by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
Power and Influence is by Robert Dilenschneider, a veteran communications professional, advising Presidents, dignitaries, CEO's and other high-level business Power People.
The Rules have changed.
His book is about your future. By wielding personal power in a smart, technological, and ethical manner, you can help shape a more prosperous, future collectively for everyone.
Robert reads 11 newspapers a day, two books a week, and numerous selected blogs and preaches that you must be reading, listening, and learning about your culture and people constantly. Written in narrative style, Robert D. shares story after story of infamous power people and how they're inundated with influence.
His principles of power people and influence:
Accept, Adapt, and Accelerate -- or waste away with atrophy
"To obtain and retain power, you have to create a balance between your knowledge of technology, and your networks of personal contacts, friendships."
We're globalized. What happens out there affects us all. Ideas around the world affects everyone, everywhere. Learn them and how to handle people.
Everyone has a story to tell... listen to them. Ask questions and you'll fill up with riches of life. Listen to, extract information from. Everyone has a unique blend of insight and knowledge. With rules and technology constantly changing, you stay in touch by listening to everyone.
You must know technology, effective ways to use it, and how to customize it for yourself. So skills of logic, thinking, reasoning, writing (forming, parsing, punctuating) are core. Everyone uses email so personal notes stand out... use them creatively with a personal touch. Answer every email in 24 hours, identify key blogs to read regularly. Learn social changes, adjust to them.
Be prepared to start over... again and again.
"Attitude trumps resume."
Be ready to fight back even when you may get knocked down again and again. Power and influence is transitory and elusive. Power players engage us and permit us to celebrate their successes with them. Not every thing works, but always resolve to come back. Be determined to use your talent to rise to a higher level.
Technology is an ally... use web searches to PDA's. Use them in strategic conjunction with each other. Always learn from problems. The web is there, learn through it. Think things through, cope strategically with business problems. Help others too. They'll never forget you. Keep friendships, nurture them, don't expect anything in return. "America is a country of second acts." Always be prepared to start over and over again and again if you have to.
Think Innovation... forget about just keeping up.
"Power players stay alert to technical developments so that they can make smart judgment calls about what's a must-learn."
Refusing to learn about technology is business self destruction. New gadgets can be just that-- gadgets. But the intellectual property on driving the gadgets, productively, makes the difference. It's the canny use of technology. Technology can get you the right information quickly. Keeping up with developments, finding new sources of information, making quick (well-informed) decisions is why technology is unquestionably essential.
Seize the opportunity in every crisis.
"Technology enhances your professional prospects regardless of your setbacks and may even help you become an independent entrepreneur."
Uncertainty is certain. It's our biggest challenge to seize the challenge of crisis. Of the 6 billion people worldwide, 2 billion make less than on dollar a day. That's one challenge. When faced in personal crisis, seize the opportunity in that crisis. It's okay to be nervous, but change how you see it. Find new ideas and then do something about it.
Stick to your principles, be stubborn if it's right. Being stubborn when right is personal power. The unexpected will happen, turbulence will occur, but in change is opportunity. Power players take steps to their sense of a future they see.
Look beyond the new rules to connect.
"Treat people with respect and courtesy...Always Connect!"
The rules of power and influence are changing so fast it'sdifficult to grasp. "Read blogs." Power players know what's the talk, and get new sources of insight. CEO's keep their companies informed with personal blogs. There's news you don't get from the news media, bloggers will give you. Create a blog read list. Read them daily, weekly, whenever they update.
Everyone can be a journalist. In the 21st Century, power players master this. Don't rely on just emails. Some are missed. Use followup phone calls or, to stand out, send a personally handwritten, signed note. Face to face is still the ultimate relationship builder.
Always look for higher purposes. Higher purpose has to be the core of everything you do, say. Draw people in, make them part of the picture. If your values give to those around you, your power influence increases. Your contacts will expand.
Take the heat and never compromise.
"Power players aren't timid about tackling criticism, but they shouldn't be unguided missiles in responding."
The downside of blogs is you can be criticized and a lot will know. Keep open channels of communication. Get proper packages of communication out there... speeches, articles, quotes.
Cultivate the network of people you want to hear from you directly. They will stay loyal.
Being on the Internet is not as big as using the Internet's tools effectively, collectively and targetly. Losses, humiliation, embarrassment may come. Always be ready to respond with power come backs. Take the heat and rely on your friends, your networks, your special skills.
Be vigilant. Have faith in God and show your true values. Build strength around your special friends, networks and power remains with you.
Keep focusing on your strengths.
"Knowing yourself and your adversaries."
Part of the CEO's job is figuring out what people have on their minds, synthesize issues, and produce workable solutions. Learn how to block out weaknesses, prune them, and drive steadily from your strengths. Power players can show strength by yielding a little especially in negotiations.
Research people well before talking to them. Knowing them, things important, rare to them, not only impresses them, but gives you power.
Keep growing your network by shaving it.
"There's no substitute for a powerful network that embraces you and even nurtures you. You cannot do it alone."
Keep contact information on friends of over thirty and twenty years ago. Never take people off the list. And cultivate relationships with the most important of your personal data base. Always be adding people and get to know things about them. Have power people on your contact list that have influence to help you.
Robert D. has such a high profile contact base, one he can call and talk to in a minute, that he charged $25,000 to make 4 phone calls, when one person requested his services to meet 4 high-level important people.
Giving to your contact base, personalized contacts and special invitations increase the strength of relationships. You can also reignite past relationships by initiating getting in touch, even with people going 30 years back. High school, college friends and acquaintances are contacts forever.
Always be gracious, and happy to hear from old acquaintances. In your mind, consider everyone to be your friend.
Seek Acclaim, but practice humility.
"Be strong in your actions and humble in your heart."
It's just as important to reach out to the shoe shine boy as a CEO. You're a person of people, a person who's generous, who's humble, who's willing to do outreach. Turn to people and ask for help (i.e., the CEO uses a newly hired English major to sharpen his skills on grammar).
Search for Power but never forget to share it.
"Genuine power players work for a larger cause than consolidating their own power. They empower others."
Power players look for a higher purpose, have enduring professional values, are honest and vigilant, transparent, caring and polite. Power people give their power to empower others of lesser power.
The central question:
"What are you prepared to do, beyond your own life and company, that adds value to society?"
Technology's influence on power continues to evolve. Keep searching the opportunities it is bringing.
www.dilenschneiderpower.com
Jesus promised us that He would furnish us with Powers of Heavenly proportions. He said as he final words before departing to Heaven that He would send all the Power of God to us.... "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." (Luke 42:49, NLT)
"For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body."
(Colossians 2:9, NLT)
This Power exists in and with us now.
We can tap It, use It, be used by It, and live moment by moment in It now. This is not an It, but a real person, living, creating, strategically thinking, and maneuvering ahead of us for our behalf. As David said, Our Lord fights for me. We can say the same. Our Lord of the Universe fights for us.
The Apostle Paul proclaims that "I depend on the mighty power of God that so wonderfully works in me." We can proclaim the same. Our confidence is not in our abilities, reputation, accomplishments, or status, but the very Power of God who creates, recreates and transforms all things.
When we are weak we are more likely to be strong. It is then we are more likely to rely on Spirit to do the work for us. When we relinquish our power and lean on God's Mighty Power, we will see great feats accomplished where we do this.
The Apostle Paul talks of Christ Supreme position in the universe, and that we have Christ living in us (Col. 1), we can say confidently that the world around me may have its troubles, I may have some of them, then through the Power of Jesus Spirit in me, all things will be overcome by His Spirit.
Walk in this confidence, lean on Spirit Strength, not your own,
and expect to have Supernatural surprises happening around you continually.
In the Kneeling Christian by the Unknown Christian, he highlights the significance of praying in Jesus name, praying on behalf of God's Kingdom to come on earth as in Heaven. The Resources of Heaven are right with us. We can tap that.
"God is like a Great Banker. The Lord Jesus has given us a blank check in prayer. 'Fill it in,' He says, 'to any amount , ask anything what you will and your request will be honored. Present your check in My Name and you will be honored.' That is what happens when we go to the bank of Heaven-- when I go to God in prayer. I have nothing deposited there; I have no credit there; and if I go in my own name I will get absolutely nothing. But Jesus Christ has unlimited credit in Heaven, and He has granted me the privilege of going with His name on my checks. And when I thus go my prayers will be honored to any extent. To pray, then, in the name of Christ is to pray, not on the ground of my credit, but His."
Ours is not a kingdom we live and dwell in of just words, it is a kingdom of power. It is not just talk, but action of miracle transforming levels. "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power."
(1 Corinthians 2:4, NLT)
This is the very Power of God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus...
that is the forming force for the whole earth, people and nature.
This is the ultimate of Power. And we are tapped into It.
This Power touches and controls everything.
We are connected to this power source and we have influence of the Supernatural in all our natural dealings.
"Exceptional," as we remain tapped into this Power Source,
is the common occurrence of the day.
We have this privilege to have the very Power of The Creator of All things
to be our Head Production Department.
Walk in the Strength and Influence of this Power as your source.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Words that Work... Convincingly
by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
Words that Work (by Dr. Frank Luntz) affects us all.
Some words work as intended, others don't. They change and shift with our society as we continually merge into one mind but with vastly divergent components. The problem--words mean different things to different people.The theme: "It's not what you say, it's what people hear."
We create meaning to words. What each of us see as a meaning is what it means to us. Old words have new meanings. We are constantly making up new meanings. What we think something means, and what others think it means may be vastly different.
Luntz has Ten Rules of Effective Communication.
Rule 1: Simplicity. Use small words. Long words raise suspicion when not necessary.
Rule 2: Brevity. Use short sentences. Small beats large, short beats long, plain beats complex.
Rule 3. Credibility is as important as philosophy. Without sincerity, belief in your words lack impact. "Mean what you say."
Rule 4. Consistency matters. Repetition of theme phrases helps them to lock into minds.
Rule 5. Novelty. Offers something new. Creative use of words as phrases strike interest.
Rule 6. Sound and texture matter. A string of words starting with the same letter or ending with the same sound create memorability.
Rule 7. Speak aspirationally. Personalize and humanize the message to trigger an emotional remembrance.
Rule 8. Visualize. Paint a vivid picture. Use slogans that create pictures in other minds.
Rule 9. Ask a question. It's not what you say, but what you ask that really matters.
Rule 10. Provide context and explain relevance. Explain why a particular message matters.
George Orwell has a series of language rules.
1. Never use figures of speech you are used to seeing, hearing all the time.
2. Never use a long word when a short one will do.
3. Cut out as many words as possible.
4. Use active instead of passive in statements.
5. Never use foreign, scientific jargon when you can use an everyday English equivalent.
"Good communication requires conviction and authenticity."
Be the Message.
What we really care about... this communicates.
Words connect ideas, emotions, hopes and fears. What matters is how we really feel and what really matters. This includes:
Principles. If your principles match their values, the details don't matter.
Opportunity… more than fairness and more than ownership. We want to be treated fairly and have a stake in what we do.
Community. The desires to associate, affiliate, and belong.
Common Sense. It's self-evident, it makes sense.
Getting Value... what we get for what we pay for is more important than how much we pay for it.
Convenience. Today's catch word is "hassle-free." ... that's personal and based on individual interest.
Main street not Wall Street. The small guy over corporate America is still favored.
Family Values.
The Future. Where will this take us.
Positive messages. Limitless dreams, unending possibilities, promise of a wonderful future.
Accountability, respect, and solutions round out what people care about.
Great words for the 21st Century.
Imagine... hassle-free... lifestyle... accountability...
results and can-do spirit... innovation...
renew, revitalize, rejuvenate, restore, rekindle, reinvent...
efficient and efficiency... the right to... patient-centered...
investment... casual elegance... independent...
peace of mind... all-American... certified...
prosperity... spirituality... financial security...
a balanced approach... a culture of... .
Language is functional, it's a tool.
Acceptable language varies and changes, so you must know your audience, challenge them but don't offend them. "It's not what you say, it's what people hear."
Here's a more extensive summary:
http://dropabull.com/myopic/summary/Words%2520That%2520Work.pdf
Plus Luntz's site:
http://www.luntz.com/
Jesus talked about hearing.
He quoted the prophet Isaiah…
"You will hear my words
But you will not understand
You will see what I do,
But you will not perceive its meaning.
(Why?)
For the hearts of these people are hardened.”
(Matthew 13:14,15, NLT)
Some don't get what you are talking about because they don't want to. It goes against who they are and they don't want to change. They aren't open to Spirit and they can't hear when Spirit speaks.
People have core beliefs of some kind. When something challenges someone's core beliefs they immediately reject what is said. Jesus knew people's core beliefs, or hearts. He knew so much, that He also knew what would be rejected. He knew His audience. Jesus demonstrated the importance of knowing people and dealing with what people believed and the way they were.
Jesus creates an analogy of how this works.
When talking about hearing, He said there are these levels of hearing.
1. Some hear but don't understand. They have no clue to what you are talking about. Their hearts and minds are hardened, very removed from where you are. They are just not open to anything outside what they already know and live.
2. Some hear, but the deceptions of this world and cunning evil powers wile it away. It coerces them to stop believing.
3. Others hear, receive it immediately, even excitedly. But when they get back into the routine of their lives, it loses its flavor, the taste it once had for them.
It just doesn't take root and ceases to be relative to their life. It is soon dismissed.
4. Then there are those who readily accept and begin putting to work what they heard. When facing the cares, challenges, or the pleasures of this life, it loses its place of relevance or importance to them. They just busy it away.
5. Finally, when honest people true to themselves of a good-heart (that's those who respect God's ways and insights) hear an idea, they will cling to it. They hold tightly to it. They make it a working part of their lives and produce results many times over and over again.
(Note: Luke 8:10–16)
Their abilities to hear, understand increase and they grasp more and more beyond what they learn. They develop an never-ending ability to see and put into practice in a productive way what they are learning. They accomplish more and more with what they heard and learned. And it continues to increase their abilities to learn, grow and accomplish greater and greater things. And their desire to learn keeps expanding at constantly increasing proportions.
Jesus said "my sheep," those with a heart toward Him, "recognize my voice" and respond. They follow exactly where He goes and tells them to go.
It all boils down to a desire to hear His voice, to respond to it joyfully and when challenges come, to not give up on it and know Jesus has a better way and miracles along the way He leads. He says those who recognize, respond to His voice, He will give them abundant life. More and more will be added to you.
(Note: John 10)
He speaks constantly and to be tuned-in to His voice will intricately guide your steps day-by-day, hour-by-hour. You will be led through the most challenging circumstances as well as the most delightful events in your life and mind. Joy abounds, continually, as we tune in and follow moment by moment His speaking to us.
He promises to speak to us and wants us to listen to His voice, to hear and understand what He means by it. But most of all, when we know we have heard His voice, do not stop what He directs us to do until victory is won.
He will speak to us again and again to guide us with penetrating precision to decisive, stunning victories!
Through constant practice and recognizing "His voice", allowing it to touch our hearts and speaking to our minds, we grow in His guiding Spirit. Great insights will come to mind, and remarkable High Levels of power will follow.
As Jesus said "He walks ahead of them" and we follow a very Strategic, Spiritually Supernatural path when we do.
Hear Him, listen and understand… follow Him with a refined accuracy and let His guiding voice give you life. Spirit will grant it to you abundantly, immeasurable…in all areas of your life and Spirit.
And He will, without limit, when you listen to His voice.
It's all about your relationship with Jesus and the Spirit of God. The closer you are to Jesus in a daily interacting relationship the more clearly you hear His voice and understand what He is saying.
Get close,
know His voice,
and live in a constant rejuvenating power.
4spirit@gmail.com
Words that Work (by Dr. Frank Luntz) affects us all.
Some words work as intended, others don't. They change and shift with our society as we continually merge into one mind but with vastly divergent components. The problem--words mean different things to different people.The theme: "It's not what you say, it's what people hear."
We create meaning to words. What each of us see as a meaning is what it means to us. Old words have new meanings. We are constantly making up new meanings. What we think something means, and what others think it means may be vastly different.
Luntz has Ten Rules of Effective Communication.
Rule 1: Simplicity. Use small words. Long words raise suspicion when not necessary.
Rule 2: Brevity. Use short sentences. Small beats large, short beats long, plain beats complex.
Rule 3. Credibility is as important as philosophy. Without sincerity, belief in your words lack impact. "Mean what you say."
Rule 4. Consistency matters. Repetition of theme phrases helps them to lock into minds.
Rule 5. Novelty. Offers something new. Creative use of words as phrases strike interest.
Rule 6. Sound and texture matter. A string of words starting with the same letter or ending with the same sound create memorability.
Rule 7. Speak aspirationally. Personalize and humanize the message to trigger an emotional remembrance.
Rule 8. Visualize. Paint a vivid picture. Use slogans that create pictures in other minds.
Rule 9. Ask a question. It's not what you say, but what you ask that really matters.
Rule 10. Provide context and explain relevance. Explain why a particular message matters.
George Orwell has a series of language rules.
1. Never use figures of speech you are used to seeing, hearing all the time.
2. Never use a long word when a short one will do.
3. Cut out as many words as possible.
4. Use active instead of passive in statements.
5. Never use foreign, scientific jargon when you can use an everyday English equivalent.
"Good communication requires conviction and authenticity."
Be the Message.
What we really care about... this communicates.
Words connect ideas, emotions, hopes and fears. What matters is how we really feel and what really matters. This includes:
Principles. If your principles match their values, the details don't matter.
Opportunity… more than fairness and more than ownership. We want to be treated fairly and have a stake in what we do.
Community. The desires to associate, affiliate, and belong.
Common Sense. It's self-evident, it makes sense.
Getting Value... what we get for what we pay for is more important than how much we pay for it.
Convenience. Today's catch word is "hassle-free." ... that's personal and based on individual interest.
Main street not Wall Street. The small guy over corporate America is still favored.
Family Values.
The Future. Where will this take us.
Positive messages. Limitless dreams, unending possibilities, promise of a wonderful future.
Accountability, respect, and solutions round out what people care about.
Great words for the 21st Century.
Imagine... hassle-free... lifestyle... accountability...
results and can-do spirit... innovation...
renew, revitalize, rejuvenate, restore, rekindle, reinvent...
efficient and efficiency... the right to... patient-centered...
investment... casual elegance... independent...
peace of mind... all-American... certified...
prosperity... spirituality... financial security...
a balanced approach... a culture of... .
Language is functional, it's a tool.
Acceptable language varies and changes, so you must know your audience, challenge them but don't offend them. "It's not what you say, it's what people hear."
Here's a more extensive summary:
http://dropabull.com/myopic/summary/Words%2520That%2520Work.pdf
Plus Luntz's site:
http://www.luntz.com/
Jesus talked about hearing.
He quoted the prophet Isaiah…
"You will hear my words
But you will not understand
You will see what I do,
But you will not perceive its meaning.
(Why?)
For the hearts of these people are hardened.”
(Matthew 13:14,15, NLT)
Some don't get what you are talking about because they don't want to. It goes against who they are and they don't want to change. They aren't open to Spirit and they can't hear when Spirit speaks.
People have core beliefs of some kind. When something challenges someone's core beliefs they immediately reject what is said. Jesus knew people's core beliefs, or hearts. He knew so much, that He also knew what would be rejected. He knew His audience. Jesus demonstrated the importance of knowing people and dealing with what people believed and the way they were.
Jesus creates an analogy of how this works.
When talking about hearing, He said there are these levels of hearing.
1. Some hear but don't understand. They have no clue to what you are talking about. Their hearts and minds are hardened, very removed from where you are. They are just not open to anything outside what they already know and live.
2. Some hear, but the deceptions of this world and cunning evil powers wile it away. It coerces them to stop believing.
3. Others hear, receive it immediately, even excitedly. But when they get back into the routine of their lives, it loses its flavor, the taste it once had for them.
It just doesn't take root and ceases to be relative to their life. It is soon dismissed.
4. Then there are those who readily accept and begin putting to work what they heard. When facing the cares, challenges, or the pleasures of this life, it loses its place of relevance or importance to them. They just busy it away.
5. Finally, when honest people true to themselves of a good-heart (that's those who respect God's ways and insights) hear an idea, they will cling to it. They hold tightly to it. They make it a working part of their lives and produce results many times over and over again.
(Note: Luke 8:10–16)
Their abilities to hear, understand increase and they grasp more and more beyond what they learn. They develop an never-ending ability to see and put into practice in a productive way what they are learning. They accomplish more and more with what they heard and learned. And it continues to increase their abilities to learn, grow and accomplish greater and greater things. And their desire to learn keeps expanding at constantly increasing proportions.
Jesus said "my sheep," those with a heart toward Him, "recognize my voice" and respond. They follow exactly where He goes and tells them to go.
It all boils down to a desire to hear His voice, to respond to it joyfully and when challenges come, to not give up on it and know Jesus has a better way and miracles along the way He leads. He says those who recognize, respond to His voice, He will give them abundant life. More and more will be added to you.
(Note: John 10)
He speaks constantly and to be tuned-in to His voice will intricately guide your steps day-by-day, hour-by-hour. You will be led through the most challenging circumstances as well as the most delightful events in your life and mind. Joy abounds, continually, as we tune in and follow moment by moment His speaking to us.
He promises to speak to us and wants us to listen to His voice, to hear and understand what He means by it. But most of all, when we know we have heard His voice, do not stop what He directs us to do until victory is won.
He will speak to us again and again to guide us with penetrating precision to decisive, stunning victories!
Through constant practice and recognizing "His voice", allowing it to touch our hearts and speaking to our minds, we grow in His guiding Spirit. Great insights will come to mind, and remarkable High Levels of power will follow.
As Jesus said "He walks ahead of them" and we follow a very Strategic, Spiritually Supernatural path when we do.
Hear Him, listen and understand… follow Him with a refined accuracy and let His guiding voice give you life. Spirit will grant it to you abundantly, immeasurable…in all areas of your life and Spirit.
And He will, without limit, when you listen to His voice.
It's all about your relationship with Jesus and the Spirit of God. The closer you are to Jesus in a daily interacting relationship the more clearly you hear His voice and understand what He is saying.
Get close,
know His voice,
and live in a constant rejuvenating power.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Our Iceberg is Melting... staying adventurous
by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter features the 8-step process to successful change...
told in a fable about a Penguin Colony.
America is on the cusp of the biggest sociological, philosophical, and economic change ever. It may be the most dramatic and revolutionary of all time. From lifestyle perspective to economic prowess, the psychology, cultural and relational framework is shifting. Like an iceberg taking on water in its middle but not discovered until winter comes, it can be too late to make adjustments.
New trends in how we live and do things and philosophies on how we live and do things, will soon have dramatic impact on our culture.
So how do we manage change constructively?
Our Iceberg is Melting gives us a course outline to follow.
More and more biz books are written for communication and educational effectiveness today. Our Iceberg is Melting hallows this style. It teaches and helps you apply to real life the principles for change as you read.
Using a fable along with key principles outlined helps your mind to put this in to real world perspective.
First the principles, then a summary of the fable.
The Eight Step process of Successful Change.
Set the Stage
1. Create a sense of urgency.
Help others see the need for change and the importance of immediate action.
2. Pull together the guiding team... with varied skills for the task to convince all minds and handle uniquely different situations.
Decide What to Do
3. Develop the change vision and strategy.
Clarify how the future will be different, be better, and how you can make it into a reality.
Make it Happen
4. Communicate for understanding and buy in.
Make sure as many as possible understand and accept the vision.
5. Empower others to act.
Remove as many barriers and obstacles as you can so those who want to make the vision a reality can do so.
6. Produce short-term wins.
Create some visible, unambiguous successes as soon as you can.
7. Don't let up.
Press harder and faster after the first successes.
Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision is reality.
Make it Stick
8. Create a new culture.
Hold on to the new ways of behaving, and make sure they succeed, until they become strong enough to replace old traditions.
The importance of thinking and feeling differently.
Thinking differently can help change behavior and lead to better results.
--collect data, analyze.
--present information logically to change people's thinking.
--change thinking, in turn, can change behavior
Feeling differently can change behavior MORE and lead to even better results.
--create surprising, compelling, and, if possible, visual experience.
--the experiences change how people feel about a situation.
--a change in feeling can lead to significant change in behavior.
The Fable
Once upon a time, there was a Penguin Colony on an iceberg in Antarctica, near Cape Washington. They lived there many years and they all were a happy, astute bunch. Their natural elegance of appearance as penguins made them look like they walked proudly in tuxedos all the time. Out of the 268 penguins, Fred was somewhat of a loner. He liked to hang out looking across the sea and seem to also be observing and noting things. A little different bird in the colony but his curiosity and observations skills led him to draw up some interesting conclusions. He carried a briefcase of all his notes of his observations.
But Fred was getting more and more concerned... or, frankly, very worried and troubled. So much so that one day he decided to meet with one of the colony council birds, Alice. She was well respected by most, and Fred felt he could talk to her.
He told Alice he was very worried about the nature of the iceberg they were on. Alice saw it as a great place to live and they had been there for a long time. But Fred said its melting... and we can't see it. Where was it melting?... in the center. He took Alice for a swim under the iceberg to show her. She saw what Fred was seeing. There were many channels of water underneath and a large body of water in the middle. When Fred got back he pointed out... that when winter comes the channels will freeze first, trap the water inside and it will expand when it freezes causing the iceberg to break up into many sections. It would cause havoc for the community and many young and old could die.
Alice saw Fred's point and suggested they get a key few of the council together to share his observations. Well, some in the council bought into Fred's story and some didn't. Fred then used a bottle that floated up one day to demonstrate what happens when a sealed bottle full of water freezes. The council members came to inspect the bottle the next day. Like Fred suggested, it broke into numerous fragments. The Council decided we must do something about it. They decided to have a meeting with the whole community. Some felt it could cause fear and panic break out. Although, it was necessary.
They presented their observations and set out a challenge to the group to come up with ideas to solve this problem. Many ideas came up, maybe not the best ones, so they agreed to continue to walk around the iceberg and dream up more ideas.
Then Fred had an unusual observation, as usual for Fred, when looking up in the air. He saw a Seagull. What is a Seagull doing here? He suggested they interview the Seagull. They did and found out he was a scout for other Seagulls and they were constantly looking for places that had food. This gave them the idea. Why not become nomadic penguins and find a better iceberg with great fish. They lived off of fish and needed good fish inhabited areas. The scouting idea was scary for some (mostly moms of the excited young wanting to be scouts) as the young adventurous scouts could get lost and or eaten by whales.
They began preparing the community for a potential new lifestyle and living on new icebergs... even better than the one they live on and love and adore. After the first scout mission, the scouts said they found several possibilities. So they began to narrow them down.
They had some naysayers causing trouble and saying all this was foolishness and we would all die. The young penguins were starting to have nightmares. The core team had a variety of personalities, so each one was strategically assigned to a key person causing the problems to change their way of thinking. It worked. They dispelled the fear factors emerging.
Being nomadic penguins was something no one was used to, but it seemed like a better solution than to try to fix the iceberg by neutralizing the problem by drilling holes so the water could escape the caverns( a lot of penguins pecking to make the holes), or the idea of using whale glue to glue the cracks back together. Moving to a possible better iceberg and keep looking for a better icebergs was looked on the best way to go. It meant having scouts at work continually, and keeping them fed... most penguins fed for themselves and weren't used to feeding others outside their own family. But the scouts needed to scout and so food needed to be provided for them. Again, innovation played a part in finding a solution for this too.
The fable cleverly outlines examples of the change process and things you run into and how to handle them. The story re-enacted urgency,
getting authority figures behind it,
pulling together and creating a balanced core team
(carefully selecting this guiding group),
forming a new vision
and communicating the new vision successfully,
making everyone feel empowered,
removing obstacles as they came up,
creating short-term wins to keep everyone encouraged,
and not letting up.
They never moved around before. It became a tradition of lifestyle. So they had to strategically execute the change effort so it would not be impeded by stubborn, hard-to-die traditionalists. They broke tradition and became nomadic. But each move was one to a better iceberg with better fish opportunities. Change was not for change sake, but for constantly getting better, improving their position in life.
The moral of the story...
In a constantly changing world, we should constantly be moving into the benefits of what is changing around us.
More resources on change by Kotter:
http://www.ouricebergismelting.com/
http://www.theheartofchange.com/
http://www.johnkotter.com/
The premier change agent was Jesus.
He came and presented views that every one was fascinated by. The people listened to him and were amazed by him. Why was he so successful?
He narrowed things down to one word... Love.
To love God with all your heart, mind, soul and body.
To love others as much as you love yourself and how you love yourself.
Love is forgiving, forbearing and tolerating. Like the woman caught in sin. The law said to stone her... Jesus forgave her.
In Luke 10 he told His disciples to go to the places where people were. Live with them.
"The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and
sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he
planned to visit. These were his instructions to them:
'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray
to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to
send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember
that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.' "
"Don't hesitate to accept hospitality,
because those who work deserve their pay."
"Heal the sick, and tell them,
'The Kingdom of God is near you now.' "
(Luke 10: 1-11, NLT)
The Law of the day said to "come" and bring sacrifices.
He said to "go" and show mercy to the undeserving.
He said to be merciful...
I don't want your sacrifices. He had a plan. He was to be their sacrifice. Man could not live up to the law, so he instituted forgiveness. He knows our nature and we can't and don't do what we say we should. So he said be open and admit your shortcomings and know there is forgiveness and tolerance. For, His sacrifice would cover it all.
A very different way of thinking of the day. Maybe even today. He even demonstrated dramatic change again. He died and left his old body and came back in three days with a completely different body. He said if you die in My Spirit, the Spirit of Me in You will live forever. This new body was so different. Most didn't even recognize Him.
He appeared suddenly and disappeared suddenly with this new body. He said to keep watch because He will again come back suddenly. He left again, and this time, he didn't leave the body he had but went straight up in the air. Like in a cloud of sorts. The disciples waited... and 10 days later, the rush of His Spirit hit the room they were in and they changed... dramatically.
They with ease did all that Jesus showed they could do while on earth. One person who even persecuted Jesus' followers, was dramatically changed. Jesus came to him in such a brilliant light that Saul, the Christian persecutor, was blinded. He changed to be one of His most outstanding followers. Everywhere he went people changed. Everywhere the other disciples went people changed. It was one of the biggest change events ever.
And we have this at our disposal today.
If we seek and and ask for it.
If we wait on it.
Because our body's of today will again be changed, transformed suddenly.
"It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead.
Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die,
but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are
buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.
They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be
raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not
all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a
moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.
For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be
raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies
that will never die; our mortal bodies must be
transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled
"Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
(1 Corinthians 15: 42 - 53, NLT)
This is our great finale of change.
Is it worth focusing our lives around such a reward?
Spiritual life is transformation upon transformation as we follow the life of Jesus until now. This is to continue and we may very well see in our own lives... the old transformed before our very eyes into the new. We have a much better body that will never decay away, become old and despised, unattractive, and useless. (An interesting picture to compare... our old imperfect next to the new perfection.)
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but
let God Transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God's will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect."
(Romans 12:2, NLT)
We can honestly accept the truth of our imperfections of our old form, and see us being transformed into a perfect truth, nothing to hide, of our new form.
We are also nomadic in the process. Going here and there to vision upon vision, place on place, and heart to a heavenly heart.
We are compelled to search for this new place,
a better place, and experience never ending adventures
in Spirit life every day.
4spirit@gmail.com
Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter features the 8-step process to successful change...
told in a fable about a Penguin Colony.
America is on the cusp of the biggest sociological, philosophical, and economic change ever. It may be the most dramatic and revolutionary of all time. From lifestyle perspective to economic prowess, the psychology, cultural and relational framework is shifting. Like an iceberg taking on water in its middle but not discovered until winter comes, it can be too late to make adjustments.
New trends in how we live and do things and philosophies on how we live and do things, will soon have dramatic impact on our culture.
So how do we manage change constructively?
Our Iceberg is Melting gives us a course outline to follow.
More and more biz books are written for communication and educational effectiveness today. Our Iceberg is Melting hallows this style. It teaches and helps you apply to real life the principles for change as you read.
Using a fable along with key principles outlined helps your mind to put this in to real world perspective.
First the principles, then a summary of the fable.
The Eight Step process of Successful Change.
Set the Stage
1. Create a sense of urgency.
Help others see the need for change and the importance of immediate action.
2. Pull together the guiding team... with varied skills for the task to convince all minds and handle uniquely different situations.
Decide What to Do
3. Develop the change vision and strategy.
Clarify how the future will be different, be better, and how you can make it into a reality.
Make it Happen
4. Communicate for understanding and buy in.
Make sure as many as possible understand and accept the vision.
5. Empower others to act.
Remove as many barriers and obstacles as you can so those who want to make the vision a reality can do so.
6. Produce short-term wins.
Create some visible, unambiguous successes as soon as you can.
7. Don't let up.
Press harder and faster after the first successes.
Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision is reality.
Make it Stick
8. Create a new culture.
Hold on to the new ways of behaving, and make sure they succeed, until they become strong enough to replace old traditions.
The importance of thinking and feeling differently.
Thinking differently can help change behavior and lead to better results.
--collect data, analyze.
--present information logically to change people's thinking.
--change thinking, in turn, can change behavior
Feeling differently can change behavior MORE and lead to even better results.
--create surprising, compelling, and, if possible, visual experience.
--the experiences change how people feel about a situation.
--a change in feeling can lead to significant change in behavior.
The Fable
Once upon a time, there was a Penguin Colony on an iceberg in Antarctica, near Cape Washington. They lived there many years and they all were a happy, astute bunch. Their natural elegance of appearance as penguins made them look like they walked proudly in tuxedos all the time. Out of the 268 penguins, Fred was somewhat of a loner. He liked to hang out looking across the sea and seem to also be observing and noting things. A little different bird in the colony but his curiosity and observations skills led him to draw up some interesting conclusions. He carried a briefcase of all his notes of his observations.
But Fred was getting more and more concerned... or, frankly, very worried and troubled. So much so that one day he decided to meet with one of the colony council birds, Alice. She was well respected by most, and Fred felt he could talk to her.
He told Alice he was very worried about the nature of the iceberg they were on. Alice saw it as a great place to live and they had been there for a long time. But Fred said its melting... and we can't see it. Where was it melting?... in the center. He took Alice for a swim under the iceberg to show her. She saw what Fred was seeing. There were many channels of water underneath and a large body of water in the middle. When Fred got back he pointed out... that when winter comes the channels will freeze first, trap the water inside and it will expand when it freezes causing the iceberg to break up into many sections. It would cause havoc for the community and many young and old could die.
Alice saw Fred's point and suggested they get a key few of the council together to share his observations. Well, some in the council bought into Fred's story and some didn't. Fred then used a bottle that floated up one day to demonstrate what happens when a sealed bottle full of water freezes. The council members came to inspect the bottle the next day. Like Fred suggested, it broke into numerous fragments. The Council decided we must do something about it. They decided to have a meeting with the whole community. Some felt it could cause fear and panic break out. Although, it was necessary.
They presented their observations and set out a challenge to the group to come up with ideas to solve this problem. Many ideas came up, maybe not the best ones, so they agreed to continue to walk around the iceberg and dream up more ideas.
Then Fred had an unusual observation, as usual for Fred, when looking up in the air. He saw a Seagull. What is a Seagull doing here? He suggested they interview the Seagull. They did and found out he was a scout for other Seagulls and they were constantly looking for places that had food. This gave them the idea. Why not become nomadic penguins and find a better iceberg with great fish. They lived off of fish and needed good fish inhabited areas. The scouting idea was scary for some (mostly moms of the excited young wanting to be scouts) as the young adventurous scouts could get lost and or eaten by whales.
They began preparing the community for a potential new lifestyle and living on new icebergs... even better than the one they live on and love and adore. After the first scout mission, the scouts said they found several possibilities. So they began to narrow them down.
They had some naysayers causing trouble and saying all this was foolishness and we would all die. The young penguins were starting to have nightmares. The core team had a variety of personalities, so each one was strategically assigned to a key person causing the problems to change their way of thinking. It worked. They dispelled the fear factors emerging.
Being nomadic penguins was something no one was used to, but it seemed like a better solution than to try to fix the iceberg by neutralizing the problem by drilling holes so the water could escape the caverns( a lot of penguins pecking to make the holes), or the idea of using whale glue to glue the cracks back together. Moving to a possible better iceberg and keep looking for a better icebergs was looked on the best way to go. It meant having scouts at work continually, and keeping them fed... most penguins fed for themselves and weren't used to feeding others outside their own family. But the scouts needed to scout and so food needed to be provided for them. Again, innovation played a part in finding a solution for this too.
The fable cleverly outlines examples of the change process and things you run into and how to handle them. The story re-enacted urgency,
getting authority figures behind it,
pulling together and creating a balanced core team
(carefully selecting this guiding group),
forming a new vision
and communicating the new vision successfully,
making everyone feel empowered,
removing obstacles as they came up,
creating short-term wins to keep everyone encouraged,
and not letting up.
They never moved around before. It became a tradition of lifestyle. So they had to strategically execute the change effort so it would not be impeded by stubborn, hard-to-die traditionalists. They broke tradition and became nomadic. But each move was one to a better iceberg with better fish opportunities. Change was not for change sake, but for constantly getting better, improving their position in life.
The moral of the story...
In a constantly changing world, we should constantly be moving into the benefits of what is changing around us.
More resources on change by Kotter:
http://www.ouricebergismelting.com/
http://www.theheartofchange.com/
http://www.johnkotter.com/
The premier change agent was Jesus.
He came and presented views that every one was fascinated by. The people listened to him and were amazed by him. Why was he so successful?
He narrowed things down to one word... Love.
To love God with all your heart, mind, soul and body.
To love others as much as you love yourself and how you love yourself.
Love is forgiving, forbearing and tolerating. Like the woman caught in sin. The law said to stone her... Jesus forgave her.
In Luke 10 he told His disciples to go to the places where people were. Live with them.
"The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and
sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he
planned to visit. These were his instructions to them:
'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray
to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to
send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember
that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.' "
"Don't hesitate to accept hospitality,
because those who work deserve their pay."
"Heal the sick, and tell them,
'The Kingdom of God is near you now.' "
(Luke 10: 1-11, NLT)
The Law of the day said to "come" and bring sacrifices.
He said to "go" and show mercy to the undeserving.
He said to be merciful...
I don't want your sacrifices. He had a plan. He was to be their sacrifice. Man could not live up to the law, so he instituted forgiveness. He knows our nature and we can't and don't do what we say we should. So he said be open and admit your shortcomings and know there is forgiveness and tolerance. For, His sacrifice would cover it all.
A very different way of thinking of the day. Maybe even today. He even demonstrated dramatic change again. He died and left his old body and came back in three days with a completely different body. He said if you die in My Spirit, the Spirit of Me in You will live forever. This new body was so different. Most didn't even recognize Him.
He appeared suddenly and disappeared suddenly with this new body. He said to keep watch because He will again come back suddenly. He left again, and this time, he didn't leave the body he had but went straight up in the air. Like in a cloud of sorts. The disciples waited... and 10 days later, the rush of His Spirit hit the room they were in and they changed... dramatically.
They with ease did all that Jesus showed they could do while on earth. One person who even persecuted Jesus' followers, was dramatically changed. Jesus came to him in such a brilliant light that Saul, the Christian persecutor, was blinded. He changed to be one of His most outstanding followers. Everywhere he went people changed. Everywhere the other disciples went people changed. It was one of the biggest change events ever.
And we have this at our disposal today.
If we seek and and ask for it.
If we wait on it.
Because our body's of today will again be changed, transformed suddenly.
"It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead.
Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die,
but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are
buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.
They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be
raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not
all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a
moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.
For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be
raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies
that will never die; our mortal bodies must be
transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled
"Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
(1 Corinthians 15: 42 - 53, NLT)
This is our great finale of change.
Is it worth focusing our lives around such a reward?
Spiritual life is transformation upon transformation as we follow the life of Jesus until now. This is to continue and we may very well see in our own lives... the old transformed before our very eyes into the new. We have a much better body that will never decay away, become old and despised, unattractive, and useless. (An interesting picture to compare... our old imperfect next to the new perfection.)
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but
let God Transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God's will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect."
(Romans 12:2, NLT)
We can honestly accept the truth of our imperfections of our old form, and see us being transformed into a perfect truth, nothing to hide, of our new form.
We are also nomadic in the process. Going here and there to vision upon vision, place on place, and heart to a heavenly heart.
We are compelled to search for this new place,
a better place, and experience never ending adventures
in Spirit life every day.
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