January 2011


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Admin PowerPhrase: Administrative Deadline

Power PhrasesToo many managers figure the deadline to be ten minutes before a project is due, forgetting that it takes time for admins and office pro’s to put final touches on them. Get managers used to the phrase “administrative deadline”. By using that term for setting deadlines for your role in project management, the concept will become more concrete in your mind. For example, use phrases like, 

  • If the drop-dead deadline for this is (date) the administrative deadline needs to be (date). 

    Use the term administrative deadlines until you hear others use it, too. That’s your signal that your part in the success of projects is acknowledged and understood. 

The Problem with Right and Wrong

The Problem with Right and Wrong:The Collaborative Creative Process

right_wrongThe problem with right and wrong
Is they’re used where they don’t belong.
The problem with wrong and right
Is they paint the world black and white.

A black and white eye won’t see
How a seed can become a tree.
A black and white heart will doubt
The potential contained in a sprout.

Black and white never leave room
To envision bare trees in full bloom.
Yet right and wrong do find their place,
Blended with wisdom and grace.

The Collaborative Creative Process

The collaborative creative process is like growing trees from seeds. I toss some seeds to my partner who sees their potential. She tends the seeds and sends back seedlings that look very different from my seeds.

Does that make my seeds wrong?

I grow and develop her seedlings into a tree.

Does that make her seedlings wrong?

She prunes my tree.

Does that make my tree wrong?

The tree does not negate the seed

The problem with right and wrong is they’re used where they don’t belong. I have creative writing partners. If we send each other’s offering back full of changes, it could mean our original was way off the mark, poorly written and uninspired. There are some editing/pruning absolutes. The period goes outside the parenthesis when the parenthesis is inside a sentence. Anything else is just plain wrong.

But in a collaborative creative process, revisions are often m
ore evolutionary than corrective. Lots of changes can mean that the exchange took the vision to the next level of clarity, sincerity and effectiveness. It’s a process. Revision does not negate the original any more than a tree negates the seed it came from.

In your collaborative creative processes, look for the tree in the seed. Envision the bare tree in full bloom before you lower the boom of right-and-wrong. In the collaborative creative process, right-and-wrong find their place by embracing grace. That embrace is the ultimate collaboration.

Collaborative Communication Agreements

Is communicating with your team like herding cats? Are your allies acting more like adversaries? Are partners more APART than a PART of initiatives? If so, you’re in the right place. Read on.

An invitation to get in or get out

Collabra CadabraI loved working with “Amy”, but in recent months she had gone from being actively involved to dialing it in. I got the sense that she was checking off a to-do list to meet minimum requirements and wasn’t engaged anymore. Her personal life had gotten chaotic, and she had checked out on me.

Make Your Meetings Matter Webinar

Meryl's Webinars

Thanks for Registering for “How to Make Your Meetings Matter”.

Here’s your webinar information.
Title: Make Your Meetings Matter
Time: Wednesday, February 16th at 11:00am Mountain
Duration: 1 hour 
Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast
I invite you to go to the page in advance and look around. There are buttons on the left to see the slides and hear the audio. There will be instructions for calling in if you prefer. If you have any trouble hearing the web, call. The numbers are local.
Wendy and I invite you to submit questions in advance.
Check your email for updates. See you then!

Look Who’s Talking: A Brain-based Exploration of Communication Styles

Meryl's Webinars

This event is over – you can watch the replay here:

http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=17491791

 

You can visit in advance and look around the site to get familiar with the page options – and submit questions before the webinar. 

Preparation: take the SpeakSTRONG styles inventory. http://www.speakSTRONG.com/inventory

 

You can download the info to outlook here. http://www.speakstrong.com/LWT.ics 

calendar-logo-256x256

Collaborative Communication Agreement Webinar

Meryl's Webinars

Thanks for Registering for “Collabra Cadabra. How to Use Collaborative Communication Agreements to Get People In (or out of) the Game.”

Here’s your webinar information.

Title: Collabra Cadabra: Communication Agreement Magic
Time: Thursday, February 10th at 11:00am Mountain
Duration: 1 hour
Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast

 

To attend, visit: 
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=17366736

 

Download to outlook calender: www.speakstrong.com/CAWeb.ics  

I invite you to go to the page in advance and look around. There are buttons on the left to see the slides and hear the audio. There will be instructions about how you can call in if you prefer. If you have any trouble hearing the web, call. The numbers are local.

 

You can prepare by reading this article. Collabra Cadabra How to Use Collaborative Communication Agreements to Get People In (or out of) the Game.

Also,, I encourage you to submit questions in advance. You can do that at the webinar site. 

Check your email for updates. See you then!

Look Who’s Talking: A Brain-based Exploration of Communication Styles

Meryl's Webinars

This event is over – you can watch the replay here:

http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=17491791

 

You can visit in advance and look around the site to get familiar with the page options – and submit questions before the webinar. 

Preparation: take the SpeakSTRONG styles inventory. http://www.speakSTRONG.com/inventory

 

You can download the info to outlook here. http://www.speakstrong.com/LWT.ics 

calendar-logo-256x256

Collaborative Communication Agreement Webinar

Meryl's Webinars

Thanks for Registering for “Collabra Cadabra. How to Use Collaborative Communication Agreements to Get People In (or out of) the Game.”

Here’s your webinar information.

Title: Collabra Cadabra: Communication Agreement Magic
Time: Thursday, February 10th at 11:00am Mountain
Duration: 1 hour
Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast

 

To attend, visit: 
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=17366736

 

Download to outlook calender: www.speakstrong.com/CAWeb.ics  

I invite you to go to the page in advance and look around. There are buttons on the left to see the slides and hear the audio. There will be instructions about how you can call in if you prefer. If you have any trouble hearing the web, call. The numbers are local.

 

You can prepare by reading this article. Collabra Cadabra How to Use Collaborative Communication Agreements to Get People In (or out of) the Game.

Also,, I encourage you to submit questions in advance. You can do that at the webinar site. 

Check your email for updates. See you then!

Make Your Meetings Matter Webinar

Meryl's Webinars

Thanks for Registering for “How to Make Your Meetings Matter”.

Here’s your webinar information.
Title: Make Your Meetings Matter
Time: Wednesday, February 16th at 11:00am Mountain
Duration: 1 hour 
Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast
I invite you to go to the page in advance and look around. There are buttons on the left to see the slides and hear the audio. There will be instructions for calling in if you prefer. If you have any trouble hearing the web, call. The numbers are local.
Wendy and I invite you to submit questions in advance.
Check your email for updates. See you then!