I recently came across the second edition of a magazine called "Mindscape" whilst working and decided to buy it. One of the articles, called The Limitations of Language by AudioMonk, got me thinking.  AudioMonk makes some very valid points about language being a collection of inert symbols which we use in an attempt to give meaning and coherence to our lives.  He goes on to say that "we can never be sure that the same words have the same meaning for everyone".

George Kelly talks about how we can only understand what someone means by understanding how they interpret their own words (i.e. from inside their meaning of the word/world not ours).  In these current troubled times it seems even more important that we take time to understand what someone is actually saying (and not saying) rather than reacting to the words they use to give expression to their thoughts.

By making an effort to understand what, how and why something is said or done and where that communication comes from we may facilitate better understanding.

I'm reading "The Leadership Dojo" by Richard Strozzi-Heckler and he talks about the situation in Iraq where the people once freed struggled to accept the reality of freedom having been without it for 35 years.  On reading this I was struck by the similarity with my MSc. reseach where I explored how people  being outsourced by BAe Systems saw their future.

At the time BAe Systems and the other partner in the new parent company (Xchanging) did a very good job of promoting the positive aspects of the future within what became XHRS, and setting expectations of the people being moved into the new company.  They did this to the extent that those people who stayed in BAe Systems felt they had been let down and couldn't see a future for themselves in BAe Systems!, and many moved across in the first year of operation.

My results also showed a clear correlation between "ideal" and "XHRS a year from now" representing the power of the created vision and the optimism felt by those in XHRS.  When I repeated my interviews a year later there was still a correlation between the two, albeit not as strong and respondents appeared to have rationalised the lack of progress toward the ideal by perceiving themselves as being fue=rther away from ideal a year ago than they were at the time (cognitive dissonance in action!).

As the vision failed to materialise over the next couple of years we saw a very high attrition rate of people leaving XHRS either back into BAe Systems or to other companies.  Some of the people who stayed also appeared to exhibit resentment and performance did deteriorate within XHRS.

This backlash can occur when we sell a very good vision of the future and then deliver the means but not necessarily the reality or over estimate the time and impact.  Perhaps this is why we've had such an interesting local election last week and seen a devastating result for the Lib Dems.

We not only need to create a viable vision of the future but a route map that not only delivers against that vision by showing the way but that also covers celebrating the quick hits and small wins that all take to nearer our goal.  We also need to support and encourage the people involved, edutaion, train and facilitate their personal journey whilst at the same time helping them get a realisitc perspective on the "now" and the future and recognise the road will be long, winding, uphill and down dale with some obstacles, obstructions and detours along the way.

I was recently at some traffic lights onto a roundabout and noticed that the car next to me kept creeping forwards then stopping then edging forward again until the lights changes and they sped off.  There's nothing much wrong with that you might say - a bit of an impatient "boy racer" in a hurry for his own funeral and you might even say he was a poor driver.  Sadly it was Police car!

This got me thinking about how we live our lives and the messages (both covert and overt) we give off.  He was a person who should have been promoting good, safe, driving acting in an inappropriate manner and giving off potentially conflicting messages.  In my role as an internal consultant and development coach I began thinking about how much I walk the talk and what messages do I give off?

Am I always practicing what I preach, especially when I think others can't see me?  These are the times we must be specially vigilant and monitor our behaviour to make sure that we do live by those rules we espouce to others.  Difficult for those of us who are normal, imperfect human beings but ...

Keighley Cougars have just been relegated and have just thrown away a game they should have won and one that would have taken them of the bottom of the league.  It's a long story and in many ways a frustrating one.

Basically the team was promoted last season, but then they were deducted 9 points because the taxman forced the club into receivership and so they've been up against it all season.  However they could have avoided relegation and have won enough games to indicate what could have been.

The big problem has been that they have lost too many games against the top teams by heavy scores and too many games they've won  by a low margin and given their opponents a bonus point (on a couple of games they've won by a single point!).  In many of the games they have held their own for long periods and then "gone to sleep" - it's almost as if they have thought to themselves "we shouldn't be here they are too good for us" and given their opponenets too much respect.

Physically and technically the coach has done a good job in preparing the team, where they have been let down is by not believing in the fact that they need to mentally prepare themselves - many a game was lost before a ball had been kicked and the team then went on to prove themselves right!  The sefl creation of reality - say it often enough and you'll beleive it and make it come true.  As the old joke/phrase goes "snatch defeat from the jaws of vistory!"

It shows, to me, that we need to link the left and right sides of the brain - ensure the "hearts and minds" work together to believe otherwise we may trip ourselves up.  We need to create a mental enviroment where can believe and see oursleves achieving to help us achieve.

What is suprising in an age when so many of the sporting greats have been involved in mind based performance enhancing events, seminars and businesses that there are still people who don't believe!

I've just finished reading a couple of autobiographies of musicians and was struck by some of the choices they made and the impact that had on their lives.

The two books were by Ginger Baker and Waylon Jennings.  Strange bedfellows at the best of times a rock drummer and an "outlaw" country singer.  But in many ways both had dependency problems and were know to take legal and illegal substances.

After finishing Ginger's book I felt strangely depressed.  It looked like he had made many poor choices throughout his life and suffered the consequences.  Whether he would agree or not I don't know, but there was a sadness for me about the positive impact he could have made but just fell short every time.

This led me to think about the choices I've made and not made and how life could/would be different if I'd taken some different paths.  Overall I'm happy with where I am and what I've achieved and whilst I went through a "what if ..." phase a few years ago I reconciled that with the fact that I'm in a relatively good place personally (professionally I might be just leaving a good place through no choice of my own - but time will tell).

I'm a great believer in the fact that you make your decision and live with the consequences rather than whinge and moan about what could have been.  It's in our own grasp to make things happen so take ownership and do something constructive with our life rather than be at the mercy of other people's whims!