Why does it resonate

When something resonates, it reverberates. The sound is prolonged and full. 

When something resonates for someone, it’s having that full reverberation with them, echoing, resounding, filling space. 

It’s like the sound in an opera house, specifically designed for reverberation. Or the drawn out ‘donnnnnnnggg’ of a bell. 

Resonance in humans is a pretty big deal!

‘This really resonated with me’, is a comment we’ll read or hear from people. They’re sharing the effect a message, story or experience had for them. 

Take notice when someone says that it resonated. It tells you about what’s important to them, what’s on their mind, and what they might need. 

It highlights what connected and reverberated for them. 

And it’s so important today... in times where we’ve been socially distanced, working remotely, and dealing with significant change. 

We can notice when something resonates for us, too. 

It means we’ve struck something - important, meaningful and valuable. 

Be the boss of your overwhelm

Letting overwhelm get the better of us feels like ‘it’s all over us’. 

Recent months of change have shown us plenty of overwhelming experiences! 

As we traverse a ladder of overwhelm, at times we’re DROWNING; too much to do, too many commitments, so much on. 

Or we may be STRUGGLING. Learning new skills is an example. There’s so much information and many new concepts, it’s overwhelming for sure !

As we get a handle on things, we’re JUGGLING; a lot going on and we catch some, yet some things fall. 

To become the boss of our overwhelm then is worth the journey. 

We turn the tables on it; instead of being swamped, we take control, channel and redirect it. 

This leads us to UNDERSTANDING our own brand of overwhelm and what’s unique for us. 

Armed with this insight, PROGRESSING further, faster is possible. 

This is us ... ACHIEVING!

‘All over it’ is such a different place than the inundation of overwhelm. 

The more we’re the boss of our own overwhelm, the better. 

It’s a powerful place. 

Making sense of the bushfires in Australia

Trying to make sense of the bushfires in my beautiful Australia - I can only map emotions.

A spiraling and ongoing crisis that lurches from shock to deep sadness and then anger ... on again, to shock and disbelief, sadness, anger.

Breaking this pattern via donations, reading and learning, being with and checking in on friends and family, grateful for every little thing.

Praise and courage to the first responders and firies, to the victims, families and affected regions and communities - to friends who have prepared and defended properties or got the heck out and saved their family. And to the charities and supporters helping to bring hopefulness.

Working out what we think

As we cycle around something, a situation, an idea, a problem, a possible solution, we're usually trying to work out our relationship with it, to it. We're working out what we think, what we know and what we should or could do ... if anything. We exchange information with others. We try to advance the conversation.

Our opinions may not be fully formed. Our ideas may initially be hunches or hopes.

When we're in dull meetings, that perhaps should be exploring our relationship and connection to information, rather end up being status plays and waffle-fests with little if any structure to guide us through this exploration and sensemaking.

'Busy' leaders with time pressures don’t engage in or lead sensemaking activities often enough. But they pay the price later when team members are disengaged, disconnected, disinterested.

Spending some time deliberately making sense of ideas and information is engaging, exploring, discovering. It’s not time wasting but insight gathering for more swift and impactful decisions later.

Sensemaking is a super skill for today and most definitely a skill that lends itself to the uncertain future. 

Everyone’s got note pads but no one is making sense

A meeting room I was in recently had a table with 8 people seated at it. Each person had arrived at the meeting with a collection of props and belongings:

- a water bottle

- their ID/security card

- their mobile device

- notepad and pen.

The notepad and pen - yes, an analogue tool, but powerful nonetheless.

Everyone in the meeting was writing their own notes down. Their own insights, their own wording, their own triggers for ideas, their own recollection.

It was very singular, individual even though it was a group meeting. Great! They’re making sense of things, but oh no ...they're doing it alone. Someone says something, then everyone’s head drops down and they all write it down in their own notepad, their own 'map' of the world they're talking about.

We’re individuals trying to work this stuff out as a group.

Sensemaking - it can be done alone or better... together.

Rather than everyone looking at their own 'map', make a group map, a central map on a whiteboard or flipchart.

More progress is made in uncertainty when we have a common point of visual context.