The Renewable Organization is a system that teaches leaders how to use 7 Renewable Practices that help them tap into and unleash the power that dwells within them and the organizations they care about. Practice #2 is "Using Participative Processes." 
THE A.R.E. TEAM IS GOING ON TOUR!Join us for a one-day, dynamic, interactive workshop. Click on your city (below) to register. Or click here to learn more!!Treasure In Clay Jars: The Renewable Organization for Faith-Based Groups A One-Day WorkshopWinnipeg - November 10 What if there really is extraordinary power in that "clay jar" of a congregation of yours? What if you learned how to tap into the infinite and replenshable energy that dwells within your people and set them free to put their creativity, intelligence, and passion to work doing what really matters? This workshop will introduce you to the principles and practices of a Renewable Organization for the sake of helping your church, synagogue or other faith-based organization be who you are and see what you have for the sake of doing what matters. You will learn seven practices that will tap into the renewable source of energy that dwells within your people. You'll be given a simple yet powerful tool that will teach you to see what you have with new eyes. And we'll show you a straightforward, life-giving, asset-based way to get done the things that really matter. Early bird registration fee of $59.00 includes lunch and a copy of the brand new workbook "The Renewable Organization for Faith-Based Groups."Space is limited so sign up soon!TIPS FOR USING PARTICIPATIVE PROCESSES
The Renewable Organization is a system that teaches leaders how to use 7 Renewable Practices that help them tap into and unleash the power that dwells within them and the organizations they care about. Practice #2 is "Using Participative Processes." Participative processes can help you make decisions, address conflict, set a course, debrief past efforts, create buy-in, generate enthusiasm, and produce innovative solutions. We have seen amazing things happen in a room of 7 - or 700! - people when they are asked to participate in the articulation of a common purpose or the establishment of strategic directions. But using participative processes can be tricky. What if people resist participating? What if there is a big-mouth in the room who intimidates everybody else? What if chaos ensues?!?Here are our top five tips for using participative processes:#5 - Don't be afraid of silence! Often the quietest folks at the table have the best stuff to offer but they need time to think...and they need assurance that their voices matter. Don't rush to fill in the silence with your own chatter. Don't move along too quickly. Give people a chance to collect their thoughts and time to share them!#4 - Use lots of sticky notesSticky notes are especially useful when you want to move ideas around, compare notes, group like ideas together, and otherwise create a common vision. But even if you don't use sticky notes, you need to ask people to write down their thoughts on something before everybody starts talking. This gives the thinkers a chance to think. Then, after everybody has written down their thoughts, go around and ask each one to share in turn. This gives everybody a voice.#3 - Sit on the big mouthsBe nice but firm. "Thanks for sharing, Evelyn. I'd like to hear from somebody who hasn't had a chance to pitch in their ideas yet." If they don't get the hint, use body language - stay turned away from them and don't make eye contact - to discourage them from talking. If it's really bad, take a break and talk with them privately. Your job is to create a safe space for everybody to bring themselves and everything they've got to the table. If you don't do it, probably nobody else will either.#2 - ListenBe attentive to what people are saying. Show that you are interested, that you understand, and that you're taking them seriously. You set the tone for the whole group.#1 - Don't ask a question if you're not prepared to hear the answerWhen you use participative processes you have to be prepared to set your agenda at the door. Don't mess with people by asking them for their input if you don't intend to have it make a difference. When your people decide something, you better own it! Do everything you can to make it happen! Honor the process. Honor your people. The more you do this, the more they'll trust you. And the better the outcomes of these participative processes will be. Book of the Month: Kelly's PickHealthy leaders aren't afraid to look in the mirror. In fact, they know it is critical to understand their strengths and weaknesses. I like to use "Bringing Out The Best In Yourself At Work" by Ginger Lapid-Bogda in the graduate leadership course I teach. This book uses a popular, proven psychological system called The Enneagram to help leaders understand their own personality...and appreciate more fully the range of personalities they are called to lead.
No system is perfect, of course. And each should be used with a big dose of common sense. But I've found The Enneagram both easier to use than the Myers-Briggs, for example, and more complex. It is being used in many fields and disciplines, including business, education, sales, law, and religion. It is considered more reliable than many other systems of its kind when it comes to describing people across culture and gender. I wouldn't recommend using this tool in teambuilding. Frankly, it can take people places in their own psychological, spiritual, and personal lives that few want to go with co-workers. Seriously. It's that deep. There are other tools better for that sort of thing. But The Enneagram can be a powerful tool to help you, as a leader, understand yourself more deeply and lead to significant personal, psychological, and spiritual growth...even transformation. Lapid-Bogda's book is accessible, even to somebody new to The Enneagram, and profoundly practical. It would be a good book to add to your summer reading list, when you'll have time to really process it. Let me know what you think.THIS MONTH'S SURVEYJust how participative are the organizations we work for? Answer our survey question this month by clicking on the button below and let's see:
How often does your boss/supervisor ask your opinion? Check back and see the results in the June issue of The Renewable Organization.LIVE LONG & PROSPER: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM STAR TREKWhat is this?:
The title of our next 4th Tuesday Webinar!
Date:
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Time:
7:00-8:00 p.m. Central Time
(8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific)
Cost: FREE!
Whether you're the captain of your own starship or just a red-shirted crewman, wondering how you can survive the next away mission, this webinar will give you something to think about, help you do your job better, and suggest ways you can help the organization you care about fulfill its mission (whatever that mission happens to be). Fun and thought-provoking, you won't need to be a Trekkie (or even one of the millions of people who have seen the movie so far) to get something out of this webinar.
