So I'm packed and ready to go - feeling sooooo excited!  First off to Ottawa, so had to pack some sober clothes as I'm presenting on Succession Planning in Non Profits.  Then my friend Christine is flying in and we'll be staying with another friend of hers for the weekend and exploring Ottawa! This will be the start of Christine and Maeve's Excellent, Amazing Adventure.  Off we go then to Boston to meet Number one son who graduates from Berklee, I'm so proud of him!  We'll spend a week with him, enjoying Boston, eating and probably drinking a wee bit, but most of all celebrating his success - he also graduates on his birthday - surely a good omen.

As you can see two half empty suitcases!  I'll just have to do a little shopping.  Suitcases have some books, along with my e-ready, sometimes I just have to feel the paper in my hands.  Bringing my knitting, I have a top I took apart as it was knit in the round and too short, I need to have it a quite a bit longer, however since it is on round needles it means I won't poke my neighbour on the plane!

One of the things I like to do before I travel is to put new sheets on my bed so that when I come home I have beautifully fresh sheets that first night tired after travelling.  It's one of my peculiar foibles.... we all have them.  Another is to put a fresh set of clothes into my hand luggage, along with my toothbrush and face wipes.  I've lost my luggage so often over the years that I now try and ensure I have something to sleep in, clean my face and teeth and change into the next day...

It's funny writing these blog posts, I can see the statistics and know there are people reading, or at least looking, at the blog, but I'm not sure how many of you enjoy it.  It's a very strange relationship - sort of having a diary that everyone reads but no one talks about!  Do leave a comment or note on your thoughts of my posts, or even like me on Facebook, which will allow me to access all sorts of information.  Thank you!

Today is the last few days of April and I'm trying not to look at any of my electronic devices when I get up in the morning.  A challenge I've broken because my meditations are on my computer.  So I've compromised and only grab the computer for meditation purposes - I've set it up so that I go straight to the icon, and let me say - it's tough.  The computer is there, maybe I can just check up on Facebook and see what's happening with family and friends or maybe I should just check my phone to ensure my kids are okay!!  The excuses are great however I'm not succumbing and have now also decided that about an hour before bed, I'm turning them off.  This is to try and allow me to have a better sleep which has for most nights worked!

I'm really pleased with this challenge and it has made me much more aware of what was happening to my sleep patterns, having a computer/iPad, a cell phone and any other electronic item on or beside the bed.  Now except for the iPad they are all out of the room.  I use it as both an alarm and as access to my meditations.  Again I'm going to keep this challenge going - it's healthy for me.  How do you manage your devices?  Have you thought about what you have in your bedroom at night, having never been one for a TV in my room, it is not a problem for me, but slowly the other items crept into my room without me even being aware - could you change this one habit?  Try it, and let me know how you do!

I'm off to Eastern Canada to Ottawa, (a city I don't know at all), this week, for the last few days of my challenge, and still thinking about what May's should be.  I'm continuing with my Yoga and Pilates, however I would like to incorporate some outdoor time into my routine now that Spring is here and the days are longer and brighter.  So I think I'll add at least 5 days of outdoor walking/biking a week during May!  This does allow for a couple of lazy days, but because writing here makes me accountable I'm much more likely to keep the resolution.  Too after Ottawa, I'm off to BOSTON -  a city I do like and which is so great to walk around.  I'm going to my eldest's son's graduation!!!! So proud of my young man - it will be awesome, a friend is coming with me to celebrate, always fun to have a pal, we'll enjoy lots of exploring, good food and great music!  So expect a few posts during the next few weeks of our Excellent Adventures!

So I'm back painting, which allows me great globs of time to think.  So a warning, you'll probably find a lot of posts over the next few days as I unload my thoughts!

Today my music was very eighties - Bruce Springsteen, Eurythmics and more recent Bruno Mars, great bopping (dancing) music.  I had a lot to think about - yesterday we celebrated International Women's Day with a coffee hour hosted by Olympian and MLA (Politician) Michelle Stilwell who invited another Canadian Olympian, a former MLA and the ED of our local Women's Transition House to talk about what drove them to pick their careers, who inspired them and what they hope for the future!  It was both exhilarating and inspiring.

While painting I thought back to yesterday and thought 'okay but what now?  What are those 130 Women of all ages and walks of life going to do, change, today as a result of what they heard yesterday?'  It is so easy to walk away feeling great, then as the 'tyranny of the urgent' takes over the excitement we experienced disappears and is forgotten.  So I'm challenging you to think what could you do this year to make a difference in a women or girls' life?  I've loads of ideas, of course!  What about helping the single mum by offering to drive her child once a month to their activity of choice, allowing the mum to rest?  What about mentoring a girl in high school or university?  Volunteering your time once a month to a women's charity?, like your local transition house.  What about in your professional life, how about mentoring a young women coming into the profession?  Try it. 

What am I doing, since it is my suggestion!  I've done a number of things which I will continue - I mentor/coach someone who is new to the non-profit profession, a program I was involved in last year and enjoyed, so I volunteered to continue this year with another individual - we introduced ourselves via e-mail this week.  I also joined a great group www.tenthousandcoffees.com 

We’re a team of young people who believe that the next generation has incredible potential just waiting to be unlocked. The problem? There’s a gap between the leaders of today and the social generation. We built Ten Thousand Coffees to be the solution: to bridge that gap and help people connect in a way that’s never been done before.

Business leaders go for coffee all the time, but they’re restricted to their personal networks of friends and family. Ten Thousand Coffees is democratizing the coffee experience by opening it up to 
youth all over Canada.

The conversations I've had so far have been incredibly interesting, and with young women.  Ten Thousand Coffee has a new idea and a great one.  Those women I've had the privilege of talking too are not from my side of Canada and with technology today it's easy to talk.

I believe each of us has a lot of value inside, we just have to open up and share - start with a smile at the bus stop or at the car beside when you're stuck in  a traffic jam!  Take it a bit further and listen, really listen to a friend or colleague when they are unloading or trying to sort out a problem out loud - don't let your mind wander, even if you've heard the story a hundred times, sit and listen.  All of us have amazing talents, we just have to share them.  A professor at the University when I took my coaching certificate used to say, 'what people really want is to be seen, heard and understood', and it's so true.  I love watching people blossom as they grow in confidence, it's my payback


So I challenge you to think about what you can do this year, let me know and return in one year and let me know how it went!

You remember the saying March and coming in like a lion - yesterday March 1st, here in Southern British Columbia we had another snow storm.  Such a coward, I am, that the very thought of snow turns me to a blithering idiot.  However it was also the day that I finished my chocolate reset button.  So breakfast started with chocolate, which I had purchased the day before.  Chocolate that had been in my fridge and was taunting me that last night!  Actually it was the most difficult night, having a bag of chocolates in the fridge and being unable to eat them.  I didn't eat them all that morning - it took me a few days and actually my reset plan worked I couldn't eat them all at once - even the couple of breakfast chocolates felt too much!

And so, now it is March, roaring like a lion.  I'm not giving up anything this month - I'm adding.  I've decided to add something to my day and so I'm adding either six sun salutations each day or doing my Pilates practice, some days I've done both.  I'm also taking a page from the weather and adding the lion pose each day - if you don't know the lion pose in yoga, it's a great one to for our faces 

"in this posture is thought to be one of the best face exercises you can get. People often overlook another benefit of Lion Pose: it stimulates the platysma, which is a thin, rectangular-shaped muscle in the front of throat. This exercise will keep the platysma strong as you age." (http://www.cnyhealingarts.com/2011/03/13/the-health-benefits-of-simhasana-lion-pose)

It actually looks a bit like this fella on the right, tongue out and all!

So how is the reset going, both on the wine and chocolate it's been great, each reinstatement of the two things I enjoy has been easy and exactly as I'd hoped.  What have I learnt, as everyone tells us, making out goals realistic and attainable.  I think if I had said I was giving up one or the other item for the year, I'd have failed miserably.  As it is I've achieved my goals and reset the button for both that is I'm not overloading anymore.   Now by adding yoga and pilates into my daily routine I'm getting into the habit of exercise, doing something that I like, even when I'm at home which given some of my longer days is great.  Too, it helps me in the rehabilitation of my knee which needs movement each day to avoid getting stiff.  One of the great things about doing either of these activities is that not only do they help me build strength, in both my core and upper body, but also I feel great after both and I'm sleeping better too!

So my challenge to you is to add something extra to your day, something that is attainable.  As Spring comes it may be a walk each evening for a month, or even as simple as giving yourself the gift of sitting quietly, no TV, no noise, each day; try it and see what happens and let me know how it works for you.  Remember it's only for one month!

I seem to be talking to a lot of people about Succession Planning and it appears to me that like death and taxes, it's not something people, particularly people at the top of an organization want to think about.  Why not?  I've come to the conclusion it's a bit like death and taxes, we don't want to think that far ahead, for some it's frightening, a step into the unknown, others think 'why rock the boat', I'll/we'll think about it when we have to.

Who should think about Succession?
I believe that both the Board and the CEO should be responsible for, and worry about Succession and yes, it should begin with a capital, it is that important.  There should be both an Emergency plan, for three months or less, and a plan for when it's time for goodbye.

One of the reasons I believe that these conversations are happening now, is the number of changes taking place at the top of many organizations - some have been somewhat clumsy, with games of musical chairs at the top, others seem to have got it right, but have they, how many organizations do you know that after the long tenure of a CEO, there seem to be a number of individuals rotating through the CEO's office over a short period of time.  A succession plan can help smooth the transition from one leader to another.

When should we think about Succession planning?
As soon as possible, it's easy to put it off when things are going well, however that's probably the best time to develop your plan?   If you're in the middle of transition, or you are playing musical chairs - it is not too late, however you need to start straight away, don't go blindly into picking another leader without being absolutely sure of what/who you are looking for.  Some of the questions that should be asked include:

What are the attributes that we are looking for in our next CEO?
How will we go about the search for a new CEO - by ourselves/using a search firm?
What is our timeline?

Time must be spent reviewing who we are and what we are looking for.  Each Board orientation/annual review
must include a review of the Succession plan to ensure that it follows the current needs of the organization.  

Succession planning is not a once in a while operation, it must be part of Board work and should be part of the Board's fiscal responsibility.  It is also important for the Board to have it's own Succession plan, asking who will be following us in guiding our organization?  It is also the responsibility of the CEO to ensure that not only does the Board have a CEO Succession plan, but also that she/he has a plan for the organization in the same way - what happens when a key staff member decides to leave, who can carry out those responsibilities while they search for a new colleague. 

So if you're serious about Succession planning and need to start, or review your plan, let's talk.

So I've been procrastinating, and procrastinating... I can't write my blog, what do I want to say?  What am I feel passionate about that will interest people - excuses, excuses and easy to buy into and so it goes on.  

So why do I have to be perfect? A question I ask others is, what would be the worst that could happen if ......?  So for me what would happen if the post is not exciting/perfect etc. etc... but people will be disappointed - Question: are my posts that important?  No one will read me again - Question: how do I know that that many people read them anyway.  

So really what is the/my problem?  Do I want to be perfect for my clients or myself - is it me and my own ego - yep that's it, that pride I was warned about it as a child, here it is again popping up it's old head again and again, writing a blog is not the only place it can get a hold, like temptation pride pops it's head up at the most inconvenient time, however unlike temptation, pride is really good at hiding itself and sometimes it takes a while to recognize what's happening.  It sneaks up and then the excuses start until it's been over a month and the longer I procrastinate the more difficult it is to start again.

What's different today?  What happened today that changed things?  Maybe a question I've been pondering a few days now - what will it take me to start again?  

So what is it that has you procrastinating on moving forward/making a decision?  What would it take you to move forward?  Talk to me, let me know what you think. What will it take to move you forward on something that you've been procrastinating on?

I seem to be hearing and reading a lot about the benefits of taking time out to think, meditate or even not think, just ruminate!  When was the last time you took 10 minutes to do absolutely nothing?  Think about it - absolutely nothing.  Try it.  Let the thoughts go, never mind what's happened today, what you're going to do tomorrow, sit in the moment and enjoy the sensation.  What happens?

We spend so much time rushing about, crossing off items from our to do list, getting things done, that we forget to take time to do nothing.  What would it take for you to set aside five minutes each day to do nothing, not to think about anything in particular, just sit in the moment?  

Sometimes clients argue that it's not time to meditate, but time to think, silence isn't important, they don't have time to sit and do nothing and so we try to come up with an agreement that meets their needs and also allows them to try taking time to do nothing. Often they come back amazed that they seem to have more time on their hands.  Other times it doesn't work for them, so we look at their day.  We always find something - some time.  

What about when you exercise, sit watching tv (turn it off),  what do you do?  So many people try to multi-task, read, watch the news - how about just staying in the moment?  Let your mind go, wander around, don't stop at each and every thought, just acknowledge them and move on.  Clients who have tried this, talk of having more clarity, of finding answers to questions that they have been pondering or wrestling for weeks.  What would it take for you to try?

Interestingly enough, contemplative practice is meeting Law!  A study at Harvard Law School, The Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative is looking at the connection between meditation and the art of conflict resolution.  (http://www.harbus.org/2012/meditation-and-leadership).  Business men are becoming more interested in the art of contemplation as a means to move forward.  Go on, try it, take 10 minutes daily for five days, let go and let me know how you do!

Throughout the course of a week, I participate and sometimes observe many meetings, in both I observe the people involved.  One week I participated in a meeting and was particularly gobsmacked (a great descriptive word!) at the behaviour of one person, let's call him Jack.

Jack's colleague arrived on time and noted that Jack might be late.  We waited a short while and decided to begin our discussion.   Some twenty minutes into the allotted time Jack arrived and sat down, no apology.  His mobile rang and he took it out of his pocket, checked the number and continued with our conversation, he paused and began to scroll his e-mail.  Eventually noting the silence from myself and my colleague he looked up, stopped and turned his mobile upside down.  He then began to note that his colleagues, with one in the room, are lazy and that was part of the problem he is there to fix. Rather than listening to what was being said, he talked, not allowing for silence, or space to absorb both the atmosphere and the impact of his words.  Thirty minutes after he arrived, he looked at the clock and stood up, ready to dash to another meeting.

In todays world, many may chose to ignore the simple forms of business etiquette.  I am not one of them.  My opinion of Jack has now been formed and it will take a lot to change it.  How often do we do tiny things without thought?  Taking out our mobile to check messages, when in a meeting or at a workshop?  Speaking loudly into our mobile in a public place, unaware, or maybe uncaring that anyone could be listening, and forming opinions of our behaviour and more importantly our business.  Speaking without thinking of the impact of our statements.

Coaching Jack, I would ask how he would handle a colleague who spoke disparagingly of him and his co-workers?  I would ask what image did he wish to convey as a businessman and of the employer he was representing?

What else would you suggest Jack change?  How would you have handled his behaviour, as the colleague in the room, and as one of the individuals he was meeting?

As business people, we expect some level of politeness.  Being rude to others demonstrates a lack of respect, do you believe Jack wanted to project that image?  

Let me know your thoughts and experiences in this new technological world!