We all have heard about continuous improvement and know that if we want to be our best we must continuously improve. So if we have all HEARD it and all KNOW it, why is it that many individuals, departments and even communities are still doing things as they have always done and don’t seem to improve?
Join us as we explore the second competency for being a Community Builder - a “Commitment to Continuous Improvement”. It will help us establish a vision for our legacy, create a code of conduct to
help that vision become a reality and provide tools to help us follow through on the commitments we have made to improve ourselves. All combining to help us be our best, as we do the important work of Community Building.
Already following along with the workshop exercises? Then your tasks for this month:
1) Obituary Exercise
2) How do you spend your time?
3) Commitment to Action Plan
See you next month when we explore the third competency for being a community builder - “Big Picture Thinking”.
Ian Hill
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The idea of continuous improvement is an interesting thing. And let’s be frank - an exhausting one! How much easier would it be just to sit back on our laurels… to coast… to just do enough to get by. Continuous improvement implies continuous work and that is not always fun nor is it easy. But the one message that I did receive loud and clear from the latest video installment of the ACE “Community Builder Series” with Ian Hill (see http://acecommunities.ca/community-builder/archive/) is that the hard work will be worth it.
Why? Because this is the kind of hard work that changes our communities for the better. Imagine this - what if we all took Ian’s challenge and tried to just be a little bit better tomorrow than we were yesterday? Imagine if my neighbours, the mayor, my family, their friends, all rose up and took the same challenge. If I was a better spouse, if my friends were better parents, if our elected leaders became better listeners… even if by a little bit… imagine how much our communities would approve.
And imagine then if we all committed to continuous change… to be a little bit better than we were yesterday month after month after month. Our lives and our communities would change for the better exponentially . And so, I’m going to do it. I am going to continue to rise to the challenge and become a better leader because I care about the world we live in. My question is - do you? And if so… what are you going to do about it?
Next blog…. my obituary. Morbid yes.. insightful? I can only imagine!
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Here it is! The long awaited obituary. I must admit, writing this was a bit odd. How do I really want to be remembered? What is my impact in our world?
One thing that did become quite clear as I wrote this is that I’m one big ham! Big surprise… I can’t help it… there is much in this world that we take way too seriously to the detriment of our creative sides and to our youthful spirit. And I really do like funny, insightful people. They make the hard tasks more manageable and learning fun. These are traits, I believe, of an effective leader…
I did realize, however, that when it comes to my inner sphere, I am right down to business. No funny stuff here! I care for and will fight for the well being of my family and my friends. This I see as a great beginning for me because, as a community builder, our strength is in our family. I now need to take this fighting spirit outside of my comfort zone and make a larger impact in the world itself.
But until then: the Obituary of one Janet Naclia (as written by herself)
There are many here who will dearly miss Janet Naclia. She was a rose amongst the daisies, a petunia amongst the thorns. Many here would say that it is her wit, her boisterous Naclia laugh, and her ability to see the humour in most situations that we will all miss the most.
This is not to say that Janet wasn’t a serious person. She was seriously committed to the care of her family and to her friends. It broke her heart to ever see them suffer and took it upon herself to comfort them in their time of need and help them kick butt when deemed necessary. To her, the butt kicking was the most effective comfort of all.
While Janet didn’t have any children, she had have her basset hounds. Many, in fact – but not enough for her to have been a hoarder because that’s just wrong. Janet did love those funny, squishy, short-legged little basset beasties and they loved her. She contributed tirelessly to basset hound rescue and felt great satisfaction in helping those without voices of their own. Everyone must choose some sort of gap to stand in and defend. Animal rights was her cause to fight for.
Like many of us, Janet believed that the best leaders were those who led by example. Who walked their own talk and expected others to do the same. So she got stuck in the mud, fell on her face, rose to challenges, and failed with some measure of grace. Life was an ongoing adventure for Janet, filled with new ideas to explore, new people to learn from and new places to visit.
She always had time, though, for a good bar of chocolate and an old Star Trek rerun. To Janet, life was a balance of what needed to be done and what needed to be celebrated.