VibrantFutures

If we want vibrant futures for the teams we work on (and thus, for ourselves), there are a few Dos and Don'ts to consider.

Things we should do:

• Be open-minded in the visioning process.  Think big and encourage others do so, too.
• Gain a WIDE range of perspectives (both from in and out of your field).
• Acknowledge and value the gifts/talents others on the team bring to the table.
• Take time to metabolize information (unless you're in emergency response mode).
• Understand that emotion and personal dispositions almost always trump empirical data as rationale for action (or inaction).  Frame positions and messages accordingly.
• Approach problems and people with a curious mind (demonstrated by skillful inquiry).

Things we shouldn't do:

• Try to convince others they're wrong.  It's a waste of time and energy.
• Explain stuff ad infinitum.
• Embarrass or humiliate others.
• Ruin a good plan by over-bureaucratizing it (with too many rules/procedures/protocols/restrictions).
• Put all our eggs in one basket.  Bold and risky ventures are best rolled out as pilot programs.
• Make assumptions about outcomes or people.  Both tend to defy prediction.

No guarantees, but better futures are more likely when we attend well to this prescription.