Another look at the Outdoorclassroomday

This is a short video of the PfP circle in Nelspruit's school's participation in the Outdoorclassroomday initiative. It proved to be an absolute hit with both learners and teachers alike and we will most certainly do this again in 2019 - perhaps, at least twice.

It's all about flawless consulting.

If you think that you have never acted as a consultant to anyone, you may well be totally mistaken. The moment you offer advice to someone who is in a position to make a choice or decision, you become a consultant. Often it is only when someone else breaks the process involved down, that we realize but yes, indeed we do have consulting experience - at least at some level within our circle of influence or work environment.

Flawless Consulting is the second two-day workshop within the Partners for Possibility (PfP) programme for school principals and their business leader partners. Although quite intense and involving a lot of role play scenarios, the element of fun is never too far off either. And it’s amazing how one misses some of the elements while at the same, also trying your utmost best to actually remember exactly the latter. If you practice consulting as a profession, most of the elements will, in time, become part of your consciousness and second nature. It would be wise though to check yourself ever so often as comfort zones can be deadly for any business.

Our facilitator, Anita Moerman van Blankenburg moved effortlessly between three flip charts taking us through all the various and important elements that will enable us to engage in and applying our skill to ensure a flawless consulting process. This, irrespective of whether you act as an internal consultant within the company you works for, or as an external consultant.

She’s a brave lady - I thought! She shared many a personal experience, even involving her own family at times, to illustrate the consulting process also within our personal lives. It was appreciated though as it demonstrated her authenticity as a facilitator, consultant and teacher.

The long and the short (in my opinion) of flawless consulting is this: when you apply the various processes correctly, identify and address resistance, concern yourself with the concerns of your client at every step, and of course yours also, it will expand the possibilities to elevate and expose solutions to both technical and people challenges. The process also puts great emphasis on the benefits of being emotional intelligent.

Allow me to share with you just some wisdom from the book Flawless Consulting by Peter Block:
“Every business or technical problem has a component where the way the problem is being managed is part of the problem.”
“Resistance is an emotional process, not a rational or intellectual one.”
“We built capacity when commitment and accountability are chosen.”

This workshop has made me even more mindful of the value of emotional intelligence, taking time to think and listening with the intent to truly understand instead of just listening to respond. I have no doubt, that as this learning experience become more integrated within my intellectual understanding and consciousness of the process, I will become even more effective, not just in what and how I do it, but also in my total beingness.

Ten benefits derived from consciously created thinking environments.

1. Only a gentle instruction on the time frame and a clear goal is required by the mind to involve itself with the intention.

2. It teaches one to synchronize your attention and intention and this always generate a powerful energy for healing and creativity.

3. It takes away the fear of interruption.

4. It establishes and recognizes the inherent value/worth of the individual self.

5. The quietness in between thoughts (between the in breath and the exhale) becomes the space where wisdom and insight springs from.

6. The co-inspired attention from the thinking partner, offers a collective source of wisdom especially if the latter’s body language displays his/her commitment.

7. Just about a 100% guarantee that solutions/ideas/alternatives can and will be found within or perhaps just outside of the pre-set time frame. Sometimes the sub and super conscious mind insists on simmering a little on a particular idea before it presents it.

8. Time does allow for angry, stressed and frustrated minds to relax in introspect.

9. It makes buy-in easier and more accessible.

10. It establishes authenticity within a negotiation/decision-making process. 


Enjoy.

Matthys 

History or life skills?

I was invited to a short presentation by Partners for Possibility (PfP). Its focus is to support/partner with school principals to address and resolve the many challenges they face so as to become more efficient and successful at fulfilling their mandate.

Outside of the fact that some 1.1 million kids enter the schooling system every year with only 200 000 of them completing secondary education, research shows that age 10, 30% of learners are not where they should be at that age. At age 18, only ten percent have the skills which they should have at this stage of their academic career and life. So, don’t be blinded by the number of 70% or whatever, who completes their school education. Fact is, they are not ready for tertiary studies or for that matter – Life.

A good friend of mine and previous owner of Protea Bande in Nelspruit, Hendrik van Rensburg, have proven beyond reasonable doubt and through an intern program which he develop and implemented, the difference life skills training do for interns right out of school and even many who did have some work experience.

Life skills are critically important if we want to develop successful entrepreneurs and people in general. In fact, commerce will probably confirm that many students with degrees, who enter the market, are, on many levels, not ready for the world and its demands, stress and the rest. Remember also, that there are many entrepreneurs out there who do not have any tertiary qualifications or even Grade 12 but they are successful in what they do.

History does have value and we need to be mindful of it, but your history and background is no guarantee for success or lack of it, in life (my opinion). One’s future success is determined by your present decisions. We need to create equal opportunities for all and at the most fundamental level, the crux of the latter is that good quality primary and secondary education will equip learners with life skills that will enhance their emotional intelligence which again, will improve their chances of being successful. 

This is where and how we will produce both world class academics and entrepreneurs who are also well-rounded individuals.

It is not about this or that – it is about getting our priorities right and applying our minds and resources according to these priorities.

A wise man once said: “Those who educate children well, are more to be honoured than they who produce them for these only gave life while those give the art of living well.”

Go with the flow ...

Go with the flow – yes, sometimes the flow is a flurry and sometimes it’s but a trickle but it is nevertheless and ultimately about staying with the program.

The program is about commitment towards self being allowed and encouraged to be authentic and respecting its own divinity.

It’s about experiencing and practicing humility without any thought of loss or sacrifice. But then again, it is not about losing anything – the soul is infinite – it cannot “loose” itself or any of its capacity.

By not going with the flow – whatever the flow presents – one creates resistance and this is against the nature of love – of flow – of the soul…

Have you smelled fear?

The other night I watched a police/detective movie. In these movies the theme, almost without fail, is about good versus evil or good cops versus bad cops. This one also presented another story line: that of a good cop who was totally committed to ensure that a criminal and state witness, in a seriously high profile case, be in a specific court at a specific time – no matter what!

The bad cops and politicians involved and their death defying attempts to stop him left him no choice but to step into the dark side of his soul (and we all have a dark side) and do things which he would never do unless, as is in this case, all his alternatives have been totally shut down. The witness/criminal is equally taken aback as the cop consciously saves his life on numerous occasions.

This cop found himself in situations where he must have been out of his mind with fear. And this element reminded me of some experiences I had while I serving in the uniform branch of SAPS many years ago. Being reminded is neither good nor bad but it does present a serious risk though.

It is common knowledge that animals can smell fear. Well, let me tell you, humans can too and I don’t mean fear as in the brown stuff in your underpants. I have been there – I have smelled my own fear! And there was no brown stuff within a mile from me. The smell was unbearable and worse than you can ever imagine. And saddening to a degree is the fact that even as a competent wordsmith, I have no words to describe it.

And then, from time to time, one listens to some (not all) gun-carrying types who indulge in how and what they will do to this, that and the other person/criminal if and when confronted.

Please just shut your mouth….!

You have no idea of how you will in fact respond to any dangerous situation unless you have been there before. You have no idea unless you have previously been exposed to a situation where you have smelled you own fear!

Will you have the nerve to look your attacker in the eye – yes, in the eye - and still pull the trigger?

Will you?

It is not as clear-cut as it seems and I for one, hope that you never find yourself in a situation where you smell your own fear… ever!

Be good…           

The right answer ... is it out there?

Many answers – yes.

Stupid question – no, there is no such thing as a stupid question.

Questions may be confrontational, thought-provoking, shocking, eye-opening, boring, irrelevant at a particular time and point, but never stupid. 

The person posing the question was serious and adamant about the value of the question.
Simple questions can be as serious as serious questions can be simple.

When one analyses the question’s various latent elements, it actually raises more questions e.g.
• Do you believe in God – yes, no, maybe
• Do you believe in a god – yes, no, maybe
• Is this God/god the same one the Bible talks about?
• Do you believe in God but not in religion?
• Can the one be without the other?
• What does the Bible say about the dead / souls / reincarnation
• What does religion say about the dead / the Bible / souls / reincarnation
• What does the world say about the aforementioned?
• Religion claims the Bible as its foundation but with so many different religions/believe systems/interpretations – how does one determine the truth? 
• Should one not prescribe to any of the above, in whole or in part, how does one explain the wonderment of creation, nature and the synchronicity within the amazing human body to name but  a few?
• If one considers all of the above, or part thereof, irrelevant – what is your relevance, purpose and significance, as human being, within this bigger picture that we call life?
• I for one cannot subscribe to the thought that my beingness, presence, and contribution be considered irrelevant at all.
• This sharing of possible scenario answers to a particular question may be considered irrelevant and interesting only for this moment or the sake of philosophical debate or interaction and that is it. It may, or not, have no relevance to what happens next.
• It may just serve as an illustration of the complexity within the simplicity of a seemingly simple question – but then, the final choice always rest with the interpreter who also solely bears the responsibility of his/her decision. 
      
And now I have a deadline to respond to. 

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