What is Good? What is Bad? | Judgements Abound!

These two images are the open slides to a presentation I did at the Jacksonville Business Journal Diversity Awards this morning. I had the honor to create a fun experience and take risks because someone trusted me. Why? I am not sure...well maybe cause I have some radical ideas and David Sellick knows that those are the ideas that might change the way we do business.

Our ability to continually let go of and hold onto judgements is at the root of our ability to think innovatively. As we look for new and diverse ideas and perspectives we must open ourselves to ideas that we might deem "BAD" so we might find something "GOOD". 

Pretty ironic isn't it??

I look forward to hearing the ideas and thoughts of those that attended so that we may continue to foster diversity in our community with the hopes of changing it for the better!

Are you being FAIR to yourself as you set goals?

Giving yourself a fair share of your time and focus is critical. Your goals and dreams are important! They deserve the same amount of planning and attention that you give to every one else. Being sure we are investing in the efforts and people that are in alignment to our values, will bring a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. A sense of fairness to ourselves and the world will be clear.

I have found that when I am being fair with my time, meaning, giving time to the right things and the right people, I feel good! We want to make it complicated, yet after years of being a coach, I have found personally and with my clients that simple planning is the key!!

Stepping back to inventory where we are and set sights on where we want to go, requires a faith in oneself and a process. I have worked with a myriad of individuals and organizations to accomplish this sometimes daunting task. It takes faith in oneself and colleagues to know that the initial investment of time will be put to the test by creating ongoing accountability to the goals and tasks initially committed to.

Research proves people who invest time in planning are successful and are more successful when they are documented. Daily or weekly planning rituals foster accomplishing more. Stephan Covey, has spend his career educating hundreds of thousands on these "Habits". He is successful because he walks his talk and has actively created tools that he and his organization use routinely. He is a highly respected leader because these are well designed and flawlessly executed. He has created an online tool that supports the creation of goals and accountability that are affective and easy to use.

My deciding what is a priority and then actually making all investments of time, money and passion follow from there allow me to feel confident in my decisions. I am able to stand behind the decisions and follow through with conviction and integrity, when I am sure they align to my values and those of our organization. Alignment of our values and investments requires time and consideration. It asks us to communicate and collaborate with all involved. It is the

As you step forward in making setting your goals and those for your organization, are you being fair to all involved in the goal? Can each person understand and agree to what is being agreed to? Do they have the resources to accomplish the goal. Do they have the management support needed? Being fair means you have considered these components.

Often we are focused on

Respecting the Process - Trusting Myself

This month as we talk about the many aspects of respect, my ears have tuned in to hear the word respect used in many contexts. 

I have heard "gotta respect the process" several times this past week. It hits close to home as I work to grow and strengthen Character Counts! here in Jacksonville. 

I have been working for the past year to build a vision and am slowly but surely seeing it come to life. As a designer and corporate survivor, I am generally the push hard-schedule tight, kind of gal, yet I build this non-profit, I have learned more than ever that I must allow the process to evolve and take it's course. 

I of course am responsible to create goals, take action and keep focused. With this said, I have learned that as this vision evolves it includes more people and hence requires greater clarity. It is this process that I have come to respect and honor more than ever in my career. 

In the past I built visions that involved products and services in the commercial world. Today I am building a vision that is in the social, emotional and ethical world. It requires a whole different sensitivity and perspective on process. 

I am so blessed to bear witness to the hearts and spirits of the people I work with and for. It is this experience that helps me to rest back into what I trust within myself. I know that the work of Character Counts! is vital to our evolving community. I openly bring others to the table to help the vision blossom to meet the needs of our city. It is this organic process of collaboration and hope that I respect! It comes with a bit of ambiguity, a bit of fear and requires a huge dose of faith!

As I respect this process, it helps me to respect the views of all involved and understand the needs that come with those views. Gaining respect for diverse views helps the solutions we create to be more affective. It is this outcome that helps me take leaps of faith with this process day to day.

I ask you, what process are you involved in? And what do you respect about it?

Florence Haridan

A little music to set things straight! - Too Much Information!