Immerse Yourself

According to The Greater Good blog a recent study has shown that people who live abroad and are really immersed in a new culture are more creative than those who haven't had a similar experience:

"...the researchers consider that people who spend portions of their lives in a foreign country, and allow themselves to be absorbed into the host culture, may become practiced at seeing other perspectives and comparing different possible solutions to life’s challenges, thus boosting their skills at creative thinking."

We're not surprised. And this is just one more reason to take place seriously.

Taking place (i.e., context) seriously is one of the seven renewable practices we teach to help leaders make the shift from a consumable to a renewable way of living and working together. But one of the things we've noticed is how each of the seven renewable leadership practices are easily misunderstood by people who haven't made the shift from a consumable to a renewable mindset. That's true for this one, too. 

In a consumable approach to life and work: 

•  you see the world as a threat; 
• you buy into the idea that resources are scarce; 
• you are focused on grabbing your share before your competitor does; 
• you do that by producing better goods and services than he does, so you attract more customers/clients/members.

In a consumable model like this you may take your place seriously but that essentially means "reading" your context by gathering data, studying the demographics, etc., in order to find out what your audience wants, needs, and will "buy" from you. Then you do whatever you have to in order to accomplish that. This model often "works," at least in the short term. But even when it seems to be "working," it's exhausting to you; and it's demeaning to your neighbor/customer/client/member.

In a renewable approach, on the other hand: 

•  you recognize that the world is not a threat;
• you believe there is plenty to go around; 
• you see your neighbors as potential partners and co-creators with you of a better now; 
• you recognize that your neighbors have assets, not just needs; 
• your eyes are focused on all the things that are possible at the place where their assets, wows, and needs meet yours; 
• you approach every issue, challenge, problem more creatively because you are able to see so many new possibilities.

Taking place seriously in a renewable model means" immersing yourself in your context in a way that leads to increased possibilities and creativity:

•  you work intentionally to meet your neighbors/clients/customers/potential members;
• you develop relationships with them; 
• you strive to see things from their perspective, learn from, and grow with them;
• and you work with them to do what matters. 

Are you taking place seriously in your life and work? Which approach are you taking? How's it working for you?

Comments

[Joe]

Sometimes I think the educational environment is too immersed in the consumable model: There is competition between students for the highest grade instead of collaboration. Schools compete to enroll the most students so they can grab the most of scarce education funding instead of realizing what is possible given the resources and assets at hand.
I am intrigued by your renewable organizational model. Think you could do a few blog posts applying the renewable practices in an educational environment?

[Kelly]

great observations and questions, joe. a good prompt for us to talk about this in an educational environment – will do! in the meantime, what are you thinking??

others??

[vicarbill]

It's al about context and accompaniment... In my seminary experience, there is a clear 'ivy tower' nod to the meeting of neighbors/clients/customers/potential members, but while relationships and accompaniment models are taught, there is a gap in terms of truly developing authentic relationships with them (perhaps too many introverted theologians/administrators... producing unfortunately like minded/acting pastors). I pray for the sustainability of seminaries and that renewal in terms of seeing things from other perspectives, learning from and growing with students, congregations, and neighbors to faithfully live out being of the Spirit and of the world occurs.