Climbing Mountains Without A Rope Attachment Adversity Attainment Lisa Gardiner and Mazz Hall ACWA Conference 2006.

Climbing Mountains Without Climbing Mountains Without A RopeA Rope

AttachmentAttachment

AdversityAdversity

AttainmentAttainment

Lisa Gardiner and Mazz Hall ACWA Conference 2006

The pace of life in our culture requires that working people rush from one activity, task or place to another.

Many people experience this pace as a habitual state of working and living.

However, frenzied rushing and multitasking can create a lack of focus that decreases productivity and effectiveness rather than helping to get more done.

At times I feel…

despairdespair

hopelessnesshopelessness

vulnerablevulnerable

angryangry

anxiousanxious

The AAAAH FactorThe AAAAH Factor

– AttachmentAttachment– AdversityAdversity– Attainment Attainment – AcceptanceAcceptance– HappinessHappiness

AAAAH Factor – Gardiner & Hall 2006

Attachment Adversity Attainment

Acceptance

Happiness

Connection Movement Hope

Interconnectedness

Chaos & Complexity Incremental Achievements

AAAAH Factor – Gardiner & Hall 2006

AttachmentAttachment

ConnectionConnection

InterconnectednessInterconnectedness

RelationshipRelationship

Mindfulness – attentive ‘gazing’Mindfulness – attentive ‘gazing’

AttachmentAttachment

3 types of adult attachment:

• Secure

• Avoidant

• Anxious/ambivalent

Hazan & Shaver (1987)

Attachment Attachment

lack of awareness and understanding lack of awareness and understanding of these attachment issues: of these attachment issues:

AvoidantAvoidant Anxious/ambivalentAnxious/ambivalent

can lead to confusion and a lack of can lead to confusion and a lack of compassion for the person and the compassion for the person and the expressed behaviourexpressed behaviour

Transitional Objects and Transitional Objects and Transitional PhenomenaTransitional Phenomena

Relationship between Relationship between infant and mother infant and mother Winnicott 1967Winnicott 1967

Relationship between Relationship between group member and group member and group leader group leader Ashbach & Schermer 1987Ashbach & Schermer 1987

Relationship between Relationship between self and the self and the manager/manager/

management management Gardiner 2006Gardiner 2006

Relationship between Relationship between self and the jobself and the jobGardiner 2006

Mother Childillusion

worker manager co-workers

What I am not mindful aboutWhat I am not mindful about

I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present. present. 

I snack without paying much attention to what I’m eating. I snack without paying much attention to what I’m eating. 

It seems I’m “running on automatic” without much awareness of It seems I’m “running on automatic” without much awareness of what I’m doing.  what I’m doing. 

I rush through activities without being really attentive to them. I rush through activities without being really attentive to them.  I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying

attention to what I experience along the way.  attention to what I experience along the way. 

I find myself listening to someone with one ear and doing I find myself listening to someone with one ear and doing something else at the same time. something else at the same time. 

I tend not to notice physical tension or discomfort until they really I tend not to notice physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.grab my attention.

excerpt from Questionnaire developed at the University of Rochesterexcerpt from Questionnaire developed at the University of Rochester

AdversityAdversity

The problem is not that there are The problem is not that there are problems.  problems. 

The problem is expecting otherwise and The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a thinking that having problems is a problem.  problem. 

Theodore Rubin

AdversityAdversity

Sometimes the littlest things in life are the Sometimes the littlest things in life are the hardest to take.  You can sit on a mountain hardest to take.  You can sit on a mountain more comfortably than on a tack.  more comfortably than on a tack. 

Author UnknownAuthor Unknown

…and the view from the mountain gives us a broader perspective

AdversityAdversity

AvoidAvoid DenialDenial Submitting to a Submitting to a

negative negative dominant story of dominant story of sufferingsuffering

Wrapping oneself Wrapping oneself in the cloak of in the cloak of adversity adversity

Include Inquire

Embrace

Integrate

Gardiner & Hall 2006

evolves to

evolves to

evolves to

evolves to

Jack Beal (American, b. 1931) Frogs and Toad, 1971 Lithograph 18" x 24"

Observe these four pictures what can you see?

AttentivenessAttentiveness

In the last slide what did you see?In the last slide what did you see? Frogs are natures environmental Frogs are natures environmental

testers is you have frogs in your testers is you have frogs in your garden then the health of garden is garden then the health of garden is positivepositive

Being aware of your environment is Being aware of your environment is about you being connected about you being connected

Appreciative InquiryAppreciative Inquiry The ‘4-D’ model:The ‘4-D’ model: Discover—people talk to one another, often via Discover—people talk to one another, often via

structured interviews, to discover the times when the structured interviews, to discover the times when the organisation is at its best. These stories are told as organisation is at its best. These stories are told as richly as possible.richly as possible.

Dream—the dream phase is often run as a large group Dream—the dream phase is often run as a large group conference where people are encouraged to envision conference where people are encouraged to envision the organisation as if the peak moments discovered in the organisation as if the peak moments discovered in the ‘discover’ phase were the norm rather than the ‘discover’ phase were the norm rather than exceptional.exceptional.

Design—a small team is empowered to go away and Design—a small team is empowered to go away and design ways of creating the organisation dreamed in design ways of creating the organisation dreamed in the conference(s).the conference(s).

Deliver (or create) —the final phase is to implement the Deliver (or create) —the final phase is to implement the changes.changes.

A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry David L. Cooperrider Case Western Reserve University and Diana Whitney The Taos Institute

Working with Negativity

Engage and support the individual

Work with the environment and the space ‘in between’

Support positivity

Accept that negativity exists and is helpful

Apply a yin and yang approach

Gardiner & Hall 2006

Individuals become clearer when we observe the space in between

Yin and YangYin and Yang

are oppositesare opposites are interdependentare interdependent can be further can be further

subdivided into yin subdivided into yin and yangand yang

consume and consume and support each othersupport each other

can transform into can transform into one anotherone another

Part of yin is in Part of yin is in yang and part of yang and part of yang is in yinyang is in yin

Why Should I Bother With Negative Space?Negative space is a term that has been generally used by artists. If we are hoping to uncover or create positivity, optimism and wellbeing in an organisation it is important to stop, look around then focus on the problem – not the necessarily the individual.

Most people focus on the individual ‘causing the problem’. When looking at negativity we may want to confront the individual or avoid the individual. In organisations, groups, families and the broader community the effect of this action usually leads to increasing negativity as opposed to the initial aim of reducing the negativity.

Reflecting on the actual situation gives us an opportunity to look at the situation in a new way. Often we tend to approach what we consider to be the ‘same’ problem in the same way and because of this we are inclined to use our memory as our first method to solve the problem. Seeing each situation as new provides each issue with a fresh solution.

Gardiner 2006

AttainmentAttainment

Attainment is an action of presenceAttainment is an action of presence

Cultivates hope this leads to optimism and Cultivates hope this leads to optimism and openness to possibilitiesopenness to possibilities

Adopt a daily approach - not future driven Adopt a daily approach - not future driven

Support the modest aim – each step is Support the modest aim – each step is worthwhileworthwhile

Gardiner & Hall 2006

Walking towards attaining your Walking towards attaining your

goal…goal…

… … step by stepstep by step

www.caughtatwork.net/.../images/acceptance.jpg

AcceptanceAcceptance

"We must have "We must have strong minds strong minds ready to accept ready to accept facts as they facts as they are; rather than are; rather than how we would how we would like them to be." like them to be."

Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman

Would having these values in the Would having these values in the

workplace be helpful?workplace be helpful? PlayfulnessPlayfulness

Love – warmth, compassion, Love – warmth, compassion, attentivenessattentiveness

AcceptanceAcceptance

CuriosityCuriosity

EmpathyEmpathy

Creating a PLACE for the special children in our lives

THE ATTITUDE:

•Playfulness

•Love

•Acceptance

•Curiosity

•Empathy

Daniel A. Hughes Ph.D.

HappinessHappiness

““Happiness is a function of accepting what Happiness is a function of accepting what is.” is.” Werner ErhardWerner Erhard

““Happiness is not something you postpone Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the future; it is something you design for the present.” for the present.” Jim Rohn Jim Rohn

““Happiness is the meaning and the Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” human existence.” AristotleAristotle

HappinessHappiness

Positive psychology can be delineating into Positive psychology can be delineating into three overlapping areas of research:three overlapping areas of research:

1.1. Research into the Pleasant Life or the Research into the Pleasant Life or the "life of enjoyment" "life of enjoyment"

2.2. The study of the Good Life or the "life The study of the Good Life or the "life of engagement" of engagement"

3.3. Inquiry into the Meaningful Life or Inquiry into the Meaningful Life or "life of affiliation""life of affiliation"

…AAAAH

Gardiner & Hall 2006

finding peacefulness

Out of clutter, find simplicityOut of clutter, find simplicity

From discord, find harmonyFrom discord, find harmony

In the middle of difficulty lies In the middle of difficulty lies opportunityopportunity

Albert Einstein, Three Rules of WorkAlbert Einstein, Three Rules of Work