Look to Story to Inspire!
01/27/03
From John Adams to Truman, David McCullough has captured the life, story and power of many historical figures. In the difficult times we face, McCullough recently talked about the power of story to help sustain us: "I know what suffering we've been through, what injustice, what agony. But we're going to come through this, and we'll come through the better for it because we're the American people. One of the things that hasn't changed is our story. We can draw on that as a source of strength."
History provides perspectives that give hope and inspiration whether you are a country or an organization. If you are like most students who studied history, we always ran out of time before we ever got to modern history. Don't let this happen in your organization. Take the struggles and the successes of the past and weave them into narratives about real people who made change work. They created the legacy that this generation of leaders and workers must earn for themselves. As leaders, you may not want to start bedside reading, but it might not be a bad idea to start more of your meetings with a few more past and present stories that give hope and perspective to these difficult times. Many leaders and workers have experienced only good times and have no way to make sense of the economic and career challenges they face. Let them know they are not alone; stories have a way of doing that. This week, find some stories to share!
A PAULSON QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Optimists are not Pollyanna thinkers; they are people who have had a track record of facing and overcoming obstacles to find a way to win. Because of that perspective, optimists hope for more but are not thrown by less. They know with persistence they can find a way to win again." --Terry Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE
MONDAY'S MIRTHFUL MOMENT
Marlene Board via Loren Ekroth (www.conversation-matters.com) provides today's mirthful moments--The Washington Post Style Invitational's "Perks for being over 40!" Enjoy!
Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
There's nothing left to learn the hard way.
You enjoy hearing about other people's operations
You have a party and ... the neighbors don't even realize it.
You sing along with the elevator music.
Your joints are more accurate than meteorologists of the National Weather Service.
When you keep your eyes open for mirth, you just may find it! Hope this kicks off your morning and helps get your mood adjusted for the week. Now, get busy MAKING CHANGE WORK and have some fun along the way!...