I finished "Encouraging the Heart" yesterday, and there is a list of 150 ways to practice Encouraging the Heart in everyday life. I picked out a few that I think are applicable to my situation, and I'm going to knock them off, one or two per week.
So here's a run down of the seven essentials of Encouraging the Heart:
- Set Clear Standards
- Expect the Best
- Pay Attention
- Personal Recognition
- Tell the Story
- Celebrate
- Set the Example
And here are the experiences on my list:
Set Clear Standards:
1) Think of someone you admire who exemplifies living a principle-centered life. Interview that person. Find out how they discovered their own values.
2) Watch Eyes on the Prize, the film on the civil rights movement. It's a compelling story of the power of purpose and the dedication people make to realizing a dream.
Expect the Best
3) Surround yourself with positive people who can remind you of your strengths and abilities.
4) Practice envisioning.
5) Buy a few inspirational posters.
6) Read George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. This is the classic novel on the power of positive expectations. And/or watch the video of My Fair Lady. The film version of Shaw's novel, it portrays the power of belief in self. Watch how Eliza Doolittle evolves through a growing sense that she can learn.
7) Rent a video or CD of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1963. Listen to it for the word pictures he paints. You'll be able to see what he says. Now try to add word pictures to your own speeches.
Pay Attention
8) Make note of the kinds of "gifts" or recognition people appreciate (or don't appreciate).
9) Right now, pay attention to your breathing. What do you notice? Write it down. Your ability to attend to the most common and immediate elements of your daily life helps you be more attuned to what is going on around you.
10) Right now, pay attention to your heartbeat. What do you notice? Write it down.
11) Right now, pay attention to the sounds in your immediate space. What do you notice? Write it down.
12) The next time you listen to someone talk about himself, his work, and what's important, listen with your "eyes and heart," not just your ears and brain. What do you notice in listening with eyes and heart that you don't in listening with ears and brain?
Personalize Recognition
13) Think back on a time when someone encouraged your heart meaningfully and memorably. What did she do to make it special for you? How did she personalize it for you? Make note of the lessons you learned, and apply them.
14) Tell people your own "most meaningful recognition story." Ask them to tell theirs. What are the common lessons?
15) At the end of one of your speeches, say something like, "My colleagues couldn't be with me today. I sure hope I represented them well."
16) Write a thank-you note to a loved one or someone who has done something special.
17) Take a class or workshop on creativity.
18) Take a course in drawing, painting, or photography.
19) Say thank you personally every time you appreciate something someone does, anywhere and anytime. It's good practice, and good manners.
20) Make a vow that never again will you fail to personalize every recognition you make, every celebration you hold.
Tell the Story
21) At the next opportunity, tell someone the story of your most meaningful recognition.
22) Keep a journal. Record in as much detail as you can the critical incidents of the day. The practice of observing and recording is important in building your skills in storytelling.
23) What's the best movie you ever saw that really tells a compelling story? Rent it on video and watch it again. What lessons can you learn from your favorite movie? How can you incorporate these lessons into your leadership practice?
24) At the next holiday when you're together with your family or friends, volunteer to read a story fit for the occasion.
25) At dinner every night, don't just talk about the day; tell a story about it. Describe the rich details of place, people, and feelings. Use your home as a practice stage.
26) Take an improvisational theater class.
Celebrate Together
27) Attend local athletic events. Watch cheerleaders, coaches, and players as they celebrate small and large victories. Focus on their enthusiasm and energy. Watch how people express this enthusiasm as well as how those who receive it are affected. Notice how you are affected by the celebrations.
28) At a wedding or other celebratory event, make mental notes on what you like, or what really inspires you about the event.
29) Plan festive celebrations for even the smaller milestones that your team reaches. "Don't wait until the whole project is completed before you celebrate. Immediate acknowledgment keeps energy and enthusiasm high.
30) Take care of your own needs for support. Develop a relationship with at least one person with whom you can talk about your grandest hopes and worst fears, your greatest achievements and your biggest flops.
31) Do a DWYSYWD ("Do What You Say You Will Do") audit. Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left-hand side record your value: the principles by which you say you want to lead your organization. On the right-hand side, record your actions: what you do regularly to live out each of your values. The only way to get any value out of this exercise, of course, is to be completely self-honest. If you don't see yourself doing anything to live out a value, then leave the space blank. If you think your behaviors are contrary to your espoused values, then write down that admission. Grade yourself on how you're doing. Do your values and actions line up? Where are you strong? Where do you have opportunities for improvement? Make a plan to better align values and actions.
32) Identify those experiences in your life that truly inspire you, and then bring this kind of inspiration into your conversations with employees.
33) Write and deliver a thank you note every day. We've never heard anyone complain about being thanked too much, but we've heard lots of complaints about being thanked too little.
34) Keep a journal of your experiments with encouraging the heart. What works for you? What doesn't? What lessons have you learned? How has this effort changed you as a leader?
35) The next time someone recognizes you, make note of your own thoughts and feelings. (Experience becomes the best teacher, but only if we reflect on it.) Then send that persona thank-you not expressing appreciation for what you learned.
Yay for new goals and things to work on! I also have a sheet from Dr. Miller on which I need to determine what I'm going to do to earn my four credits for of independent study.
So for right now, let's check off the ones I've already done! Numbers 16 and 26. I wrote a letter to Mr. Giesler for 16, and of course, I started 26 when I came to college.
Ummkay, I'm out!
Rachel
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