The conference call reflected an interesting combination. Some were knowledgeable subject matter experts. Others were aware, conversant, and uninformed. From what I could tell, everyone was willing to be part of the solution. The challenge was framing the background, decision process we were following, and what was next. How open were we, myself included, to the facts? Were we willing to see our weaknesses?
Understanding the frame of any given moment is challenge. Life’s pace pushes us to keep moving ever faster. Slowing down is more difficult than trying to speed up. There is information to be reviewed, new ways to stay connected, and views to be expressed. Context is often missing. Understand the framework is problematic.
Initially I wanted to let the situation go. I presumed the conference call’s priority was to maintain consensus. Progress was secondary to a sense of wellbeing. As the call progressed I found myself wrestling with an awareness this community wanted to know the context of moment.
Sharing one’s perspective when the listener is interested in hearing is good. The willingness to hear is a key to the opportunity. Another factors include the ability to hear and the impact of what knowing might bring. One should not use one’s view as a weapon to force others to hear what they may not be able to safely hear.
One should never presume that one’s insight is the full picture. As clear as something might be, there are more perspectives. Rarely is one view the only view.
With trust, open feedback can be heard. When one writer made the following observation, he knew his audience trusted him. “As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything’s going your way?” (1 Corinthians 3.3) On this day and in the moment, my feedback was heard with openness.
As the dawn comes, I hear a call to reflection. Hear, learn, and be ready to respond to the present. In each frame sits opportunities.
