In the past forty-five years I’ve had the privilege of working in and with educational, business, entrepreneurial, and non-profit organizations at the local, regional, national, and international levels.  This journey has put me in touch with some of the most talented, courageous, compassionate people.  Each day, they approach the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of the world with a resolve to succeed and create something worthwhile and lasting.

As a result of my experiences, I’ve come to some assessments (but it’s simply what I believe; you may see it differently) – in no particular order:

1. Everyone sees the world differently.
   1. The way we see the world is the source of our actions, which produces the results we get.
   2. We are capable of shifting the observer that we are in order to generate different reactions.
   3. If we don’t make that shift, we’ll get amazingly similar, unsatisfying results.
   4. The source of much conflict is when we expect others to see the world the same way we do because it’s so “obvious” to us.
2. We always do the best we can.
3. We never do the best we’re capable of doing.
   (These two are a pair.  If we only think of ourselves in one of these ways, we’re either victims, resigned to who we are, or perfectionists, never satisfied with any of our efforts)
4. There’s nothing “soft” about people skills – the vital understandings that make any organization successful.
5. The reason most people and organizations fail is, not because they don’t know what to do; they mostly get tired of doing it.
6. Everyone’s more resourceful than they think they are and has infinitely more wisdom available to them than they realize.
7. “Any problem in an organization or relationship is directly related to a conversation not being had or one being held poorly.” – Julio Olalla. The problem is we don’t know how or are afraid to have the conversations that matter the most.
8. Most people have no idea why they have emotions, what purpose they serve, or how to respond to them. This often does not end well.
9. Many people and organizations have no clear understanding of their purpose or reason for being.
10. Leaders don’t spend enough time committed to being a learner in the vital skills necessary for organizational success: being a leader; designing the architecture of the enterprise; and developing personal and collective organizational competencies in key area.

Geoff Davis, February 2016