Resources

Whenever I talk about my work with someone, they eventually ask me for tips on how to deal with a difficult person. Often the difficulty arises when they, or the other, lose their temper. I find this to be a very common and important question both in the workplace and in our homes. We all get angry, and we all deal with the anger of others. It is life. It is human.

In today's world, facilitators work with groups to address issues that are more complex and challenging than ever before. They deal with forces that rock their clients’ worlds. They address the partisan impacts of diversity at local and global scales. Facilitators value the importance of relationships and connections over time, in addition to relying on the notions of cause and effect.

You facilitate when you help clarify, negotiate, and resolve differences. It can be a formal role when you are charged with leading others to negotiate system differences. On the other hand, facilitation can be informal. It happens anytime you support another person or group to see beyond their current challenge to find wise action.  

Newton’s First Law of Motion:  A body in motion remains in motion and a body at rest remains at rest until acted upon by some unbalanced force.

We live and work in a world where division, anger, frustration, and fear dominate the public discourse. People want different things. They relate to others in myriad ways. Activities are acceptable to some, but not to others. In the media, it is hard to know fake news from real news or editorial comment. Around the world, people are stuck. Irreconcilable differences seem to dominate the conversation.

Self-care is a walk in the woods. It’s the brisk movement of my feet touching the soil and the soft wind caressing on my skin. It’s the sun on my face and the view from each vista I reach. It’s the feeling of enchantment with the natural world. It’s the conversations I have with you along the way. It is in the way we share and listen to each other, and in the encouragement we give as we walk the trail of life.

Human systems dynamics teaches us to stand in inquiry, but there are some things we know for sure. As we listen to and engage in conversations about sexual harassment, certainties rise to the surface and need to be voiced.