Category Archives: communication

Managing Change Begins with Listening

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   By Pon Angara, VisionReady storyteller

As a child growing up in the Philippines, I enjoyed listening to the adults in my family tell stories. I recall one afternoon when relatives came to visit. My cousins were outside playing while I was sprawled on the floor of the living room drawing pictures on sheets of paper that Dad brought home from work. He and Mom sat with my aunts and uncles around the table to enjoy a light merienda of rice cakes and fruit juice. I remember trying hard to stay still and quiet while listening in awe to stories about their lives in the rural provinces. Having been raised in urban Manila, I was transfixed by new images conjured from the imagination of a young mind. At the same time, I was transported to a new place.

Listening to a live storyteller is like opening a human book. Not only do you get the words, but you also get the actual emotions from their voices and facial expressions. The Human Library Organization is a global movement that uses the power of personal storytelling to foster dialogue about social issues. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, the organization secures spaces in libraries, educational institutions, and conferences for people to engage in transformative storytelling.

The goal for storytelling is three-fold: to spark conversation, to change people’s perceptions, and to influence their behavior. We must transport them to a different place where they gain a new consciousness and a new human perspective.

Listening to those who can affect change is the first step to engaging them. It opens the door for them to be heard which in turn opens a window for them to listen.

Story begets story. It’s an emergent form of communication that naturally sparks conversation. The more stories are shared, the more learning happens to change people’s worldview. 

Learning forges relationships. In time, a level of trust is formed between the people who now share a common perspective. When we build community around a shared narrative, we can find meaning in our actions for creating change. 

Begin with the willingness to listen first. It sets you on a course to rediscover your young mind, set it free, and let your imagination transport you to a new place. Then invite others to share your vision and work with you to realize a new space for all who need it.

Let VisionReady guide you and your leadership team through the challenges of managing change in your company. Contact us today by sending an email to info@visionready.org or by calling (305) 791-2610.

The Power of Positivity

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   By Pon Angara, VisionReady storyteller

I recently met up with a friend to catch up after more than two years. She asked me what I did to keep a positive attitude through the difficult times. Upon reflection, I shared with her three things that I believe have helped me make every moment count.

I’ve learned to follow my instincts. They have always led me down the right path. By listening to my inner voice, I also honor my truth.

I’m fortunate to know many people with fresh and unique insights. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned from them. Staying in touch keeps me infused with new inspiration.

I feel good about myself when I’m being productive. Creating gives me a sense of accomplishment and it moves me closer to my goal. Afterward I can reward myself with something that provides pure enjoyment and relaxation.

After my friend and I parted ways, I thought of another thing that helps me stay positive. Gratitude. Saying thanks reminds me how much I’m surrounded by generous people and validates them in return.

So, as we forge ahead into 2023, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your interest in VisionReady. Because of people like you who have stayed engaged with us, we launched successfully Season 3 of our podcast series Disrupt Your Day where we chat with some of our personal Superheroes who have positive messages that will enlighten and inspire!

Click here and here to watch the first two episodes and stay tuned for more by subscribing to our YouTube channel. For questions or comments, email info@visionready.org or call (305) 791-2610.

My New Year’s Resolution: Go on a diet…an information diet, that is!

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   By Pon Angara, VisionReady storyteller

According to Ben Angel, bestselling author of Unstoppable and Australia’s leading marketing authority, “the number one most bankable skill you must have in 2023 to succeed is a skill that the average adult spends two hours and 27 minutes each day sabotaging.” But when you master it, life becomes easier. You edge out your competitors and increase your earning potential. That skill is FOCUS.

Focus has a very real monetary value. Technology researcher Jonathan Spira estimates the interruptions and information overload cost the US economy one trillion dollars per year. Entrepreneurs and world champions go to extreme lengths to sharpen this skill.

The biggest cause of all is, of course, social media. Information has become the new drug of choice to distract us from our lives—and it’s just as addictive. It rewires your brain to keep scrolling. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s not surprising our ancestors were more likely to survive the more information they had. We seek it out to increase our chances of success, be part of a tribe, get a dopamine hit, and escape the stress of everyday life.

Ask yourself, “Is information addiction costing me success and derailing my focus?” The overexposure and over stimulation to information uses up mental bandwidth that could be better applied to learning a new skill, implementing a new business plan, or de-stressing. But how do you manage the onslaught of information that is altering the way you think, act, and feel? It could be time to go on an information diet.

A mindful approach to information consumption is not just about quantity; it’s about quality. Just as we have the food pyramid, we can use an information pyramid to help us refine what we’re exposed to. For example, if you’re in business and your goal is to increase your sales, your information pyramid might have Entertainment at the top which is where you’ll spend your least amount of time. Second, you’ll have Creativity and Leadership, followed by Problem Solving and Sales, while Marketing being the most important depending on your priorities.

You can personalize this pyramid by identifying your highest priority goals and challenges you must overcome to achieve them. From there you define where your focus needs to be placed. You can quickly retrain the social media algorithms to provide you with content you want to see simply by searching for the topics in your information pyramid, so you’re exposed to content that will actively help you achieve your goals.

The next step is to schedule your content consumption. Just as you should avoid caffeine in the morning, you should avoid social media as both can negatively spike a key hormone. In anticipation of wake time, your circadian clock sets off a torrent of hormonal activity that increases your stress hormone cortisol. Past the early morning spike, your cortisol levels gradually decline as the day goes on. If you’re prone to morning anxiety, coffee and social media will amplify it setting up your day for failure. Instead wait until after 9am to have that first cup and take your information offline by having a book on your nightstand. This is like switching from cigarettes to sunlight for your brain. This will also help you to reserve your mental bandwidth for the goals that will move the needle in the right direction for you.

The next step is the most powerful of all and that is to actively train your brain to focus and be more productive. According to research, around 80 percent of our thoughts are negative. Social media’s echo chamber helps to confirm negative biases we have of ourselves. Escaping the echo chamber and reprogramming your negative thoughts require seeing yourself in a different light. Visualizing your future and the steps you must take to achieve it helps to narrow your focus from a floodlight to a laser. It also helps to reduce multitasking that can reduce productivity by as much as 40 percent while increasing stress and decreasing your IQ.

Overall, having a clear intention from the beginning is important to be more focused. Figure out what tools and techniques help to filter out the noise and distractions. Only then can you find your groove, get in the zone, and be at your best.

If you’re struggling with being intentional with your goals and focusing on what’s important in order to succeed in your business, contact us by emailing info@visionready.org or calling (305) 791-2610.

Episode 2: What kind of instigator are you?

   By Pon Angara & Patty Cooper    bc_headshot_patty

My contract ended, Pon.  

bc_bubble_pon   I’m sorry to hear, Patty. Are you ok? Anything I can do to help?

It’s all good. The practices that I put in place at the beginning of the year to alleviate anxiety really helped me to stay grounded and allowed me to choose to end my time at the company with gratitude. In my closing conversations with leadership, we left the door open for future projects. As I drove away with the belongings from my desk, I felt energized and excited.

With this pause for possibilities, I thought about our 2019 instigating mission. Pon, you asked a really juicy question in our last conversation, “What kind of instigator are you?” It’s such a great question!

bc_bubble_ponIt’s a question we should be asking ourselves every day. There’s this internal conversation going on as I sip my morning coffee about how my actions and words define who I am today. What does this day’s accomplishments mean for myself and for the people receiving the products of my actions? What do I say to them?

That’s a great mindful practice, Pon. In ontological coaching, we focus on three areas of exploration when working with a client – the body, emotions and language to help us and the client understand how they see the world. The language we use creates the reality we live in. Words are powerful. The definitions of the words we choose are shaped by so many factors including culture, age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, etc.

bc_bubble_ponBecause of the visceral effect words have on humans, those with a specific agenda can use language to trigger emotions that motivate people to react in a certain way.

Take a word like “Wall.” It’s a really charged word right now. I can guarantee you that you will get a different response if you ask what this word means to a family who could be losing their land for said wall, or a family on the other side who is seeking refuge, or a government worker who was affected by the shutdown, or a Parisian reading the news at a cafe. “Mon dieu, why are zeez Americans so obsessed wiz a wall?” Everyone sees and experiences the world differently. No one is having the same experience.

bc_bubble_ponOur experiences, our aspirations and our worldview determine how we forge meaning into our language. Words get their power from the meaning they carry. Words get their meaning from the stories that people attach to them. In order to change what a word means to a group of people, we must first attach it to a new story. Changing the context leads to a change in their perception.

Yes, changing the context is key. Getting back to the word “instigate,” how can we effectively instigate, if we haven’t defined and envisioned what that means for ourselves. When I think of instigators, I think of super go getters. Someone who is doing and creating all the time like Karl Lagerfeld. He is the head designer for two of the most iconic fashion brands, Chanel and Fendi. He shoots all the campaigns, designs his own label, collaborates with other artists, etc. Do you know that his cat, Choupette, has her own line of accessories that makes millions a year. And I think, that’s not me. I’m no instigator. Not just because I’m not a cat, but I feel like I don’t have the energy, the gumption, the tenacity for the mountain of creative output that man and cat put out. Ok, let’s put aside my jealousy for Choupette, and that I shouldn’t be comparing myself to Karl Lagerfeld or anyone. My definition of instigating is exhausting. I need a nap and a new definition! Tell me, Pon, what does instigator mean to you?

bc_bubble_ponI’ve recently learned that the word “instigator” has two faces.

Patty, I too had a contract that was ended a few days ago. At the start of the project, the client gave me what seemed to be parameters and objectives. As we progressed, they began to pull me in multiple directions which gave me the sinking feeling that they, in reality, didn’t know what they wanted in the first place. We had gone well beyond the initial scope when I learned that they had been changing direction based on the opinions of others who didn’t belong to the original group of decision makers. At that point, I decided to pull the cord on the emergency brakes to avoid letting this project derail. I asked the client for a conversation to get clarity on where we were going with all this. As soon as I did that, they asked me to leave the train.

I’ve always thought of an instigator as someone who initiates. What just happened to me made me realize that as an instigator, I can take the initiative to either START something or STOP it – two sides of the same coin. Either way, I create an opportunity to pivot. In changing my direction, I see a new path ahead of me, a new destination, while taking with me some new insight from the teaching moment I’m leaving behind.

Like you, I was able to keep the door open for future collaborations and I moved on energized, but mostly relieved!

An instigator can start and stop – I love that you said that and followed your intuition. Tell me what kind of instigator have you observed yourself to be? Where does that fire come from to take charge?

bc_bubble_ponI love creating from nothing. It’s actually more than love. It’s who I am. I live and breathe it. Making the invisible, visible. Making what wasn’t, be. As a storytelling artist, I begin with what our human senses can take in and make these the building blocks of something that people can see, hear, and feel. Something that has a story they can experience, learn from and share. Something that connects people mentally, socially, physically, and on other levels.

How about you, Patty? As an instigator, who are you?

When I knew my contract was ending, I took a look at job sites like Indeed and immediately felt drained and overwhelmed. My whole body collapsed and I heard a strong internal No. Searching job sites is not how I’m going to find the next opportunity. It’s not who I am. I love talking with people and hearing their stories. I’ve always been this way. All my report cards said, “Patty is a good student, but she talks to others too much and distracts them from their work.” Hey, teach, I was networking! It’s a highly coveted soft skill!

My new definition of instigator will have a strong foundation in community and be very team oriented. I love connecting with others and connecting others. Time and time again, I find solutions, insight and possibility for collaboration in conversation. It energizes me. My body completely comes alive. I sit up taller, I lean in with interest, I can’t stop smiling. That’s the type of instigator I am and it works for me.

bc_bubble_ponI love it! You and I are both connectors, but in different ways and through different paths. Similar, but different. Definitely complementary which is why we decided to co-create this diablog. In our next conversation, I look forward to getting the scoop on your new discoveries for sparking connection, exploring collaboration, and building community.

 

Pon Angara is the Principal at Barkada Circle®, using story to help nonprofit organizations manifest their missions and build their community of support.

Patty Cooper is a Storyteller, Certified Newfield Ontological Coach and Consultant.

Resources:

Where Are You in the Story Cycle?

Think back to elementary school when your teacher showed your science class a diagram that explained how water took various forms in a never ending loop. The illustration below might seem familiar, but what’s wrong with it?
I think this version of the water cycle is missing one critical player — You. Human impact on the environment has evolved enough to drastically change the story of water. But that’s a whole different subject. I want to focus instead on positive transformation.

One blog post from Seth Godin talks
about demand – should you harvest or create?
According to Mr. Godin:

“You don’t need to persuade everyone that you have a great idea, you merely need to persuade one person. And then make it easy for that person to share.”

Key word: Share. How can your new evangelist do that? Only if you give them a story they can easily understand, be passionate about and spread. Only if they can easily make it their own. It’s still your story but in a different form that their audience (hopefully to become yours) can relate to. As your story continues to be retold, it reaches a different audience – like water taking the next step in the cycle and taking on a new form.

The difference between your story cycle and that of water is that it stays essentially the same: two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. On the other hand, your organization has the opportunity for real transformation with every turn in your cycle, becoming more relevant and more in sync with your growing community as their stories feed back to you and yours to them. There is one element that must be present throughout – trust. It’s what keeps the cycle going.

And it all starts with one person and your story.

Learn more about how we can help you transform your organization through story.