Posts Tagged ‘transformational’
Action Learning, Democracy and Circles for Women
Liz Garratt
I am a passionate seeker of new ways to do business in these ever-changing times. New ways to create more authenticity and joy for business owners, businesses, customers and the world. As a long time traveller in the land of business, I like to integrate the best of the traditional when it works, with the more esoteric models – pulling together the finest parts of both worlds. This is my quest – to share my knowledge, expertise and understanding of how to build a business that supports passion, people and profits. One that enriches both your business and personal world.
My approach is simple: blend lightness and playfulness with deep meaning and exploration and throw in a dash of magic. The results are truly amazing.
I love my work. I love my clients. I love my life! It wasn’t always this way. My journey began a long time ago – 25+ years – in the traditional model of business planning and management consulting. That world taught me a great deal, but it was truly missing heart, intuition and the ability to share all of me. And when my heart was no longer in it, I chose to find another way.
What happened?
I dared to follow my heart, to find new ways to offer my gifts and talents to the world. Because if there’s one thing I now know for sure – my level of happiness and satisfaction is directly related to how truly and deeply I follow my heart! I have created a new path, one that brings my desires, passions, skills and intuition to the forefront of my work and my life. On this path, I have found great success for both myself and my clients.
Allowing my gifts to shine in business, unfolded over time. In fact, there was a time they didn’t feel much like gifts at all. My sensitivity and intuition felt more like a curse. Business was not about love, feelings and hunches – it was linear, logical and practical. Thankfully, I have become more comfortable with my innate gifts and am now able to weave them into my work in ways that benefit everyone – including me. I have learned from my own experience and in working with others, that revealing our hearts and soul to the world takes enormous courage. But it is truly worth it. Together with my clients, we explore some pretty amazing places and uncover deeply buried treasures. We nurture the light within and bring it forth to shine in the world.
When Marilyn invited me to post a blog entry, I didn’t realize just how much action learning had influenced me and my process. Marilyn is right about action learning underlying my philosophy. I am always aware of how all that I’ve learned from Marilyn and Henry has so nicely integrated into my work (and life). While my Circles are not “pure” action learning and definitely have more of an organic and spiritual nuance to them – the underlying essence and richness is so similar to my experiences in action learning. I often reflect on this and with hindsight recognize that where I stumbled in the past was trying to mirror Marilyn and Henry and their approach to group processes. With time, and I like to think a bit more confidence and inner wisdom, I have found a way to bring together all the riches I learned from Marilyn and Henry and blend them with other teachings I have gathered over time and my own innate knowing. I love where all of this has taken me and I want Marilyn and Henry to know that they have been (and still are) two of my most precious teachers on this path. I love that Marilyn sees and feels “action learning” in my writings and I feel honoured that she would want to share this with others.
Circles for Women Invitation
You are invited to an afternoon Circle to explore possibilities and next steps for forming and creating Inspired Circles for Women seeking support and sisterhood in their lives and work.
For several months I have felt inspired to tell others about an amazing Circle I am part of. This Circle of woman came together in 2008 as part of my Inspired Business Planning Circle. We have been on a profound path of deep learning, love and unconditional support ever since. Our Circle has deepened and expanded far beyond a “business planning” Circle as over time we have brought more of ourselves and all aspects of our lives and “who we really are” forth into the Circle. We often marvel at how we got here. In this Circle we bring our challenges and successes; our dreams and inspired ideas; our fears and struggles for our businesses, inspired work, our relationships (children, partners, friends, ourselves, clients, colleagues etc.) our health, our personal and spiritual growth and development. After 3 years, there is nothing off bounds – nothing that can’t be brought into the Circle for unconditional love, understanding and support. We continue to grow each time one of us dares to reveal something new – whether it is how something within or outside the Circle triggers us or something extremely private, personal and risky that we are ready to bring forth. There is nothing that shows up that is not greeted with honesty, love and grace. We didn’t begin this way – but over time this Circle has become a safe, reliable haven for each of us and every aspect of our being and lives.
In many ways, this Circle is the manifestation of a dream and fantasy I have held forever. I have always imagined –often pined for – a place where I could show up in the fullness of me and be loved, seen, heard and accepted – and everyone else could show up in the same way. A place where all of our light and darkness is welcomed and embraced. Each of us have grown to see ourselves as strong, capable, creative and resourceful women – so there is no need (or desire) for old patterns of rescuing or saving others; it is strongly prohibited in fact. Each of us shows up with the full commitment and intention of taking care of and responsibility for ourselves. No one gets away with avoiding their own stuff through fixing others – how liberating and refreshing! In many ways this Circle is something I have fantasized about and envisioned for most of my life, yet never believed it was really possible. In many ways, my experience in this Circle exceeds my imaginations and dreams. Its creation has largely been phenomenological – we couldn’t have “planned” it if we had tried – we have been divinely blessed.
This Circle has strengthened, enriched, enhanced and fuelled my personal, business and spiritual growth and unfolding – as it has every woman in my Circle.
I have a new dream and fantasy now - I envision and imagine a world where every woman has the support and love of such a sisterhood. What if each of us had the strength, love and support of other women behind us as we walk upon this earth – as we mother our children, love our partners, care for and love our families, friends, neighbours and larger communities. What if each of us had our own cheerleading team behind us encouraging us – gently and firmly kicking us in the butt, telling us the truth with a fierceness of love and unconditional support as we follow our dreams and inspirations – bringing forth our divine gifts and contributions? What if when we came up against scary situations or accomplished huge breakthroughs we knew we were never alone? What if every woman had this kind of support behind her? What would our world look like then? I imagine something quite wonderful!
Like I said at the beginning of this email, I have felt inspired for some time to share this blessing with others – create and invite others to find, discover and create this kind of “Circle of Women” for themselves. What stops me in taking inspired action is my inability to “figure out” how to create and replicate such an experience for others. While I know how to create sacred and safe space, especially for women – I am aware that the unfolding of this Circle extends far beyond any formula or process I can design. There are many factors at play far beyond my control. This Circle has unfolded into what it is because of each woman who showed up and because of all kinds of divine influence and intervention. So I have felt unsure how to step forward.
As I shared this with my group last time we gathered, they reminded me (as they always do) to practice what I preach – to trust my inspired knowing – to show up and take the first step – to do what I do well which is hold a Circle for women – to create space for a conversation and exploration of what women are seeking, wanting, imagining. Listen and speak intently from the heart and trust the next step will reveal itself in perfect ways and timing. Ah yes, this is indeed Inspired Working and Living – what I know and forget daily. After this conversation, my whole body relaxed and I reconnected with the excitement of inspiration and agreed to take this next step.
Next Inspired Step: Invite women to an afternoon Circle to explore possibilities and next steps for forming and creating Inspired Circles for Women seeking support and sisterhood in their lives and work.
Really, how easy is that?
You are invited…to a FREE Circle to explore and talk about creating Inspired Circles for Women
Space is limited, so please email at liz@harmonybydesign.ca or call (780-467-5026) if you are interested. Please share this invitation with women in your work and life who you feel would welcome this kind of conversation and exploration.
Check out my website at www.harmonybydesign.ca.
Action Learning by Marilyn Herasymowych
Marilyn Herasymowych
I couldn’t help but see action learning bubbling up from every sentence in Liz’s e-mail to me that morning I checked my e-mail. Embedded within action learning are the principles of a direct democracy. A direct democracy is a political system in which citizens participate in the decision making personally, as opposed to relying on intermediaries or representatives. In action learning, the people who are involved in the democratic process of action learning are the people who own the problem, and will therefore own the solutions.
Dissent and majority rule are also principles of a democracy, and therefore of a direct democracy. However, in a direct democracy, dissent is critical to determining a majority position. If citizens hear the dissenting opinions, they will be much better informed before voting to determine the majority position. In action learning, the principle of dissent is resident in Reg Revans’ concept of questioning insight (Q).
When you read Liz’s story about what she is doing, you will see the following six characteristics that describe human dynamics within an action learning process. These characteristics value people and their ability to learn from their actions:
- People solve real-life problems that they experience in their day-to-day work and life.
- People learn to solve these real problems with the help and support of others.
- People reflect on their decisions and actions, in order to learn about how they think and act within the problem situation.
- People ask questions that bring to the surface deeply held assumptions, so that these assumptions can be openly discussed.
- People bring their experiences and expertise to the learning, in order to help others.
- People are accountable for their decisions and actions, and are committed to taking action on their decisions.
All of these characteristics are present in Liz’s story. See if you can find them.
Transformational Learning
Marilyn Herasymowych
Our life is all about learning, how we learn, what we learn, and ultimately what happens to us as a result of learning. While watching a TV series called Addicted to Food, I was struck by how important it is for the clients who are trying to beat their addiction to food to discard their past relationship to food and to learn a different one. This type of learning is called transformational learning, because it transforms you. You are no longer who you were before the transformation. You can no longer do what you did before, because now you are conscious of your behaviour. You can see, and more importantly, feel any behaviour that is incongruent with who you have now become. Once transformed, there is no way back to what you were before. You are different now. And if you’re lucky to experience transformation, even if you fall back to the old way of doing things, you just can’t stay there anymore.
In our work, Emily, Henry, and I have always believed that at the root of every problem, every success, and every question is learning. As long as you work at your life at the level of the problem, the problem never gets solved. It is only managed, and that takes enormous energy and effort. Because the minute you stop managing the problem, it’s back with a vengeance. But, if you look at the learning system that underlies the problem, what you’ll see is how people are learning and what they are learning. Then, the transformation happens. You suddenly see how the learning system is actually nurturing the problem. Understanding the learning system both illuminates why the problem is so persistent as well as the pathway that allows you to learn through the problem to the other side. When this happens, you experience transformation.
Let me explain with a personal example. My first love was not a person, but a subject, and that subject was Chemistry. I’ll never forget the day I saw the Periodic Table and actually understood what this table was trying to say about the elements that make up everything we know about our universe. A moment before this happened for me, the Periodic Table was just another thing I had to learn. Then, I blinked, and in the space of that blink, something changed forever. I saw something very different. I saw the underlying system of the Periodic Table itself; I saw what made it so special. Suddenly, understanding blossomed, and I was in the realm of the magical. Even more amazing to me is that I still remember this moment so clearly. I can see the classroom, the Periodic Table, the teacher talking about the elements, and I can feel the transformation as if I am feeling it for the first time.
This is the kind of learning that interests me. This is the kind of learning that can change the world. Emily, Henry, and I believe this is the only kind of learning that can solve the difficult and persistent problems we are now facing in our personal lives, in our families, in our societies, in our companies, in our governments, and in our world. We simply can’t solve global problems without understanding the learning system that underlies them. The problems are manifestations of the learning that is occurring underneath.
You can see an example of this learning system in the series Addicted To Food. Everybody who comes to this centre to deal with their addiction to food, comes with their own learning system. Their problems with food are manifestations of their deeply embedded learning system. That’s why diets don’t work, because the learning system is not transformed by a diet. With a diet, all that changes is the surface problem of food intake, not the person. The learning system that a person is using is not even touched by a diet. That’s why a fall back to old patterns of behaviour is not only easy to do, it is impossible to avoid. You’ve heard this before, but what you may not have heard is that change has to happen at the level of learning. The more difficult the learning is, the more likely there is transformation on the other side. The difficulty you are experiencing is a direct signal that you are close to understanding your underlying learning system.
In the series Addicted To Food, the therapists deliberately assign the clients activities that are almost impossible for these people to do. For example, a person who constantly talks is asked to not speak at all for one entire week. Another person who has used exercise to keep herself at a low and unhealthy weight is asked to sit and watch other people exercise. These activities are incredibly painful for these people to do. More often than not, these activities actually bring people to a breaking point, critical for them to transform, but not seen as transformational for the person experiencing it. What most of these clients do is start packing. They just want to leave. This is too hard. Their learning system is manifesting in all its glory. The defensive reactions are a sign that the underlying learning system is trying to survive this perceived attack on itself. If the client leaves, the learning system that made their lives what it is, remains intact. But, if they’re fortunate, and they stick around just a while longer, and if the therapists are good at what they do, the clients transform. You can see it on their faces. One minute they’re angry, the next minute they are calm, strong, and confident in what they have just learned. Once transformed, they start learning differently.
There is no question that the journey for these clients in this series Addicted To Food is brutal on them and their underlying learning system. This is tough love at its extreme. Some people figure it out, others don’t. But at its root, it is the learning system that either stays put or transforms. For me, being diagnosed with cancer was not life changing. Yes, it was scary, but all I had to do was get through the treatment to the other side. Like a diet, I just did what I was told to do. The life changing event didn’t happen for me during the chemo either, but it was jump started there. The chemo became my activity, like the one that therapists gave to the person who talked too much. The chemo took away all of my control. Suddenly, I couldn’t do anything that was remotely reminiscent of my past life. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t read. The side effects took me to a place that shocked me to my core, and made me want to run for cover. Suddenly, I was in a place that not even my oncologist could explain
It is only now, two years later, that I can look back and see what this chemo experience taught me about my learning system. It is only now that I can understand the learning system I was operating from as I entered the surreal world of the chemo room. I also see the learning system that underlies my current life. I am different now, in ways that are both contradictory and amorphous. I am still on the road of recovery. But now I know that this road is my life, not just an interlude. The transformation that I am experiencing is not like the Periodic Table. It is not a moment in time. This is much bigger. My whole learning system is under attack by this cancer experience, and I want to know what that means.
Note: If you’d like to know more about Marilyn’s cancer journey, check out her blog at www.cancerbrokeallmypencils.com.
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