Connection really matters – read on…
October Newsletter
Dear friends of Living Teams
This month we bring you another ‘Team Talk’ to explore the world of teams through the experiences of some of our clients and colleagues.
Our ‘Team Talk’ guest is Chris Slater, the CEO of an innovative start-up called Oka, https://carboninsurance.co/ Chris is a serial entrepreneur with many successful businesses to his name – so he knows a thing or two about high performing teams.
October has been a memorable one for Living Teams as we had our first ever in person gathering of all of our coaches. Our team of 10 coaches come from all over the world and it was great to just hang out and share our stories.
Here we are together in Richmond Park…
(L to R) Dori (Israel), Tony (Essex), Kathy (Wales), Vittoria (London), Roxane (Midlands), Pippa (Midlands), Nick (Midlands), Andy (France), Miyuki (Japan), Gaizka (Spain)
One of the exciting outcomes of our time together is a commitment to a new leadership development programme for our clients called “Leaders Dancing at the Edge”.
The programme addresses the need to upgrade leaders’ operating systems to skilfully lead in a BANI world. It will train leaders and their teams how to be more resilient, mindful, agile and transparent as an anti-dote to the Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear and Incomprehensible nature of B.A.N.I.
Our aim is to start the first programmes both virtually and in person in Spring 2024, so if you’d like to sign up, get in touch.
Finally, we send our love to everyone caught up in human tragedies wherever they are taking place and not least to our friends in Israel, especially Dori, one of our coaches.
Let us know what you are thinking about when it comes to teams – we’d love to hear from you.
Take care.
Tony, Andy and Pippa
The “Living Teams” Team
Team Talk with Chris Slater, CEO, Oka
How do I renew my spiritual energy?
by Andy Denne
The disruption of the times we are in is turbulent. We – each of us, are asked to “dig deeper” as the challenges we face emerge. The threats we all face are real and existential.
To meet the threats and challenges we must build capacity and resilience for ourselves and our teams. Here’s how I do it….
There are four sources of human energy:-
Physical energy (strength and stamina);
Mental energy (clarity of thought, focus and concentration);
Emotional energy (capacity to be with each other’s emotions);
Spiritual energy (motivation, perseverance and direction)
I am focusing on spiritual energy.
I define spiritual energy in simple and elemental terms. What lights a fire in your belly? What is it that stirs you deeply? It is discovered in the connection to your deeply held values and to a purpose beyond self-interest.
It matters because this is the source of energy that “lifts us”. By recharging these sources of energy – we recharge our reserves of capacity, resilience, and range. Given the tough conditions we are all in –building capacity, resilience, and range is a good idea!
What I do:
Once per year. Host a magical team building event. At Living Teams I invite my global team together for 3 days. The nights are time for enjoying our friendship, the days are time for investing in our creativity, where we collectively sharpen the blade. We specifically design these events to be magical, memorable, and nourishing. Music is played consciously at different times to set different moods. The venue is purposefully chosen. Activities are designed to stretch us and train us together. Design of these events is critical. We consciously do deep work together cultivating our collective sense of purpose. What is our unique gift to the world? How do we 10 X the value we give our clients?
Every Quarter. We have a fun team meeting. Again, very consciously designed to create sharing and learning. We are helping each other learn. We discuss, hold and nurture our sense of purpose together. What are we standing for? What are we standing against?
Every Week. I hold two “must have” meeting with my immediate team. A kick the week off meeting on Mondays and a celebrate the week meeting on Fridays. 15 – 30 minutes. These are about energy and reconnection. How do we bring our values to life in everything that we do?
Daily Basis. It MUST be personal. I spend time – 2 hours every morning between 0545 and 0800 with a regular daily practice. Before I get out of bed I smile with life and set my intentions for the day. I journal in my book. I practice 20 minutes of yoga. I practice 20 minutes per day of meditation. I walk the dog or go for a jog. And as I walk, I talk to myself. I let the wonder of nature talk to me. The wind in the trees. The flight or song of a bird. I allow myself to be available to be danced by life. What are my values? How am I living them today? I remind myself what is my unique gift to the world and how will I channel it. Today – this day, how will I show up?
My learning edge is to develop an evening practice. I want to
1. “unplug” myself 2 hours before sleeping.
2. learn to “prime” my conversations with the muse for my creative thinking.
3. practice a little prayer of gratitude.
Currently I am consciously incompetent with 1, a little competent with 2 and just a bit more competent with 3. Hmmmmm – a work in progress!
When and how do you renew your spirit? For you and your team?
Where is your learning edge because we all know this is important – your energy matters.
What are you going to get better at?
Living Teams Rock Moments
This track felt appropriate this month.
Do you recognise yourself in these lyrics?
Enjoy the song in a quiet space you create to do nothing but listen.
Connection by One Republic
These days my waves get lost in the oceans
Seven billion swimmers, man I’m going through the motions
Sent up a flare, I need love and devotion
Traded for some faces that I never know, notion
Maybe I should try to find the old me
Take me to the places and the people that know me
Tryin’ to disconnect, thinking maybe you could show me
If there’s so many people here, then why am I so lonely?
Can I get a connection?
Can I get, can I get a connection?
Can I get a connection?
Can I get, can I get a connection?
