Dishwashing plus camping equals context.
When I was a kid, one of my family chores was washing the dishes in the evening several times a week. I grew up in a farming community back in the 80s, when almost nobody had a fancy electric appliance called a “dishwasher.” There were 6 of us in my family, so dishwashing was no small task, either. My mom and dad each gave me advice about how to get dishes as clean as possible. Mom said to use plenty of soap, and Dad said to use the hottest water I could bear to stick my hands in. I ended up with seriously chapped hands most of the time. Recently, I was laughing about my by-hand-dishwashing experience with my friend Tom. He grew up on a farm and can commiserate about the drudgery of chores. And, just like my dad, Tom has a love of camping, joined the military to see life outside Ohio, and is a practical sort of guy. Tom pointed out something to me about my dad’s advice to wash dishes in the hottest water possible. When you are camping for fun or for the military, he said, it’s a good idea to rinse dishes in water hot enough to scald. Otherwise, you risk leaving nasty bacteria on your dishes. Nobody wants to deal with stomach issues in the wilderness. Here’s why Tom’s perspective matters to me: he gave me context I could never have seen on my own. By adding context to my understanding of my dad and his experiences, a lot of the advice he gave me over the years makes more sense now.Context is also the reason I always believe people when they say, “Well, it’s complicated.”
It’s complicated because they are dealing with layers and layers of context that I can’t see (yet). If I could wave a magic wand, that context would become visible to me – and to them! Context helps us see why making decisions is difficult, why someone is stuck on a particular task, or why success seems to be just beyond reach. There are several areas in which I often help clients gain context and, therefore, greater clarity:- Vision and direction;
- Action plans;
- Skills;
- Things that limit progress – both physical environment and mental games and beliefs.
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Kay Coughlin, CEO, Facilitator on Fire, is passionate about helping businesses overcome roadblocks through leadership and sales coaching for women and team workshops.
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Great post! Right on target. It’s where I spend a great deal of time with my change management practice, i.e., bringing it all to the surface. Always run into a paradox…people complain about not being understood and then they protect (ferociously, sometimes) the deeper layers that, when understood within the group, can help them break loose and experience abundance.
Again, great post, Kay!