I attended a KPCC learning event this morning to see Jeremy Hunter, friend and respected Professor, Speaker and Mindfulness expert dialogue with Nick Udall, Organization and Culture Catalyst for global businesses committed to breakthrough by design. They were wonderfully complementary voices on the topic of managing self and "holding space" for creativity in chaotic, changing, complex organizations.
There is a lot of talk recently about Mindfulness - it makes me feel hopeful and with curious about how this will take shape and change conversations at work and between individuals. Jeremy is finding significant success in his EMBA classes at the Drucker School when focusing on the individual. Rarely do we speak about "how it feels in the body" when we are in tense situations or dealing with people we don't trust yet but must work with on a daily basis. He is teaching how we can create new patterns of thought, new behaviors and then achieve the results we want.
Nick Udall works with CEO's all over the world and he says their work is three things - "think, talk and hold space". How are leaders doing these three things and do they make space for open discussion about what is known and equally about what is the unknown. Innovation, Dr. Udall says, is the dance between the known and unknown, the conscious and unconscious - most find it hard to stay in that place that forces us to let go of status quo in order to think differently and break the old "we always did it that way" syndrome. Nick Udall has a new book out and it is fascinating, called "Riding the Creative Rollercoaster." There are rich new words and concepts introduced to describe how creativity is evoked and the intersections between behavior and business innovation.
KPCC really understands provocative thought. It was great to participate and meet new folks. We had time at the end of the session to meet others in attendance and pair off to learn what others were observing in themselves in the time we were there.
I think most were present in the moments and the energy in the room was refreshing and more than one person said, " I feel engaged, open, more calm and optimistic." Take that to your next meeting!