Parking Lot Musings

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” - James Dean

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine. All Rights Reserved 2008

Technology of Agreements for Leaders
Glenn Allison,
Graduate, Leadership Waterloo

Thoughts while walking through the parking lot...

* as fish are to water, and birds are to air, human beings live in language * we speak our world into being (MLK: I have a dream......)

* so too, our world speaks us if we let it *

Leaders know the personal and collective power of the given word. (Marriage is essentially the community called together to witness the word...)

* being one with our word is how we remain whole and healthy: (I am who I say I am, I have what is mine, and I will do what I promise)

* when we break our word, we are no longer who we have said ourselves to be: we are no longer integral with our word - we have absolutely no place to take a stand, the world is quicksand.

* if you break your word, the only way you can regain integration is to acknowledge that to the appropriate listener (the one who knows your word is broken).

The trick here is being responsible, without burden, fault, praise, blame, credit, shame or guilt.

* recommit by giving your word, perhaps suitably adjusted and both parties concur.

* if for some reason you know that you cannot keep your word, renegotiate terms (deadlines, commitments, etc) with the appropriate listener, so that you can again be your word.

* make sure that you communicate that you are and will continue be your word once given, and be so. Then, you will have for your self the space to stand, you will be grounded.

As Leaders:

* what are our collective as opposed to personal agreements: in family, in group, in society, etc.?

* what the world might be like if we were all whole, if we all kept our word?

The Buddhists have an expression that when paraphrased, goes like this: When you keep a promise, you are profoundly human, when you don't, you are a** wipe.

And who needs... that?

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Community Action Projects: Heads Up!

For our November 20 day at Bombardier... It's your turn on the Agenda. Remember to plan your 15 minute CAP presentation which includes:

- an overview of your progress to date
- a brief recap of your host organization’s mandate and the goals of your project
- a story about the “vision and passion” of your host organization
- some insights about your group dynamics, and what you are learning about organizational/team structures and systems (reference HBDI)

It is important that everyone in your group plays a role in this presentation.

PS: RSVP the LTB AGM November 6. See you there,

Maggie