Greetings from Rupert!

Well...here we go into the wide blue yonder that is 2007! And from our point of view, what a bold 'blue' it is!

As many of you know my vision for Rendezvous Rupert is to support people living their lives fully, effectively and with satisfaction. One way I do that is to help them in their process of connecting and having meaningful conversations - and that includes creating the appropriate physical space for that to happen. This past fall sees the addition of a pathway and a huge partially covered deck off the barn...as well as the painting of the barn roof. Just think of the possibilities this spring, summer and fall for outdoor gatherings, meetings, and workshops in the beautiful clean air of the Gatineau's! I hope you and/or your group or team will come check it out sometime this year!

 

In the meantime you might want to experience one of our workshops in the cozy comfort of our indoor space. Below are the winter dates for our Visioning and other workshops. If the dates or the subject focus we have isn't fitting your needs, perhaps we can find something that does. All you need are 5 other people to join you. Give us a call to discuss the possibilities! The feedback we often get is "I wish I had known these kind of workshops existed before!!" Please pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested (there's a forward e-mail link at the bottom of this newsletter).

 

Thanks to everyone at CUSO, Social Development Canada, Carlington Community and Health Services, Mothercraft, Bank of Canada, Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada, Merrickville District Community Health Services, Citizenship and Immigration, and Public Outreach for your confidence in me this past year. And to those of you who have taken the big leap into the world of coaching with me, chapeau! It's been an honour to share in your journey as you bring your whole self, your gifts, talents, and fears in alignment with how you want to live.

Keep Dreaming Big this coming year - it's the stuff that great lives are made of!

Linda

Imagine what it would be like if most of your meetings in the year ahead were purposeful, productive and satisfying. How would that feel? What would it do for your productivity, your creativity, your life and work satisfaction rating? Can you imagine the slump in your energy at the burden of having to go to 'another useless meeting' changing to one of relaxed, confident anticipation as you gather with the appropriate people to fulfill a shared purpose?

 

Wherever I go, in both my professional and personal life, the importance of place and space is constantly reinforced. A busy coffee shop may work for one coaching client while the phone is better for another. A quick stand up meeting in the hallway or kitchen fits one Director and her reports and only a closed door board room for another. Figuring out what you want your meeting to accomplish, how the context might impact things, and who will be participating are all part of choosing where, when and how you meet.

 

To create your next meaningful meeting consider these questions:

Purpose: What do want your next meeting to accomplish? How could choosing and setting up the right environment (process and place) help you move there?

Process: What's the current context and how will that impact on the meeting? Are their possible tensions - or boredom - with issues or certain relationships? What might you do to address that? Do you need an outside facilitator or can someone from the group take that role on? Would some kind of activity, case study, film, article be helpful in getting everyone working together better? What else would be good to take into consideration that pertains to your particular group and situation? Could where you meet make a difference to the outcomes?

Participants: Who will be attending? Would it make sense to invite others to join you for this one? Would it make sense that some typical members skip this one? If some people are on the phone, what might be done to facilitate their connection in the group? How might who comes affect your choice of place?

Place: Given what you know about purpose, process and the participants attending - what does this say about where you might best hold this meeting? Is it the right size for what you want to do? Does the space have the right lighting, the right temperature, the right furniture for this meeting? What kind of seating arrangement might help - tables, chairs, circle, square? Do you need visuals...what will you use, handouts, flip chart, some kind of overhead projection? Sometimes recognizing that a meeting needs to change location to meet the objectives can do wonders for a more fruitful conversation.

Taking some time to reflect on the intention and the context for your next meeting can help you see new options for ways to support its achievement. And afterwards, don't forget to pause to reflect on how it went, with input from others. What might you do again and what might you adjust next time?