BLOG; Thoughts on the business of life and work

Ain't miscommunicating

22/4/2015

An article I read a few days ago, How to influence the way other people see you, explains how there are only minor correlations between how you think you are viewed and how people view you.

"What matters about you, to someone else, is whatever has most meaning for them – not for you."

If you have the feeling that you are not getting through to someone, good chance you aren't!

The article triggered a memory.

I was working on two large healthcare projects:

Developing a partnership framework for working with external partners. A colleague from the IT department and I from the Health Education department were charged with writing a first draft of the framework. We had a pile of source materials. Neither of us had any experience in the type of thinking required for this work. And we both were very motivated to do a great job.
Preparing a workshop on how to apply constructivist theories to the design of continuing medical education programs. Instinctively, I knew I was a constructivist, but didn't understand it well enough to teach even after months researching the topic. The workshop was approaching and I was nervous.

Constructivism is a view of learning based on the belief that knowledge isn't a thing that can be simply given by the teacher at the front of the room to students at their desks. Rather, knowledge is constructed by learners; they are the builders and creators of meaning and knowledge.

Here is what happened:

My IT colleague agreed that I would write the first draft of the partnership framework and he would provide feedback. We would then develop our draft in an iterative manner, going back and forth.
He read my initial draft and felt nothing I wrote had merit or meaning for him so he made changes throughout.
I was ticked off, to be polite about it. I felt I had written a great first draft and couldn't believe he had dismissed everything.
In spite of being upset, I was trying to understand his perspective -- and in so doing I was reflecting my many months of researching constructivism.

My research led me to understand we learn in relationship to what we already know, what we believe, our biases, prejudices and fears.
Our respective backgrounds -- IT and education -- significantly influenced how we interpreted the problem and the solution.
Eventually, all the ideas I initially presented were reabsorbed into the draft.

After all this I understood constructivist theory well enough to lead a workshop, with confidence and conviction. I also became more sensitive to how so many of our misunderstandings and miscommunications are rooted in the fact that each of us generates our perceptions of the world and those they encounter through a unique lens.

Coach Minda

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How I got hip to pain in my hip

5/4/2015

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Trochanteric bursitis, shown in red, is truly a pain in the hip!

I saw a physiotherapist last week seeking a solution to my continuing hip pain, diagnosed months back by an orthopaedic surgeon as trochanteric bursitis. The fluid-filled bursae help reduce friction between bones and soft tissue, but repetitive movement can lead to inflammation, irritation and pain.

In my case, the problem stemmed from months of practicing the Cuban motion in dance class, essential to the cha cha and the rumba.

After a thorough examination, the physio recommended two simple exercises, jotting down these instructions:

Left leg behind right. Reach up and over. 2x20 seconds, 2x a day.
Balance on left leg 30 seconds x 2. Hold abdominals in then transfer weight. 3x a day.

Looking for a way to accelerate the healing process, I said: “I can handle more than this, definitely. Can you give me a few more exercises?”

She said I should just do the two exercises every day.

I woke up three days later realizing, in total disbelief, I had done my exercises just once.

Logically, the solution required three steps:

Find a well-regarded professional and wait a month for an appointment.
Pay for an examination and instructions on how to reduce pain.
Follow a stretching and strengthening exercise routine that takes all of four minutes and 20 seconds a day.

In my dumbfounded search for explanations, I asked myself:

Did I lack the time?
Did I forgot to do the exercises?
Did I think the exercises were insufficient?

After acknowledging the illogical nature of my behavior, I resolved to change my ways and have performed the two exercises every day, reminding myself:

There isn’t much choice – unless I want to give up dancing.
No burden or difficulty is being imposed upon me.
I feel better for doing the exercises – and for taking action

My conclusion? If you want to improve your life, or make a change for the better, you have to go beyond awareness and act on your intentions.

Many solutions are not that difficult, though some do call for more than four minutes and 20 seconds a day. Finally, doing something is almost always better than doing nothing.

Intentionally yours,
Coach Minda

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Ain't miscommunicating

How I got hip to pain in my hip

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