I’m an unabashed fan of Seth Godin and I love a recent blogpost of his in which he outlines the difference in company culture between the contracted risk-averse, and those that commit to the possibility of  doing something different – embracing the unknown, change, possibility.  It’s understandable in the current climate that so many people, companies, governments, financial institutions are sitting on their hands and waiting for someone else to take a risk first.  Companies won’t hire until people start spending again, banks won’t lend until companies show growth again….it’s all a cycle of Fear that has thrown our economy into quicksand.  So nobody moves unless someone else moves first.

I’m sure you see the consequences of this in your workplace.  An atmosphere of mistrust and uncertainty takes hold and people can’t really say what they think, they can’t hold their ground, because that ground seems to be dissolving around them as they watch co-workers get pink slips and the cost of everything keeps climbing and forget about new ideas – what planet are you from that you can even conceive of innovation at a time like this?

And yet…..  Now is precisely the time to pop your head out of the foxhole and look towards the horizon.  And if you can be a First Adaptor even in small ways….. you may be positioned to lead once the climate begins to thaw.

Let’s start small…… bring your employees a new way to connect by sharing their true experiences and finding more productive ways to problem solve.  Take a look at any of the trainings outlined on this website.  SFI has a series of  upcoming interactive  trainings/coaching series for three companies: a big one – Pierce Atwood, a small one: Maine Meadworks, and a non-profit network: the Institute of Civic Leadership.  These enterprises are negotiating the same shaky ground you are – and they have decided to resist contraction and Embrace the New anyway by hiring Short Fuse Interactive, LLC.

And how’s this for something really out there?  Portland Playback Theatre Co. has recently joined the Maine Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and is actively promoting storytelling as an innovative tool for stronger employee engagement and productivity.  PPT creates a staff development event unlike any you have ever experienced – they get people to tell their true stories and then play them back using specific forms and techniques.  This experience becomes a catalyst for both honoring employee experience and facilitating first steps toward productive change.
I dare you.  Take one peek out of the hole and a baby step toward something New… Check out the link….

You won’t be sorry.

I started working with a new client today – and I’m really excited about this business – Maine Mead Works creates a spirited elixer from the honey produced by Maine bees. There is a story to the process that involves history, geography and ecology. And there is a story surrounding the impact mead has had on the economies of far flung countries….just as it may have a beneficial economic impact closer to home. But the process – the technique, the science of creating mead…is only one of the stories in this business. It’s the one Ben Alexander, as the owner, may be most familiar with, but there are other stories he may want to weave into the telling – depending on the audience. We have set a goal for Ben to present at the Pecha Kucha night in February here in Portland….which story will he tell? And what hidden stories lurk – like undiscovered jewels – in your own business?