2007 began just weeks after my 50th birthday and a desire to create legacy. I love coaching and designing change management processes. Yet, as I reached 50, I felt like I was entering a new stage in my life. Roberta and I had many long in person and long distance talks about what was going on and where to take the business.
We reflected on the type of business we seemed to attract the most - the Merger or Acquisition that was about fall apart--as a the last resort, a CEO or VP of HR would give us a shot... and lo and behold, turnaround would usually follow fairly rapidly. The desire to share what we do and why it works, was the motivation behind the White Paper we wrote and the Merger Excellence Workshop, our Merger Management Simulation and Training we are now offering.
After working in this field for more than 30 years, more than ever, I want to share what I've learned by making it easy and enjoyable for others to experience and, at the same time, take it to another level by incorporating their own knowledge into the process. My way of creating a legacy that continues to grow and develop.
Last week, I was at a workshop on CSR. Some people were surprised that as head of a small coaching and consulting firm, I would attend. CSR is important for me and a key driver in much of what I do.
I have a soon to be teenage son who I would like to sit with someday when I am quite old and talk about life gone by and life yet to come while watching the sunset. Our world is changing so fast. It is not just the depletion of natural resources, the developing of what once were third world countries, but the impact that growth is having on our environment. Even more importantly, what was triggered in me was a desire to impact our overall continued quality of life for the long-term.
As life unfolds and offers us what we are seeking ... the Frankfurt (Oder), Germany project emerged. Under what has been at times extremely exciting and at others, discouraging circumstances, I have the honor to be part of a project (co-designing the collaborative change process) that will enable a healthier socio-economic environment while lowering the CO2 output of the City and Region.
As the changes and foci emerge for me, I have so much learning to do. Hard work I must say... about boundaries, responsibility, letting go, personal and professional value, relationships, saying "no!", resistance, taking a clear stand, following the path of greatest energy... It has not been an easy year - energizing, focused at times and confusing and unclear at others. However, it has been a year of discover -- new learnings -- the bringing "the who" I am to another level. In many ways, it has been about taking the earlier stages of my life and combining them into my next focus--the teacher (supervising teacher), coach and facilitator of Learning Disabled and Emotionally Disturbed children in the 70's, the Shared Visioning and Re-engineering Major Account Development, HR Management work, and Executive and Transitional Coach in the 80's, the Collaborative Change, Corporate Leadership and Community Turn Around work of the 90's, and of course, the continued coaching, design, and development in these fields that has spanned living on two continents.
- Taking these parts and developing threads of my life and bringing them to what feels like the next level for me is energizing and has brought flow back into my life.
- As this year is winding down (or at any point that feels right), you may be interested in doing something of the same for yourself--Defining your Legacy and Next Era:
- Take a look at the various eras (drivers, passions) in your life and write them down.
- Note what you enjoyed and legacies or thread you created or foci at the time.
- Remember and note down what your original purpose was--what your overall motivation -- in life was (or appeared to be when you were younger)
- Note what you are bringing into your life now.
- Refine your core mission statement as you see it now.
- Jot down what holds your interest now? What do you like to talk about?
- Put these thoughts on various small cards or create a Mind Map from them. Play with their various inter-workings and see what emerges as your next era.
- What legacy would you like to create?
- What steps do you need to take:
- What do you want to attract into your life to bring this about?
- Play with this until to reach a focus, purpose, project to realize your mission... that gives you a sense of Aha! And raises your energy or draws you forward.
|
