The Power of Circles

People have been gathering together in circles to foster dialogue and change since the dawn of humanity. Authors Ann Linnea and Christina Baldwin give us five good reasons why circles are so effective in fostering honest and authentic communications within a group:

1. When we change the chairs we change the world. A circle by its very nature places people into positions of equal standing (or sitting). Physically repositioning a group into a circle impacts the mental positions of the participants who feel liberated from the restrictions that hierarchy, status, and prescribed roles usually places on them.

2. More than a shape, circle is a social infrastructure for collaborative conversation. Social infrastructure releases the fullness of participation because every person understands how to contribute to the conversation. We place something that symbolizes common purpose in the center space, articulate agreements of respectful interaction, and lean into the dialogue.

3. Meeting in circle is a sort of a contained treasure hunt. The wisdom we need is in the room, and the only way to truly gather it, think about it, and make decisions based on it, is to hear every voice. Who has the question? Who has the answer? Who knows the next piece? What creative idea will be heard from an unexpected source?

4. Leadership roles are embedded in the rim putting a leader in every chair. Someone volunteers to be “host”—to help the group hold focus, and to design patterns for contributing. Someone else volunteers to be “guardian”—to observe shifting group need, and to signal a pause so that people can take a breath, refocus, and proceed with clarity. Host and guardian work together to serve group purpose, sometimes for one topic or agenda item, sometimes for a whole meeting—these leadership positions rotate, responsibility is shared, and the group seeks to live its wholeness.

5. A Circle transforms group efficiency and cohesiveness through relationship. People who know each other work better together; they solve problems, address issues, trust each other’s good intent, get through hard times, and acknowledge their interdependence on each member of the team.

Ideas, thoughts, or reactions?

FDA Approved, But...

The FDA is not as tough on impurities as you'd think. We always assume that the FDA has the highest standards for the cleanliness of our foods, which is why it would surprise many people to know that the FDA standards allow for some pretty gross impurities. Here are five FDA-mandated "acceptable" levels of impurities in our food:

1. Canned tomatoes: Two or less maggots or ten or less fly eggs per 500 grams (a regular size can holds about 700-800 grams).

2. Macaroni and noodle products: "An average of 225 or less insect fragments or less per 225 grams in six or more subsamples." Yep, that means each single gram can contain a little piece of an insect.

3. Canned mushrooms: As long as only 10% or less of the mushrooms in any container are decomposed, it's FDA-certified!

4. Wheat: Nine milligrams or less of rat feces in a kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of wheat. Yes, rat feces.

5. Chocolate: Three or less rodent hairs or 90 or less insect fragments in a 100-gram sample (or 1 1/2 rodent hairs or less and 45 insect fragments or less per average candy bar).

Hungry?

Five Things You Didn't Know About Latinos and Hispanics

Louis Nevaer has written extensively about Hispanic and Latino culture and business. Despite the widespread Latino presence in the U.S., many remain unaware of some crucial facts about them. Here is Louis's list of the five things you didn't know about Hispanics and Latinos:

1. Hispanics are the Nation’s Youth. More than a third of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States are under the age of 18.

2. Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the labor market. Since they are almost a decade younger than the general population, Hispanics and Latinos are disproportionately represented in the nation’s workforce.

3. Spanish is now a dominant presence in the United States. In 2009 the U.S. replaced Spain as the second-largest Spanish speaking nation in the world: only Mexico has more Spanish speakers.

4. Hispanics and Latin American immigrants account for almost all the population growth in the US. Because Hispanics and Latinos have higher fertility rates, they account for almost the entire native-born population growth. (Non-Hispanic whites’ fertility rates are below the natural replacement levels; African-Americans are just at the natural replacement level.) When immigration is taken into account, again, Latin Americans represent a disporportionate percentage of all immigrants to the US.

5. More than 34 million Mexican citizens can make a legal claim of one kind to emigrate to the US. The tangled flows of temporary immigration, military service in the US armed forces, and cross-border family relations means that about a third of all Mexicans have a legal claim to settle in the US. That so few choose to do so reflects the distinct cultural values that separate Hispanics from the Anglo-Protestant culture of mainstream American society.

Any other observations, reactions, or comments? Chime in below.

Five Common Scenarios In Which We Resort to the Wrong Approach

Adam Kahane's newest book argues for the judicious use of both power and love in combination (each combination being unique to the situation at hand) to effect change and resolve conflict in communities and groups. There are many situations where we make the mistake of resorting to pure force (power) to achieve the desired goal, or want to avoid conflict altogether (love) in the hopes that peace will inevitably prevail with kindness. These situations are found not only in war-torn regions of the developing world, but in our everyday lives with our families, friends, and colleagues.

Here Adam presents the five common scenarios where we resort to only power or only love when we should use both:

a. Common Power-Only Scenario #1: We are so afraid of being hurt that we deny or cut off our love and connection to others, attacking them (and/or defending ourselves) aggressively.

Example: Have you ever walked away from a friendship or relationship that felt difficult, because this seemed easier than confronting the person and taking the risk of having to face some unpleasant revelations about yourself?”

b. Common Power-Only Scenario #2: We are so sure of the correctness of our beliefs and actions that we deny or forget that we might be wrong -- and that we might be hurting others.

Example: Have you ever vigorously pushed an idea or initiative that you were certain was right, over the objections of others, only to find that ultimately it wasn't right?

c. Common Love-Only Scenario #1: We are so afraid of hurting others that we deny or cut off our own ambition and power.

Example: Have you ever buried ideas or initiatives that were important to you, because you were worried that they might offend or upset someone you really cared about?

d. Common Love-Only Scenario #2: We are so uneasy with or lacking in confidence in our own power that we pretend we have none -- and so flail about timidly and unconsciously.

Example: Have you ever found yourself manipulating other people towards your own motives because you aren't willing to step up to say what you want and what you are willing to do to get it?

e. Common Love-Only Scenario #3: We are so determined to keep our situation polite or high-minded or whole that we suppress self-expression, dissent, and conflict--and thereby making our situation unhealthy and un-whole.

Have you ever swept problems in a group under the carpet or ignored them in order to keep the group intact, only to find these problems coming back bigger and more destructive?

What are your personal experiences with power and love? Share with the community below...

Five Cases of Professional Self-Deception

We’d like to think that our grip on reality is pretty solid and we know what’s going on better than most people. We're wrong. Professionals and learned people deceive themselves about their abilities and capabilities as much as anyone else. Here are just five examples from research in the field:

1. "I'm the most competent person here." Ninety-four percent of American university professors think they are better at their jobs than their colleagues. -- Dr. Ashley Wazana in JAMA Vol. 283 No. 3, January 19, 2000.

2. "I don't have biases or prejudices like others do." A Princeton University research team asked people to estimate how susceptible they and "the average person" were to a long list of judgmental biases. The overwhelming majority of people claimed to be less biased than the overwhelming majority of people. --Daniel Gilbert, I'm OK; You're Biased

3."I am a better leader than most." Seventy percent of college students think they are above average in leadership ability. Only two percent think they are below average. --Thomas Gilovich, How We Know What Isn't So

4."Special allowances should be made for my particular industry." Eighty-five percent of medical students think it is improper for politicians to accept gifts from lobbyists. Only 46 percent think it's improper for physicians to accept gifts from drug companies. -- Dr. Ashley Wazana in JAMA Vol. 283 No. 3, January 19, 2000.

5. "I am not as easily bought off as others." A 2001 study of medical residents found that 84 percent thought that their colleagues were influenced by gifts from pharmaceutical companies, but only 16 percent thought that they were similarly influenced. --Daniel Gilbert, I'm OK; You're Biased

Has this list compelled you to think about any of your own self-deceptions? Anything you’d care to share below?

Five Good Reasons to Challenge the Heirarchy

Ira Chaleff has spent a lifetime coaching and working with executives on issues of courage. He believes that part of being a good follower, and a hallmark of true followership, is to stand up and challenge our leaders when we disagree with their principles, motivations, or actions.

Sure, it's easier to keep a low profile and not draw attention to yourself, but Ira warns us why taking that route leads to its own share of problems by presenting the five solid reasons why you should speak up to authority when the situation warrants it:

1) Because “boss” is just what you call him or her. Underneath the title is a human being. All human beings are fallible, including you. You’re not challenging the boss’s position, just the blind spot. Helping each other see the limitations in our thinking or the blind spots in our actions helps each of us to be better.

2) Because you believe in the mission of the organization and want it to succeed. If the boss, or the boss’s boss’s boss is contemplating an action based on an inaccurate assessment of the situation, your speaking up can prevent setbacks to the mission. This is good, right?

3) Because you have the courage to live by your values. If we compromise our values enough we cease being proud of who we are. You want to be proud of yourself, don’t you? Living with integrity takes courage.

4) Because no one else is going to do it. We wait for others to step in to the line of fire so that we can piggy-back on them to lessen any negative consequences of speaking up. That’s a problem — everyone is waiting for someone else to step up first, so no one does. The ship goes down.

5) Because it earns you respect from both your colleagues and your bosses. Your boss may not like hearing your challenge, but as long as he or she is not clinically paranoid, a strong boss will respect you for speaking up. So will your colleagues. You might even get promoted. If you do, remember to be a courageous boss.

Thoughts? Reactions? Chime in.

Five Ways To Cool the Air

Working towards resolving issues or problems can be awkward at first given the raw emotions involved. Author Stewart Levine, no stranger to the negotiation field as a professional consultant, negotiator, and former lawyer, has five key things to observe for a productive and supportive exchange:

1.Don't be so quick to blame or make someone the enemy. Surprisingly, most conflict is not the result of any kind of negative intention but miscommunication or misperception. Because we are all different in our approach to conflict, we need to agree clearly at the beginning as to exactly what the issue is. Inexact language only encourages conflict, so before you start assuming the worst of the other person, make sure you’re understanding the issue at heart.

2. When you are feeling stress, ask for a "time out" until you have your emotions under control. Conflict provokes a stress reaction. Before you can engage in meaningful collaborative dialogue, you must manage your stress. You’d be amazed what five minutes and a glass of cool water can do to reduce the tension.

3. The most powerful form of negotiating is to ask them what they want and create a way to give it to them. And let them know what you want and ask them to work on getting you what you want. Yes, it sounds a lot easier than it is, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t approach conflict mediation with this simple attitude that can make all the difference in the outcome.

4. Conflict lives inside each of us as a story -- it's the way we talk to ourselves about the situation. For both catharsis, and to share details, everyone involved should have their chance to tell their story from beginning to end (as should you), without interruption. And tell the whole story. Withholding vital information never works so you might as well let it all out and deal with it.

5. It’s tempting to try and end a mediation quickly by addressing only a few superficial issues and then concluding the exchange to escape the tension inherent to such meetings. Don't do it. The goal is always to reach a new agreement for the future and not for the present, otherwise the issues will just come up again. Think in terms of a long term resolution, not a short term transaction. Thinking long term will help you to create a sustainable relationship that can last longer and weather the bumps that are part of any partnership.

Remember: almost all conflict is emotionally motivated. The same emotional triggers prevent the resolution of conflict. Deal with the emotion and whatever the conflict was about will resolve itself.

Do you agree with Stewart? Do you have any insights or comments? Chime in below.