SHIFT Business Conference Cancelled

After ten months of intensive work, my committee and I made the heartbreaking decision to halt work on our SHIFT Business Conference.

What was remarkable was how three professionals with completely different backgrounds, skill sets and personalities managed to find a way to work together in a constructive manner.  We had to learn about each other's communication styles and thought processes and find a way to move forward together.  Which we did...successfully.

The powerful dynamics within the group led to some mind stretching conversations and sharing of information.  Over countless cups of tea, coffee and of course snacks, we learned about each other and our various connections, communities and businesses.  We found out what was important to each other in how we helped others achieve their goals and contribute towards community sustainability.  It was in helping others build that we found our common ground and were able to move forward to build the structure of our offering.

Although we decided not to proceed, much of what was needed was in place with countless reports and written structured plans with detailed steps, albeit with a few gaps which we proceeded to fill.  What was interesting were the reactions when we 'went public' outside the inner circle to fill those gaps.  It's amazing how many people had an opinion based on little information or understanding outside their areas of expertise.  If it scared them they were negative.

I wish I could sit down with those people and show them exactly what had been built thus far.  I wish I could show people who have a specific skill set that other skill sets come into play in solving problems and an appreciation and willingness to collaborate can move mountains.

Whooooosh!

Two months down.  Did you notice them go by?  Whoooosh!
What is it you really want to achieve this year?  Pick one thing that would make a difference to your business, and think it through. 
How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time. 
Break the elephant up into bites, and make the first step: list the activities, check your calendar, mark the bites into it, look up the phone numbers for tomorrow, tell someone about your wish/goal, what ever it is that you can do now.  You will feel you have made a start, and feel better about it, and then it will become more or a reality, with all the benefits upon completion.