Hello Ann

I hope you've been enjoying the beautiful fall colors and are enjoying the transition of seasons. If you celebrate Halloween, I hope you'll have some fun thinking about the Gremlins you recognize in this newsletter and send them packing with a candy bar or two!

Who’s the Chair of Your Committee?

Perhaps you are already familiar with the concept of something called a “committee”. You may have heard it referred to as an “inner critic”, “saboteur”, or “gremlin.” Regardless of the name you choose, the fact remains that we all have it—this voice, or group of voices, inside of us that can dictate how we act, or react, and not always in a good way.

We all have a self-sabotaging inner voice that holds us back. In this newsletter I’m interested in helping you to identify the members of your own committee— along with some tools to help you identify this group and some methods to manage it.

Why Should You Care?

Our inner committee often dissuades us from taking chances on opportunities, pressures us to act a certain way, or persuades us to believe that things must be a certain way, or we’re wrong or destined for failure.

In his famous book, Taming Your Gremlin, Rick Carson explains that your “gremlin”, the voice in your head that is “the source of your negative thought, reminds you of your less-than-positive past experience, taunts you with your fears and creates a horror movie about your future.”

Learning to take hold of this inner voice (committee, gremlin, saboteur) will allow you to realize all of the assumptions you make in everyday life, and allow you to start enjoying yourself—your life—more.

How to Identify Your Committee

The path to identifying your committee is both simple and complicated. Simple, in that your attempt to notice your committee, and thereby control it, is based on becoming an observer—simply noticing. Complicated, because forming the habit of focusing on your observation and awareness of the world is not any easy task.

Your committee will try to dissuade you from enacting change—committees often hate change, right? You’ll find your inner voice encouraging you to analyze situations, fear the future, and regret the past. Recognizing these committee voices as they plead for the continuance of the status quo is the first step to overcoming your fears the beliefs that hold you back.

As Carson prompts, “Do you choose to lead your awareness, or does you awareness lead you?”  

How to Recognize Your Committee’s Messages

Your committee often perpetuates myths about people, life, you, and your worth. Begin to focus your awareness on your thoughts and the world around you. Begin to recognize the reoccurring messages of your committee.

Carson Shares Some Common Gremlin Myths:

• You are unlovable/unacceptable
• To show sadness is to be weak
• Suffering is noble
• Fast is good and slow is bad
• To express uncensored joy is to be silly or unprofessional
• Men are better leaders than women
• More is Better

The Challenge

Can you think of some beliefs, myths, “truths”, or clichés that your committee promulgates in your mind?

Try and recall a situation where you were faced with a new project, an offer, or any other sort of possibility for change that caused your committee’s negative messages and warnings to erupt in your mind.

Aim to improve your powers of observation when it comes to yourself and others. Focus your awareness and begin to identify the common myths your committee tells you and begin to question these myths. Perhaps I can still be reputable and knowledgeable even if I don’t read the Wall Street Journal?

Practicing managing your committee can lead to elevated self-knowledge, self-trust, confidence, and a more enjoyable life.

Social Style Tip of the Day

How to Deliver Difficult News to an Analytical Style Person

It can be challenging to deliver difficult news, but considering Style can help.  With Analytical Style people, be clear and direct. Deliver the message and then provide the facts and information related to the news. If the message is related to them personally, explain the issue and support your conclusions with your own observations and objective evidence. These individuals are sometimes reluctant to share their opinions, so ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share their thoughts. If possible, try not to press them for an immediate response or action plan. Instead, let them consider the message and determine a way to move forward.

Copyright TRACOM Corporation 2010

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Join Me

Exploring TOSCA recommends Minneapolis artist Marcia Soderman. Soderman’s work often includes water as an abstract visual metaphor for states of mind and emotion. Exploring TOSCA is the Twin Cities most comprehensive arts magazine and can be found at www.tctosca.com.

Marcia Soderman - http://mnartists.org/search.do?action=list
CONTEMPLATING DEEP WATERS by artist Marcia Soderman.

About Ann

With more than 20 years of experience as a corporate leader, Ann brings an integrated-systems perspective to any discussion or situation and a straightforward, practical approach to coaching and consulting. Ann's unique and varied career and educational experiences allow her to quickly identify and communicate interrelationships among issues, people, and complex organizational systems. Her positive outlook, energy, and participative leadership style enable her to inspire, motivate, and develop leadership in others.