eBridge - April 2008

Article: Communication: The Bridge to Effective Leadership
By Bob Volpe, Ki ThoughtBridge Senior Consultant

"In Order to be a Leader, You Need to Build Bridges"

This phrase is posted to a kiosk of a church I drive past several times a week. This pearl of wisdom resonates with me during a time in my life when I'm dealing with a series of personal communication challenges that are leading me to new skill development opportunities.

As leaders, we can build bridges by managing the smallest of interactions consistently and with respect for the other person. By understanding our own hot buttons and dealing with them appropriately, we help to strengthen relationships, which can pay huge dividends as a leader.

Read the complete article to find out more about effective leadership and understanding your microtriggers.

In the News

The Community Foundation of South Wood County and The Ford Foundation to Receive COF Award.

Quotable Quotes

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."
- Peter Drucker

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after."
- Anne Morrow Lindberg

"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening."
- Dorothy Sarnoff

Upcoming Speaking Events

Events Consultant Date Location

Greater Salina
Community Foundation
Leading Change with Emotional Intelligence Joanna Murray April 17 & 18
Salina, KS

Community Leadership
Association
Leading Change with Emotional Intelligence Joanna Murray April 26
Denver, CO

Multi-Sector
Leadership Forum
The Integrated Work of Leadership: Advanced Skills for a New Reality Katherine Tyler Scott May 9
Indianapolis, IN

The Institute for
Management Studies
Effective Conflict Resolution: An Essential Leadership Asset

Irma Tyler-Wood May 13 Seattle, WA

Interview: An Interview with Sallie Suby-Long, Ki ThoughtBridge Senior Consultant

Using Appreciative Inquiry to foster deep understanding

E-Bridge:
We often encourage leaders to test their assumptions and to ask thoughtful questions to unlock a challenging situation. What processes have you used effectively with clients to engage in this type of dialogue?
Sallie Suby-Long:
Appreciative Inquiry is a process that can create effective dialogue regarding difficult situations. The process, developed by David L. Cooperrider, Ph.D, is a catalyst for positive change and transformation. The methodology identifies what has been giving energy to the organization by approaching diagnostics appreciatively through inquiry with positive questions.
Read the complete interview to find out more about Appreciative Inquiry.

Suggested Readings
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
- Eckhart Tolle, Penguin Publishers, 2005
Winning Em Over
- Jay A. Conger, Simon & Schuster, 1998
The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict Into Cooperation
- Daniel Yankelovich Simon and Schuster, 1999
58 Little Things That Have a Big Impact
- Janet Crenshaw Smith, Published by Ivy Planning Group, LLC, 2006
On Dialogue
- David Bohm, London, 1996 Routledge USA, 1996

2008 Open Enrollment Programs

Trainings Date Location Fee

Adaptive Leadership Skills for The New Reality
A workshop for professionals responsible for leading complex change in their organizations June
12 & 13 Indianapolis,
IN
$1,500
Early Bird Fee: $1,200
*Workbook included

Leading Change for Transformational Results
A training workshop for experienced organizational development consultants
September
25 & 26
Boston,
MA
$3,000
Limited Registration
*Workbook and Toolkit included

Registration: Register online or call 317-822-8205

Here's What You Will Find in the Next Issue of eBridge
Our next issue of E-Bridge will explore aspects of organizational culture and the ways in which organizational culture impacts performance. Just as individuals have aspects of themselves that are unknown to them but that still influence their behavior so do organizations. Individuals have character and organizations have culture. In a culture there are parts of the organization that have been denied and repressed. These parts are organizational shadow.
In the next issue, we will explore how organizational shadow can be used constructively. Join the discussion and learn more about how leaders influence and shape organizational culture.

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