I know I was curious how my love for skiing and my desire for higher level, fearless leadership decision making skills would merge. I wondered whom I would meet, what I would learn and how the value of such a program would, or could, drive my performance further.

Let’s take a sneak peek at the components of Leadership in the Fall Line and what those meant to me.

Our first evening was like no other program I have been a part of. I felt like I had just jumped into a secret meeting. The faculty had our group bond quicker than I have ever experienced. Discussions were lively, positive energy added depth to our time together. We were taught licensed communication tools that brought the conversation to life before my eyes. As we dove into personal goals for the week, dialogue became even richer. All of this took place while sharing libations and hors d’oeuvres. All in the first few hours of my experience.

I utilized this first evening to orient myself to the group, the surroundings and the coaches. Any questions I had were answered for the following day and I felt satisfied that I was in the right place for my ongoing growth and development.

We rolled into Day 2 with all cylinders firing. We met first thing in the morning for stretching and breakfast. With gear ready and anticipation for some great snow, we jumped on a chairlift to begin our adventure; and the work. We began our day with top notch ski coaching. We utilized video throughout the day for focused movement analysis and the ability to track improvement over the course of the trip.

This first morning magic began to happen. A question was asked about how I was feeling as we approached a specific ski run. My experience was suddenly how I’ve felt in board room style meetings; I found myself a little anxious, flustered and not focused. Without going into great detail, the parallel of how I was moving on snow correlated to how I felt in the meeting. And so it was, transformation truly began.

We headed to an incredible lunch. During this time we utilized video review and dryland movement training to anchor skill acquisition before our return to snow. We skied the rest of the day moving closer to attaining our ski goals, and our leadership goals as well. We brought our whole group together after skiing for a little après time, some light stretching and review of the progress made during the day. Did I mention the snacks and drinks and laughter? It was an incredible coming together of the group, and again, after a very short period of time working together.

This session was particularly exciting as we re-visited our goals. Due to the combination of ski coaches and leadership coaches communicating with us all day it became evident of the learning that was already taking place. I had met 5 professionals from several different industries in my group. That number tripled that afternoon. I had the opportunity of meeting “my tribe” that afternoon that has led to long term, meaningful relationships beyond the program.

We wrapped the session and we headed to an incredible dinner and social time. There was time available to continue building relationships and enjoying the beautiful mountain environment. The day closed with reflection and a chance to get some rest for the next incredible day.

That’s my bird’s eye view of a day in the life of a Fall Line participant. We were provided experiential learning environments the entirety of the program to maximize learning and value. A program that creates better leaders, better skiers and provides the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals; need I say more?

The post A Day-By-Day Look at What It’s Like to Attend Leadership in the Fall Line® appeared first on The Miick Companies.

To recap, there are eight elements of the Miick Safe Space® System, and each one stands alone. At the same time, each one integrates with the others to make a potent guide for effective dialogue, feedback, coaching, and conflict resolution.

Let’s take a detailed look at the next four elements of the Miick Safe Space® System for Conscious Communication:

5) 7-45-48

These three numbers come from one of two global studies that were very close in outcomes. The data is: In the translation of what we say and do, the people with whom we interact make meaning or translate meaning in the following ways:

• 7% from words spoken

• 45% from body language (there are at least 3000 facial expressions that mean exactly the same thing globally)

• 48% from tone of voice (what’s sincere verses sarcastic, honest or not, a sideways jab? Where is the voice “placed” in tone to make these valuations on meaning?)

This means that body language and tone make up 93% of the translation:

• If I want to ensure my effectiveness in communication, I had better work to have my tone of voice and body language actually match my words. (This alignment of 7 – 45 – 48 supports effective intention – impact)

• There is a paradox: My word choice is very important, not less important. And words mean less than body language and tone when the body language and tone don’t match the words I use.

Tools:

• Pay attention to sarcasm… it’s funny until its not… it’s clear but not.

• Be kind and courageous enough to actually speak the truth, instead of “hiding behind” sarcasm.

• Watch out for pronouns: he, she, it, they, that.

6) Moose in the Room

To name a “moose” is a courageous act.

Most of us know the phrase, there’s an “elephant in the room,” or “wow, that’s an 800-pound gorilla.” Notice the impact in a meeting or training when it seems that “everyone” is holding back some dialogue about an issue that needs to be addressed, yet “no one” is willing to name it.

Often times, one person has the courage to name the issue and then gets in trouble. An alternative, our alternative choice, is to immediately name the moose in the room, the unspoken issue. Our expectation is that we lead meetings with naming any moose that causes drama or gets in the way of our individual or collective success.

Naming “the moose” is far more than simply having an “open door” policy. Being celebrated for naming a moose, that we expect the moose to be named in support of our collective success, is a powerful and potent action. Fear of speaking the unspoken slows us down and impedes our success through the use of Purpose and Values. The most potent way to mature your company or family system is to name “the moose”.

Moose start out small and grow exponentially the longer they remain un-named. Naming any moose allows each of us to laugh at the humanness of making meaning, making up stories instead of checking our story. Moose can easily show up on a daily basis. Name it, shoo the moose away, and stay present!

You know there’s a moose, when the real meeting happens after the meeting; or when someone says, “Oh, don’t talk about that…”; or “Yes, but… “

Tool:

Name the moose.

“I wonder if this is a moose?” or “I have what feels like a moose.”

Start a meeting with a check-in with each person naming a moose. If more than two people have the same moose, we’d better deal with it.

When a moose is named, its power and size is diminished; use purpose, values and Conscious Communication tools to discuss any moose, any time.

7) Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a potent part of Conscious Communication. Honoring confidentiality builds TRUST exponentially. Confidentiality simply means: That what’s said in the room stays in the room.

Tool:

Share the energy and learning from a meeting; share excitement or challenge.

In training, in meetings, in one-on-one conversations, we do not share the name of individuals named as examples. We share that people did or do profound work, or challenging work within themselves taking the risk to use conscious communication, or to name their truth, then dishonoring confidentiality. We do not share what they shared in confidentiality.

Yes:

“As a group we used our Purpose and Values to discuss budgets and decisions that have impacted our team and our members. We had a really honest conversation and used Safe Space to build our power as a team… the experience was great!”

No:

“Michelle went on about frustrated parents impacted by our budget cuts with the child care.”

8) Make “I” Statements

There are two parts to making “I” statements: “Singular I” and the “Collective I.”

Part 1 “Singular I”:

I speak for myself, based on data, my truth or experience, sharing my intention, sharing my inside out, naming the unspoken or my truth.

Yes:

“I have a real concern about how we’re making budget cutting decisions.”

No:

“Everyone’s really upset with the budget cuts.”

Part 1 continued, I own my attitude and actions:

Yes:

I am conscious of not making I/you statements.

No:

“I am so hurt by what you’ve said to me.” “You make me so angry.” “I feel like you’re really being a jerk.”

Yes:

“I can feel myself hurt from our discussion.” “I can feel anger building up inside me from what I’ve heard.” “I realize that when we talk I end up feeling really judgmental.

Part 2: “Collective I” Statements

Making “”I statements at the group level is more challenging. I need to pay attention to my intention! Do I INTEND to be part of the group? Is my intention to be “outside the group”? Is my goal to build the energy of the group? I need to pay attention: to be conscious of my choice in language!

Most important with collective “I” statements is to not worry too much about getting “it right.” Practice is what will move the skills each of us has in making effective collective “I” statements.

Making “Collective I” Statements

From the model above, at the group level: What follows are examples of making “I” statements at various levels of system within a group.

At the personal level:

“I do my best to make I statements whenever I speak” “I consciously do my best to make I statements when ever I speak.” “I own my decisions and my actions.”

At the collective level, or the group level, that is, when I am part of the group:

“Its my wish that each of us makes I statements whenever any one of us (or each of us) speaks.” “Each of us makes I statements when ever any one of us speaks.” “Each of us needs to own our actions.”

At the group level, as a group action:

“I’d like each of us to do our best consciously, to make “I statements.” “We all need to consciously use I statements” “At work, we each own our actions.”

As leader outside the group:

“I need you all to make I statements.” “I need each of you to make I statements” “I need you to own your actions.” “I invite you to own your actions.”

As the leader “inside the group:

“Each of us needs to make I statements” “I need each of us to make I statements.”

Two pointers to pay attention to in our discussions, coaching, and feedback:

1. Watch out for “But”

The word “but” tends to negate all that’s said before it.

“You’re doing a good job but, ______.”

Instead try: At the same time; or As an alternative.

For example, “But” can easily negate anything and all that’s been said previously. “But” tends to stop “energy.” Instead practice using phrases like “at the same time” or “as an alternative.”

With but: “You’re a good person but you are not doing your five-step greetings.”

Lose the but: “You’re a good person, and I know you can do more with your five-step greetings.” “You’re a good person, and to take your positive impact further, I know you can do more with your five-step greeting.”

2. And… Watch out for “Why”

The word “Why” can tend to make one shut down (a little or a lot). Two examples of “why”:

Why did you do that? Why are you doing that?

Some alternative possibilities are:

I’m interested in your choice _______. What’s motivating you to ______.

How could you do that differently? What could you do instead?

Safe Space® for Conscious Communication can make our relationships more successful both in business and in life. Schedule 30 minutes with Miick to get the basics on how these elements work in real life applications.

The post The Next Four Elements of the Miick Safe Space System® for Conscious Communication™ appeared first on The Miick Companies.

There are eight elements of the Miick Safe Space® System, and each one stands alone. At the same time, each one integrates with the others to make a potent guide for effective dialogue, feedback, coaching, and conflict resolution.

Let’s review the first four elements of the Miick Safe Space® System for Conscious Communication:

1) Track data, and be aware of meaning making.

Data is simply non-debatable. It’s the information we can see, hear, touch, and experience. For example, if the data shows that Steve has been late to work for each of the last three days, there are different ways to approach this.

Meaning making: Steve doesn’t care about work. He is having real problems in his life.

If I simply make some sweeping statement about Steve, I will be less successful in my coaching, my management, and in modeling effective leadership. For example, to call Steve out as always being late will likely result in an argument or at least a hassle.

Data-based approach: “Steve, I am aware you’ve been late the last three days to work. What needs to change to not have this behavior happen again?”

2) My truth, my experience.

Each of us is unique, and because of our unique background, education, faith, and life experience, each of us is likely to have a different experience when listening, seeing, feeling, or watching an event. The differences may vary from only slightly different to extremely different.

Another way differences show up is in experience. Your truth about the difficulty or challenge with work after three years of experience may be very different than someone in their first day of work. Think about a different frame of reference, a different size “lens” to view the world. Simply ask, “How is your experience different than mine? What is your experience with this?”

Based on my experience (in life), I carry different truths than someone with different experiences. My truth, my life experience creates or least impacts the meaning making I hold about any given situation. All the more potent then to track data and share my truth of THAT data.

How can I own my own stories without creating a fight or conflict? These are some examples of what can be said to gain clarity instead of conflict or a fight:

“The story I make up is ______. Am I close?”

“My experience is ________. What’s yours?”

“What’s your experience of __________?”

Lastly, what’s our truth or our experience? As a company, as a team, we’ll get more richness in our decisions, actions, and growth by having, hearing, and honoring different truths then to the best of our ability holding all as potential truth.

And know that truths can be true until they’re not:

“Six months ago, we couldn’t actually trust what was said.”

“I trust what is being said, based on data (and supported by our purpose and values).”

3) Intention and impact

Did what I intend to have happen, happen? What did happen as an outcome of my actions? If there is a miss on the intention and the impact:

1. If there’s a miss with what I intended and the impact created, acknowledge the “miss.”

2. Back up; try again.

3. A very powerful action is to DEFINE my intention at the outset, to myself and to others.

Tools:

Actually say, “My intention here is ___________.” Then check in and reinforce to determine if your intention was effective or not.

4) Inside out, outside in

Based on my intention and the impact I want to create, I choose one of two options.

Inside out:

I share my inside thoughts vocally or with explicit non-verbal actions externally to the person or to the group with whom I am interacting.

Outside in:

1. Being aware that I am dominating a conversation, I choose to silence myself.

2. Being aware that I am cutting someone else off, interrupting someone’s comment, I can wait five to 10 seconds before speaking.

3. Being aware of consistent patterns:

– If one specific person speaks, another specific person speaks to maintain an order.

– Pay attention to see if you can break your own habits. Yes.

– Does one particular person rarely if ever speak? If so, ask to hear their voice! The person’s inside voice when heard will impact the group. Let it! Work to hear that unheard person.

– Do people have to raise their hands to get their voice heard? If so, slow down the pace or name the person. Consider using favorite phrases like “I am aware we haven’t heard from ______ since we began” or “Let’s hear from those who haven’t spoken yet.”

Safe Space® for Conscious Communication can make our relationships more successful both in business and in life. Schedule 30 minutes with Miick to get the basics on how these elements work in real life applications.

The post The First Four Elements of the Miick Safe Space® System for Conscious Communication™ appeared first on The Miick Companies.

As we’ve been talking about our upcoming Leadership in the Fall Line ski and leadership development program with those who know us best, we’ve noticed an interesting trend. Many people who make a living helping clients grow both personally and professionally are interested in what we’re planning this September in Portillo, Chile.

At first we thought it was mild interest, likely from the perspective of understanding what the competition is doing. But then we discovered another idea. We all do this because we love impacting our clients, and in reality, we can all learn and help one another in the process.

So here’s the offer:

If you have a client you feel would be a great fit for our Leadership in the Fall Line program in Portillo, or if you’re thinking of the right fit for your team, we invite you to attend.

We’re team builders. You’ll find this event, and our process, allows you to attend with your client and build on all you’re doing together already. You have our commitment to take the trust, relationship, and focus you’ve already built with your client even further!

Our coaches, our team, and our facilitation model supports your efforts and your goals with your clients. No BS. Our values guide our decision making, and we honor relationships with ongoing learning, open communication, and tangible positive impact.

There can be a great benefit for trainers, coaches, and consultants to attend Leadership in the Fall Line with your clients:

* Focus, model, and learn with your client. This adds depth and trust to your relationship as coach and client.

* Take your relationship to a deeper level by working on goals through the facilitation of the Leadership in the Fall Line coaching process.

* Learn new possibilities and new perspectives about the work you’ve already done and are doing in the future with your clients.

* You and your client will arrive with defined goals, both personal and collective, and you’ll leave with clarity.

* You will both take away a life time of applicable metaphor based on the experiential learning process. Past participants of Leadership in the Fall Line are still using these same metaphors 15 years later.

If our offer hits your “I’m interested button”, please let us know. We can figure out group pricing that works for you, too, as well as sign a mutual non-compete if that’s an issue. This program is about helping each other compete, not competing against each other.

This is our 15th year offering our on-snow program for leaders, and it’s the first time we’ve ever offered it in Portillo. The program works. That said, the logistics aren’t simple, nor is the program inexpensive. However, the impact and ROI is real value.

My bet is you know you want to do this. Reach out. Now is way better than later.

Click on the image below to see the full event page, or you can schedule some time to talk with a Leadership in the Fall Line facilitator to learn even more details.

The post Why Leadership Trainers and Business Coaches Should Attend Leadership in the Fall Line appeared first on The Miick Companies.