A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be back at my alma mater (Go Heels!) for a project coaching teams. I met some great new folks, got inspired and reconnected to topics, a place and old friends and colleagues.
At the close of the week’s session, the director of the project gave some great advice for those of us working on social change projects:
Be both patient and impatient, she said.
Patient with the fact that the changes we are trying to impact take time. Not just months, but years, decades, often lifetimes.
And impatient: with the fact that there are big social issues that need to be changed. Issues that need our energy, commitment and passion in order to change.
We need both: patience with the glacial pace of change, impatience to make the change happen.
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How does this idea of patience/impatience apply to your projects?
Before specializing as a professional coach in 2004, I spent more than a decade in leadership, management and program development for state and local government and non-profit organizations. Now I get to help leaders and teams have more clarity and ability to stand up for what's important in their work and in their organizations. Working with me, leaders and teams find more meaning and purpose, feel happier and more confident, navigate change and conflict, and work together better.
I like to have the patience to learn new things, espeically new things that help me deal with my impatience!
I linked to your blog this morning at my post called Impatience: Good Things Take Time.
http://brandandmarket.blogspot.com/2007/02/impatience-good-things-take-time.html
Chris,
Ha! Great point – and thanks for continuing the conversation over at your blog!
Welcome, and come again!
Hanna