by Heather Plett | Feb 27, 2010 | Leadership, navel-gazing, Uncategorized
Guess what? My failings are being made more and more evident these days and… I couldn’t be happier!
I recently hired staff into two brand new positions and both of them took tasks away from me so that we could grow in the areas of fundraising and communications (especially online) and so that I would have more time to twiddle my thumbs and get lost in online rabbit holes. Oops… I mean so that I could focus on the leadership part of my job since I now have 17 people on my team (gulp).
They’ve only been here for a short time, but within a few weeks of their arrival, both have made some fairly significant improvements to the way we do things. To be honest, it didn’t take long for both to out-shine me and put my past efforts in certain areas to shame.
Now, if I were feeling vulnerable and insecure, I might have taken this personally and gotten caught up in self-deprecation about how I wasn’t really good enough at this job, blah, blah, blah. (And there have been days when I could have done just that, trust me.)
But you wanna know how it made me feel? HUGE and utter relief!
For starters, things are getting done and I don’t have to do them!
But more than that, they’re moving the markers on things that I honestly didn’t have the capacity or sufficient interest to master. I’m not great at fundraising and database management, and yet it’s part of our team’s responsibility, and so I would slog my way through some of it and mostly fail at it. I’m not all that good at website maintenance and analysis, and so mostly I would ignore it and pretend it didn’t need to be done.
Now I’ve hired two people who shine in those areas and it doesn’t make me feel badly for the ways I’ve failed, it makes me feel GREAT about all the things we’re now able to do as a team!
Here’s a revolutionary thought…
You don’t have to be good at everything!
Let that sink in for a moment. It’s true – you don’t have to master every task that you tackle or that you’re responsible for. Early in my leadership days I didn’t really get that and I would try to do a good job at every task our team needed to perform because I was sure that otherwise my staff and boss would think I was underqualified to lead the team. You’ve heard the term “micro-managing”, right? Yeah, well, I may have been guilty of that a time or two in the past.
But somewhere along the line I realized – HEY, there are some people on the team who are WAY better than me in these areas and if I just trust them to do what they’re capable of, we’ll all be further ahead in the long run.
Take administration and organization, for example. I kinda suck in those areas. But I’ve learned to hire people who really shine – the kind of people whose cheque books are ALWAYS balanced! (Go figure.) When we interviewed my current assistant for the position, she told us that when she was a kid, she used to line up her Barbie doll shoes because she needed to have order around her. As soon as I heard that, I thought “BINGO! We need to hire her!” It turns out my instincts were right – she’s good at all the areas that I lack and she makes the whole team look good!
Here’s another revolutionary thought:
Letting other people shine in the areas of their giftedness is good for everyone!
If you let your ego get in the way and you think you have to show yourself to be capable in every area and you don’t let people have their spot in the sun, well the truth is that you’ll all suffer. You’ll look bad because you’ll perform in a sub-par fashion, and they’ll look bad because they won’t have a chance to perform at all.
My new staff are raising the caliber of the whole team and they’re making all of us look good. What’s not to like? Plus I get to spend more time doing the things I actually AM good at – leadership, visioning, planning, directing… and delegating! Woot!
This isn’t just a leadership lesson, this is a life lesson. Sometimes we put expectations on ourselves that are unrealistic and by slogging through all the things we’re just not good at, we’re not allowing other people to shine and we’re wasting the energy we could focus on the areas where we’re gifted. I have no trouble, for example, letting Marcel look after car maintenance. And I’m quite happy to pass my cell phone to my daughters to let one of them adjust the settings, etc. (Even though they tease me about being a techno-ludite.) And you can bet that if Marcel’s teaching term is extended, we’ll be hiring a cleaning person as quickly as I can pick up a phone.
Now, I realize that we don’t always have the luxury of hiring people to do things, and sometimes you have no choice but to step up to the plate (like I’ve done for the last five and a half years before the board approved these new positions, or all those years of cleaning our own house while we’ve lived on a single income), but sometimes there are creative ways to let other people shine in the areas we’re not good at – like doing a “skills swap”, or looking for willing volunteers or youth interns.
My point is this…
Admitting that people outshine you in some areas doesn’t decrease your personal value.
The truth is, it might actually increase it, because you’ll have more opportunity for the areas in which you shine.
(Says the girl who is fumbling her way through figuring out what it means to be a full time leader/director, rather than a leader/fundraiser/database manager/communicator/web manager.)
by Heather Plett | Feb 25, 2010 | Uncategorized
Who doesn’t like getting fun things in the mail? Nobody – right?
A few weeks ago, I spotted a tweet by Kaileen about a gift swap she was hosting. I don’t often join that kind of thing, because I’m not very diligent about getting stuff into the mail on a timely basis and too often end up feeling badly about letting people down. But this time I thought it would be fun, and really… who doesn’t need a little good karma now and then?
True to form, I was late mailing my package (sigh – I could use travel and 101 other things as excuses, but let’s face it – it’s just not my strong suit to be organized) but it’s on its way now, so hopefully my swap buddy won’t mind the delay.
In the meantime…. oh my! What a treat I got in the mail today! Amy from Dish on Design sent me such a cool package, I just have to brag about it.
Cookies, chocolates (from a local sweet shop in Cincinnati), tea, a lovely candle (mmmm… it smells SO good!), and some word art to adhere to the wall (“Live, Love, Laugh”) in a very cool little fake-book box.
But… the very best part… oh you’ve GOT to see this up close!!
She did a bunch of research on my blog to find out what she could about me, and she created this amazing framed art work to celebrate ME! Using one of my own photos (of my feet) as a backdrop! Is that not the coolest thing EVER?! She called me a “global fumbler”! I think I may need to use that as my new tagline! And check out the way she used the letters in “fumbler” to define me:
- Friend & mother
- Unbridled creative
- Mentor to many
- Beautiful soul
- Leader of all things are possible
- Exceptional person (doesn’t give herself enough credit)
- Risk taker… fearless explorer
I feel so special! Thanks Amy!
And just so you don’t think I was greedy with the treats (she mentioned they were for sharing with my girls), here’s proof that they were enjoyed by them…
by Heather Plett | Feb 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
I was at my favourite bed & breakfast in Toronto. I’ve stayed there nearly a dozen times. It’s my “Cheers” – the kind of place “where everbody knows your name” – and I love, love LOVE it! I even made it onto their Christmas card list this year.
James, the manager, wasn’t there. He had a few days off and David (the weekend guy) was filling in for him. I’d never met David before, but James had briefed him.
“James told me about you. You’re a writer, right?”
Hmmm…. how do I answer that question? My first instinct was to say, “well, I’m not really a writer. I make my living as a communications director in a non-profit organization and when I have some time, I do some freelance writing.” But I didn’t. At that moment, I wanted to simply be the writer that James said I was.
“Yes… yes I am,” I said simply. And then I found out that David was (very happily) an accountant when he’s not working at the B&B.
It’s something we all do, don’t we? We let ourselves believe that the only true way to define ourselves is through our professions – that which pays the bills and puts food on the table.
But is that the truth about who we are?
It’s not that I don’t like my professions – most days I like it very much. But that’s not the full picture.
As I’ve said before, writer is and always will be part of my truest essence. I could add other definitions to that – photographer, artist, speaker, fumbler, workshop facilitator, blogger, wanderer, mother, wife, seamstress, cyclist – but the truth is, you’ll rarely hear me use those words to define myself, at least not in the “elevator pitch” you’ll get in the first 30 seconds. To be honest, that’s partly because I feel like I am so many things that I’ll lose your attention span before I get to the list, but it’s mostly because we’re used to hearing people defined in a certain frame.
What about you? How would you define yourself if you didn’t have to connect it to “what you do for a living”? Perhaps you’d be different things for different people?
by Heather Plett | Feb 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
Yesterday I happily finished my business earlier than expected and ended up with a free afternoon to wander in Toronto. There were two things I’d been hoping to do: find the “
Paint your Faith” mural and visit the
AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario).
I started out in search of the mural. As I walked I thought “this is a good chance to pause, to do what you promised to do for Lent, and just pay attention to the way your senses connect you to the sacred”.
Before I found the mural, I arrived at the awe-inspiring Metropolitan United Church. I knew the mural was close by, but I couldn’t resist first wandering through the church. There was a free organ concert playing inside, so I found a seat on a straight-back wooden pew in the back, closed my eyes and listened. Organ music isn’t really my thing, but who can’t be at least a little moved by the sound of a magnificant pipe organ in a century old church? The sounds, the stained glass, the steeples – it’s not hard to imagine why people building churches back then felt they were honouring God with beautiful spaces in which to dwell.
Metropolitan United Church, Toronto
When I left the church, I found the mural – a very different way to reflect God’s space in the world. It was painted by four graffiti artists who were asked to collaboratively interpret what faith means to them. It’s pretty far removed from stained glass and organ music, but it no less reflects the sacred spaces in which God dwells. I was moved by the colour, the vibrancy, and the energy it exudes. (To learn more, be sure to watch the video on this page.)
Paint your Faith, Toronto
After the mural, it was off to the AGO and the much hyped King Tut exhibit. I hadn’t really cared about the exhibit at first, but it seemed like a once in a lifetime experience, so I couldn’t resist.
Talk about awe-inspiring! In a way I wasn’t expecting, I was moved almost to tears by the more than three thousand year old artifacts, jewellery, sculptures, and even the wicker bed dear ol’ Tut may have slept on.
I pulled out my notebook and started jotting down details I didn’t want to forget. Mostly, I was inspired by what careful artistry was demonstrated in almost every piece. This wasn’t crude or rudimentary – this was intricate and absolutely stunning. Tiny gold beads blended together to make a collar or necklace, carved statues of rulers and gods and princesses, gold finger and toe coverings peeled from Tut’s mummy, and gold sandals meant to carry him into the afterlife.
What struck me as I stood there in awe was how much of the intricate, beautiful artisanship was meant primarily to connect people to their gods. Not only were there sculptures of several Egyptian gods, as well as artifacts (urns, alters, etc.) used in worship of them, but there were so many items in Tut’s tomb that had been placed there specifically to prepare him for the afterlife when he would join the gods in their heaven. Many of the items were plated with gold, because the believed gold to be “god’s skin”.
Something powerful and a little mysterious struck me right there in the gallery. If I hadn’t been surrounded by so many people, I might have dropped to the floor in tears.
For thousands of years, people have been searching for God and trying to connect to the sacred in one way or another. There has always been, in people’s hearts, a sense of “the other” and, along with that, a deep, deep longing to find a connection to whatever it is.
And for thousands of years – because God is a God of beauty, majesty, and creativity – one of those connecting points has been through art. The Egyptian artifacts, the stained glass windows, and the mural – all were saying the same thing. “We long to be witnesses of the presence of God in the world. This is as close as we can come to reflecting what that means.”
Part of my emotional reaction was the result of many years of suppressing this in my own life. In an evangelical protestant upbringing like I’ve had, art rarely plays a central role in spiritual practices or in the way that people seek out God. It’s not that art was seen as bad – it was just kind of frivolous and wasn’t worth as much as traditional prayer and service and the ultimate good of “leading people to Christ”.
There has been a longing in me that’s hard to describe. A longing to paint, to create, to express myself and be true to my own spirit. After years of not fully understanding it, I know that this longing is one of the ways God calls me into meaningful relationship.
Not long ago, my friend Stephanie profiled me in an article about women in leadership. After asking a few questions about what art means to me, she ended the article with my quote, “art connects me to God.” I was so happy to see it conclude that way. It took a long time to learn this, but it sure does feel good now that I’m a little closer to understanding.
by Heather Plett | Feb 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
I am an overthinker. I place a lot of value (often too much) in meaning and logic and reason. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you, at least not if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time. I overthink things ALL the time. Just ask my kids or my husband – they’ll tell you how it often drives them crazy when, for example, I complain that I “just don’t get what Lady Gaga is singing about – those lines don’t make ANY SENSE!”
While I was preparing to introduce the Lord’s Supper last week, I did what I always do – I looked for the meaning behind Jesus’ simple act of sharing the bread and wine. I wanted it to make sense so that I could better explain it to those who would receive it.
Somewhere in the middle of all that contemplation, I started reading “Beauty”, by John O’Donohue. Flipping through it, my eye landed on a simple phrase… “the sensuous is sacred”. In other words, my senses connect me to God.
He wasn’t talking specifically about the Lord’s Supper, but suddenly I had an “a-ha” moment. A picture flashed into my mind of Jesus sitting in that room, looking out over his friends and followers while they shared a hearty meal. Something somebody said (Thomas, perhaps?) made him pause and realize that if he was going to get through to the overthinkers in the room, he needed to do something different – something a little shocking.
“Okay,” he said. “… time to stop thinking so hard. Time to stop trying to figure it all out and just let your senses connect you to the sacred.” And then he broke the bread in his hand. “Taste this bread. Feel the texture of it on your tongue. Smell this wine. Let it flow over your taste buds. It is from the earth and the earth is my body… it is GOOD! It is sensuous, nourishing and so very tasty and beautiful! Savour it with me. Don’t waste it, don’t squander it, but enjoy the way your senses respond to it and the way it feeds you.”
That changed the Lord’s Supper for me. I didn’t have to “get it”. I didn’t even have to make sense of the whole Easter story – the death, resurrection, and assumption. I just had to pause for a moment, taste, smell, touch – and let my senses guide me to God.
This year, my Lenten practice will be just that – letting my senses guide me to God. For 40 days, I will be mindful of how my senses interact with the world and how that is sacred and spiritual. I will taste the wine that is currently on the bedside table beside me, I will smell the freshly baked bread when I walk past the bakery in the morning, I will feel the smoothness and moisture of the lotion as it soaks into my dry skin, I will look more deeply into the rich colours of the sunset, and I will listen to the subtle sounds of music as it moves my soul. I will try to do all these things more mindfully and I will savour them because of the way they connect me with my Creator and all that (s)he has created. (Together with Christine, I will approach it more as 40 days of delight, rather than 40 days of sacrifice.)
As I do so, I will keep John O’Donohue’s Blessing for the Senses close by to guide and inspire me…
For the Senses
May the touch of your skin
Register the beauty
Of the otherness
That surrounds you
May your listening be attuned
To the deeper silence
Where sound is honed
To bring distance home.
May the fragrance
Of a breathing meadow
Refresh your heart
And remind you you are
A child of the earth.
And when you partake
Of food and drink,
May your taste quicken
To the gift and sweetness
That flows from the earth.
May your inner eye
See through the surfaces
And glean the real presence
Of everything that meets you
May your soul beautify
The desire of your eyes
That you might glimpse
The infinity that hides
In the simple sights
That seem worn
To your usual eyes.
by Heather Plett | Feb 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
I marvel, sometimes, at the amazing connections I’ve made online with creative, talented and compassionate people. I have developed real friendships with people I may never meet in real life, as well as some that I’ve had the privilege of meeting – and some that I am determined to meet.
There must be something in the air, because several of my online friends have recently launched some exciting, creative ventures, and I am SO inspired! What’s beautiful about all of them is that they’re not afraid to admit that they fumble sometimes, but that doesn’t keep them from taking bold steps toward their dreams.
In celebration of the success and creativity of friends, here are a few of the fun things going on…
Christine Claire Reed
I was drawn to Christine at BlissChick because of her deep spirituality and her honesty about her own personal journey (and the fumbling she does along the way). This year, she’s chosen “embody” as her word for the year, and she’s been writing some amazing posts about the spirituality of the body. She’s recently re-discovered her love of dance, and she’s got some exciting things going on, including teaching some upcoming YogaDance workshops. I wish she lived closer, because I’d love to join! I can’t get to her classes (though I did have the privilege of learning from her wisdom at the Creative Dig workshop in September in Cleveland), but I AM joining her in 40 Days of Delight: A New Approach to Lent
Vicki & family
I can’t remember when I first came across Vicki Madden’s original blog, but I’m pretty sure I burst out laughing at something she said right from the start. And then I probably got lost in her photos. She’s got such a fun sense of humour that I just KNOW that when we finally meet (it almost happened once and I know it will eventually) we’ll have a blast. Vicki has recently started a brand new photography business and I’m SO EXCITED for her! Check out some of the amazing lifestyle photography on her site.
Stephanie Tombari
My friendship with Stephani Tombari didn’t start online, but now that we are no longer work colleagues, we won’t get as much of a chance to hang out in person, so it may have to shift to more virtual spaces (since we don’t live in the same city). Stephanie recently completed her Masters degree in international communication, and then she took the bold move to quit her job and jump into freelance writing and consulting. She hasn’t quite gotten used to regular blogging, but she’s an amazing writer and I think she’ll eventually realize how much fun it is. Her blog post about “not dying in China” is worth visiting her new site for.
Connie Hozvicka
Over at Dirty Footprints Studio, my friend Connie has been rockin’ the internet with her approach to Creative Juicy Living. Connie is an art teacher and I would love nothing more than for my daughters to get a chance to hang out in her classroom. I got to share in some of Connie’s creative energy at a much-too-short Creative Dig workshop in Cleveland in the Fall, and she’s one of the reasons art journaling has become an important part of my life. Luckily for me (and you), she’s sharing her creative energy and ideas with us through a brand new venture called Art Journal Love Letters.
Darrah Parker
Another person I keep hoping I’ll meet some day is Darrah Parker. She exudes warmth and positive energy and is so encouraging I think I’d like to share a chai latte with her once a week just to give myself a boost. Not only did Darrah get married this past year, but she also quit her job to launch her big dream of becoming a photographer. She’s working on a new site, but for now there’s lots to enjoy at her blog.
There you are – just a few of the amazing people I’ve connected with online. (If you’re not on the list, it doesn’t mean you’re not amazing – these are just some of the ones with new ventures right now.) Go on over, visit, and be inspired!
