommend The Heart of Leadership to anyone seeking a more purposeful life both personally and professionally.”
Larry Nakata, CEO
Town and Country Markets
“I have emerged with breakthroughs in my marriage and in my profession at MultiCare. In my marriage: Ridding myself of the files I had kept from my previous marriage has released me to be fully present with Josephine. At MultiCare: Others are noticing a difference in me. They have seen me strong, and engaging in the work differently. I have released my concern about “my role”, for that of being a contributing member, collaborator and encourager. My requests are more frequent and clearer. New openings and new possibilities are appearing.”
Randall Gross
Multicare Health Systems
“Now I know that the first three days we were emptying the cup and the last two days we filled it back up again, with a new way of being. The last two days, everything came together, all the puzzle pieces fit. I learned how to communicate in a simple, powerful and positive manner. Being a pragmatic person, I love the practical nature of the Heart of Leadership course. It is information that I use every day in everything I do.
When I returned from the Heart of Leadership, people noticed something different about me. What I have is a more clear communication style and a clear idea of what I stand for, which has a profound impact on my life and my relationships.”
Angela Aliabadi
South Tacoma Auto Sales
“In particular I think this has helped communication with my family. And in my workplace I have been able to direct people away from rumors, and at times been better able to keep focus. I’ve been better able to direct team efforts. My plans for work are better worked out, larger in scope, more daring yet more realistic than any I’ve made for years. This is a very good thing. Somehow a lot of wishful thinking is not happening right now, and the results are positive.”
Charlie Hiestand
Musician
“Amba's contribution to Parametrix has had a profound effect on people’s personal and professional lives. Thanks to Amba, the firm now has a powerful Vision to guide us strategically into the future. We have embarked on a journey to identify our Core Values and set into motion incentives to ensure we ‘live the core values.’
For those of us who have participated in the program Amba conducted for us, partnerships have resulted throughout the company built on trust, respect, appreciation and meaningful communication.
For me personally, Amba has inspired my courage to explore opportunities, confront issues and risk change - both personally and professionally.
Amba's common sense approaches have awakened my soul and allowed me to speak from my heart. If you’re open, Amba can change your life!”
Gerry Jones
CEO, Parametrix Engineering
“Staff relations and teamwork improved, cancellations and no-shows were cut by 70%, maintenance enrollment improved from 20% to 80%, patient retention was up, as were referrals. All this while collections were maintained at 100%. No hype or gimmicks. The result has been a 24% increase in my practice which was at 70% capacity when our work began. I am indebted to Amba Gale who has helped me contribute more of myself to patients who gave 100% of herself at all times. Her work is about being the truth and embodies love and dedication. She is a superb example of what she teaches.”
Steven Katz, D.C.
Chiropractic and Sports Center
“Since taking your workshop, I have expanded my organization from 6 to 12 staff people working for me, my Reflexology practice and training programs have doubled and so has my income. I have been interviewed and written up in 12 magazines and newspapers and have done 6 TV shows. I have four agents wanting to represent me for the book I’m writing. I have added another part-time location in Park Slope Brooklyn in addition to a New York City location. I have been selected by ‘Who’s Who in America’, and I am now working on creating audio and videotapes about Reflexology.”
Laura Norman & Associates,
Reflexologist
“My clear heart has wonderful news to share. My first day at work practicing removing the veil of judgment (of others, myself and my circumstances) before convincing myself of a negative story, was spent observing and being glad I’ve shown up for my own development. I left Bainbridge Island knowing my life would be different. Now. So far, a mere 60 hours since your soulful poem and our deep connecting, I am hearing birds instead of my own negative self-talk. I am drinking a glass of essential fluid direct from The Source instead of mere water. I sit at the computer to express my deep gratitude, instead of recapping an old story of someone doing something to me that causes me suffering.
Your carefully designed training, facilitated with precision to a willing community, is appreciated. I am seeing how each of the 5 days of learnings fits snuggly into each other – how they build and support the previous work.”
Diane Lachel
Click! Network
“As a result of my work with you, the power of my work with people has increased tremendously. I now give myself permission to make much more of myself and my experience available to people, and I’ve stopped holding back out of various considerations. My work has become more empowering and more focused on commitment. I derive much more satisfaction from work and am happier, so everyone in my personal life has benefited as well. At the material level, my income has virtually doubled. Best of all, I feel that at last I am actually living my commitment to making a difference in this world every day.”
Lyn Davis Genelli, M.F.C.C.
San Francisco Center for the Healing Arts
“I was introduced to Amba and the Gale Leadership Development at an executive retreat that I was coordinating. During the workshop she facilitated a training session with regard to communication. I, along with the executives that attended the retreat, was inspired by her teachings. What followed that retreat was something very special. I witnessed approximately 150 employees complete this training over two years. Some of the tremendous changes I observed, both in the employees and the culture of our company are:
• Employees coming into the training unsure of their future with the company and leaving with new energy, dedication and commitment to this culture and company.
• Employees coming into the training with major issues in their life and leaving with a new outlook for possibilities and resolution.
• A total shift occurred in the trust the employees have in our upper management team.
I have worked for Parametrix for 12 years and never witnessed such incredible connections, fields of possibility, and growth throughout our organization. I would highly recommend this training to anyone who is willing to live a life filled with joy, love, energy, and new possibilities.”
Tammy Gratzer,
Parametrix Engineering
“I cannot thank you enough for the enlightenment you provided for me this time around! The first run through of Heart of Leadership was absolutely life changing; coming at these teachings from a different angle, a more mature perspective of the world, and with new life challenges was certainly a new kind of incredible. What you contribute to this world is miraculous and I am so grateful that I am blessed enough to have been given the opportunity to be coached by you!”
Becki Waskey,
South Tacoma Auto Dealership
“Since the week following the first part of HOL, I have been working out of a major architecture firm’s office as part of a major design build competition. Normally, I would have shied away from taking on that kind of work, since it is out of my comfort zone. But since HOL, I have had this sense of calmness in public settings that I haven’t really had before in my life. I have been able to excel in this new setting, have tough conversations with tough personalities on the team, getting the best out of those conversations (for both parties) by just listening with empathy, and I feel like I’ve positively contributed to the general attitude of the team.
I have also had some great conversations with my wife where we have tried, with success, to ‘redraw’ our trust and honesty boundary in how we converse with each other and it feels like we’re on the same page again, which is great. We can be honest with each other and know that the other person will supportive no matter what.
I am interested in some more tools that we can use in the work place for leadership. Construction has some really difficult personalities in it and it helps to have as many ways to deal with people in our leadership toolbox as possible.
My intentions have been able to be fulfilled on a regular basis since we last met. I have been able to recognize different situations and what I would have done in the past. I can apply my “stands” and values to those situations and come out in a better way than what I would’ve previously done before the class. I think the hardest part will be constantly monitoring my actions and how I’m feeling inside with what I know I should be doing, instead of what I used to be comfortable doing.”
Paul Churchill
Project Manager
JRAbbott Construction
“I am amazed at how I have really started to “hear” what people are trying to say to me. It was so easy for me to talk over others and “finish their thoughts”. I never realized how I would stifle their ability to communicate with me. By delaying my response for just a few seconds I am now able to glean a wealth of useful information from those around me that I could not gain before. Thus, I am slowly freeing myself from a strangling control over my co-workers and am now giving them a sense of empowerment over their decision making. I have also found how easy it is for me to make my own decisions. I am finding a new trust that is translating into positive performance and respect both in the work place and at home.
Now it would be unfair for me to say that I am cured of my old behaviors, but I can see the progress. I know that my personal transformation and the techniques for drawing out the best in those around me will keep developing over time. Just the knowledge of a new dynamic in interpersonal relationships that lies ahead, gives me hope that not only am I going to be a better leader, but that those around me can lead better with me.
I just hope it’s not too late to reach all the people that I have interacted with over these many years. It is hard to convince an individual or even a group of individuals that there is a change in the air, a new era in me. I know I will do my best not to lose heart and be patient with those who see me for what I was and not for who I am becoming. I know that my strength will be tested, but the knowledge that openness and understanding will fuel my resolve to pursue my new course and will help me to overcome my old behaviors and shortcomings.
Thank you both for the wonderful gift you have shared with me and the opportunity to experience one of the highlights in my personal development. I look forward to seeing the both of you soon.”
Charlie Behan,
Supervisor
JRAbbott Construction
(This is a participant from a previous in – house Heart of Leadership, whose husband chose to take a public one shortly after she completed):
“I feel truly blessed that the universe brought you to me and Colin. I am indeed blown away by the deep work that he has done and continues to do. He committed wholeheartedly to the process and I believe he will contribute to his employer and himself in ways that he never would have thought possible. He seems “lighter and unburdened” in a way that I would not have dared hope for him prior to his participation in the course. I am especially grateful because he mended a fence with an old friend that I was sure would never be a part of our lives again.
I have also learned so much about myself through this process including that I have way more chitch of self doubt running in the background than I could have possibly realized prior to the course! I catch and correct myself almost daily and I wonder how I functioned prior to realizing it was going on. It is a big piece of work but I am confident I will find a way to work through it and gain strength by addressing my fears. I want you to know that you have changed our lives forever by exposing us both to POSSIBILITY. I am eternally grateful. “
Jaynelle Nash,
Pacific Coast Fruit Company
“I just want to thank you again for giving such a wonderful HOL seminar. I knew going into the classes that it would be very interesting, but I had no idea they would be so life changing. The tools you have given us are priceless. My life at work and at home are forever changed in such a profound and absolutely wonderful way! The relationship Bruce and I have has grown and is going in the direction we both want. Without this new knowledge, we may never have known the possibilities for our future together. We are happier, calmer, sharing more in conversations, so much more aware of each other and are just freer and more relaxed in general. My time at work has also improved with my ‘no gossip’ stance and taking the time to listen to my coworkers. I intend to continue the work I started in numerous areas of my job.”
Lori Price
Everett Clinic
“Since our time together… Everything seems a little brighter and clearer. If feel more relaxed and just happier. I’ve been told that I seem sharper. I feel more awake (a feat on its own as I have two small children). The thing that has perplexed me is what was “the thing”? My life is the same life I had last week, so what is so much better? What was the switch that turned off my angst? It seems a little crazy to me that I’ve been working so hard on myself for so many years and I go to a 5 day class for my job and the light bulb comes on. Then I looked at the cover of the Book of Awakening and it says “Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have”. Duh. By forgiving myself for past events that I perceived as failures, I’ve released myself from guilt and opened up the possibility of learning from those experiences. By taking my focus from some undefined future that I felt I wasn’t achieving I’m able to focus on the incremental successes I have in a single day. My work relationships have gotten so much easier! I’m still catching and correcting – I can feel myself start to churn over a comment or something that does or doesn’t get done, but by stepping back and looking at it for what it is I can stop the escalation. A conversation about the trash can be just a conversation about the trash, without the trash being tied into a pile of perceived or imagined implications about our relationship. Phew! I’ve noticed as well a change in how my husband is with me. He is more relaxed, easier going, probably because he doesn’t have as much of my frenetic energy to bounce back at me. When my son wants a tickle or my daughter wants to tell me something very important about the picture she’s drawing, I’m more able to be completely in that moment. Those are wonderful moments to be in. I am happy.
I am also very grateful that we had the opportunity to go through this experience as a team. I have such a profound respect for the amazing people that I work with and to have 5 days together to build on that and deepen our relationships is a gift. I feel so safe with this group now to ask for support, or float an idea, or speak a feeling. It’s a great place to be. We’re about to go through our first holiday season with Jeff and Mike in their new roles and I couldn’t be more excited.
When we were taking stands you coached me towards taking that stand that I create possibility with my speech. I have expanded that within myself to take a stand to create possibility with my being; for my work, for my husband, for my children. If my only achievement is that – how wonderful would that be?”
Thank you so much,
Jenny Nichols
Manager, Town and Country Markets
© 2012 Gale Leadership Development, LLC