Over 400,000 cars pass through my community each day. They drive on the main interstate, sometimes stopping for a quick bite at the last Burgerville going north or to pick up the latest at the outlet mall. Centralia is seen as a pitstop and not much more. Even locally, our city is often derided for the visible poverty, blight of empty buildings, streets filled with potholes, and lack of opportunity. But just like the optical illusion simultaneously showing a young woman and an old woman, Centralia is also full of possibility and excitement. What we focus on is what we see—in our communities and also in our organizations.
It is easy to focus on what is not working or discouraging. As a leader, you are confronted with challenges every day. People turn to you for problem-solving, creativity, ideas, and inspiration. I had a leader share with me recently that his team is working a “half day at a time.” When I asked what he meant, he said they can’t take it even one day at a time anymore, because the disruption in the system was simply too rapid. So they planned their work a ½ day at a time, re-calibrating at lunch for the second part of the day. In these environments, suggesting that we focus on possibility can sound like empty words.
Yet the bright spots exist, and we need to train our minds and eyes to see them. A common exercise we do in executive coaching is ask the leader to write down three signs that positive change has happened—even if those changes seem impossible at the time. We tell them to put those on the calendar six months out to check in and see if any progress has happened. Since change is often incremental, this is one way of noticing forward momentum. This week, one of our clients started our meeting saying he had reviewed his list and all three changes had happened! He was bursting with pride and also a little chagrin because he now took those changes for granted and had forgotten how insurmountable they originally felt. Another coaching client sent an email with just “Good news” in the subject line. A goal he had been working toward for several years was finally met. From company picnics to personal goals, moments of success and progress are there for celebrating. Recognizing them fills our reservoir of self-determination, building our sense of agency for continuing in difficulty.
Back in Centralia, the bright spots pop up everywhere like a garden coming into Spring. Some are dandelions persisting despite all the odds, and others are rose bushes, cultivated with love and care. In one weekend, I attended a garlic festival with live music and amazing street tacos (strange combo, I know), shared our city’s origin story with community college students from around the state here for an inspirational speech contest, and attended a 4 ½ hour tapas meal prepared and served by a Michelin-trained Spanish chef. In a community struggling with significant issues, people are flourishing and bringing their gifts to share.
As you navigate this week and face challenges, seek the bright spots too. You have to believe it to see it, but once you do, you’ll see them everywhere. Remember that even gardens in the winter provide shelter and sustenance to an ecosystem that is waiting for Spring. Our organizations are doing the same—through this period of scarcity, there are bright spots that are harboring the future for us.
In organizational development, this is called Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry approaches can be used to achieve meaningful outcomes in everything from strategic planning to performance management. It is rooted in eight clear guiding principles and associated methodologies. It is one of the fundamental theories of change that all Clarity consultants are grounded in and integrate into our practice. If you would like to learn how to use Appreciative Inquiry with your team and organization, reach out.