Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 25: Enjoyment

Merry Christmas to you and yours,

Wishing you a fabulous festive break, and a 

Wonderfully insightful start to 2018 

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 24: Walking

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

"Go for a walk, you may feel better afterwards" is something we often say to someone who is stressed about a current situation.

With today's unconventional tool we take the suggestion a little further, and ask ourselves to notice things along the walk that might provide an alternate perspective to the situation we'd like more clarity about.

Aboriginal cultures have done this for centuries - with medicine walks being a feature of many indigenous cultures. It's something I've done for over 20 years in nature in my Landscaping Your Life coaching sessions, and is also taken into the streets in towns and cities globally with Street Wisdom.

What indigenous Americans would do is go on the walk, and then tell the story of the walk afterwards. Which is what's happening here - I took the pictures, perhaps thinking I knew the insight they were trying to convey, and yet a different story has emerged in the telling. A story that makes much more sense than it did when I took the pictures.

Here's my take on the insight to be taken from what I noticed (or in reality, the things my subconscious nudged me to notice) when I met my personal trainer in the local park for a PT session:

It started before I left home, with a sign post I usually don't even see making itself known.

A reminder perhaps to slow down, no need to speed. Not just when driving but in life - release the fear of missing out, and know it's all happening in perfect timing.

From the top of the hill, as I drove towards Kirkcaldy, I noticed that all the traffic lights on the esplanade were green. (I obviously couldn't take a picture).

A reminder that even at 30 mph we can make progress. It's the stopping at red lights that holds us up, not the lack of speed.

I resisted the insight from the next image for some time. I'd parked over the white line of the parking space, and as there was a park run later, decided to move the car so I wasn't taking up two spaces.

A reminder perhaps, along with the speed limit and traffic lights, that some rules are there for a reason. Rules not to be broken but kept.

So long as I felt it was me needing to listen to what others were telling me I had to do I resisted this advice. However, I realise there's a higher power to listen to and that's my higher self ie it's the promises to be me that need to be kept.

Promises to be ourselves at all times - like these trees and hedges - each unique in how or if they lose their leaves, and yet no less perfect because of that.

Which reminds me of my favourite line from The Invitation, which asks "can you be faithless and therefore trustworthy?".

Mid walk, I had reason to send a friend a thumbs up. A thumbs up for resolving something that had been hanging around for some time. Releasing something that no longer served them - allowing them to be themselves, unhindered by the past.

When being ourselves, it's important that we look out for the sign posts - the signs that tell us we're on track and what way to go next.

Signs that tell of the new adventures ahead, just like the image here proclaiming the new day to come.

Remembering that love can be found in the strangest of places.

And every race has a finish - nothing is never ending - we just have to focus on the finishing line.

Later in the day, I was talking to some extreme runners who put this local 5 km run in the park into perspective, with talks of 130 km races. A reminder perhaps that the journey/race could always be longer, and yet we only run the distance we're prepared for.

As we headed back to our cars we noticed a few elves and Santa's arriving for the run, I wasn't brave or quick enough to ask for a picture so this is a stock photo reminding us that even a run in the park can be brightened and made more enjoyable.

Do remember - I'd notice different images if I as thinking about a different situation, or even take different insights from the same images for another challenge. You may therefore notice other insights coming to mind that make much more sense to the situation you're grappling with at the moment. That's how our mind works, and why metaphors are so useful in coaching situations.

What story that you need to hear would these images tell you at this time?

Even better, take yourself for a walk, and notice what you notice. You subconscious really does want to help, and will help you find the clues you need.

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 23: Charades/Mime

Happy 89th Birthday Dad 

With love xx


25 Unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight 
(perhaps a 6/7 on the unconventionalness scale out of 10)

The aim of many of the unconventional tools in this series has been to get beyond logic, and out of our left logical brain, to access the more creative side of us. A creative side that can already see a different perspective to the situation we're struggling with.

Today we leave words behind - both written and spoken and explore the ability of our body to express that inner knowing.

As it's Christmas, I suppose you could say it's a little like charades, except with charades we've been given the answer, and we're tying to convey the answer to others in our team. When we're using it as a facilitation or coaching tool we're assuming our body/subconscious knows the answer, and we need to translate the inner knowing into something that makes logical sense, and we do that via movement.

First however, we need to express the current stuck situation using some form of movement, no words, no sounds, just a movement. 

Then, as we did with the pictures we drew back on the 17th, we need to find a solution within the movement - to move away from the current situation and move to the desired outcome. That might mean a new movement, or it might mean altering the current movement. (A little like when we drew going around in circles last year).

For example,

• a curled up ball rocking slowly, may unfurl and even stand up and start to explore the room
• frantic quick movements may slow down with pauses and stillness added
• a head only movement may become an all over body movement  
• speedy shallow breathing may become longer deeper breaths
• and so on 

The aim is to express the situation (current and desired) via the movement, and only after that's complete to reflect on what you notice? Perhaps you just feel different, and what felt like an issue is no longer an issue. Perhaps it's just reminded you to slow down, or to relax, or to go to a different place, or something else entirely.

By way of an example, I've chosen some videos from YouTube and invite you to watch one/some or all of them without sound (or with sound for a different experience), and reflect on if they're the current or desired outcome, and what changes you might want to make to the movement and/or current situation.

 

Do go on a journey of Videos for yourself. It's interesting what thoughts come to mind as you search here and there, discount some, and say YES to others.

As ever with all these tools - they'll feel very weird until you try them yourself, and discover just how effective they are.

Do let me know how you got on.

Alison Smith

Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 22: Stand in your shoes

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

I've written before about standing in the other person's shoes to get insight on how to shift a current impasse with them. 

When I purchased these elves shoes, I thought that's what I was going to do with them on this series of posts ie to use them, as an example of standing in the other person's shoes.

However, upon getting to the beach and putting one elf shoe on, another thought came to mind. As I looked down, I reflected on whether the 2 shoes represented different aspects of me.

As I put on the elf shoe I wondered who do I become? what do I feel comfortable doing? what would my elf-like self do in the situation? (Be more playful was the answer - more lighthearted - less attached to a particular outcome)

It's a little like my friend who always wears her red jacket when she's got a particularly tough meeting coming up. It's as if what she's wearing changes her level of confidence, and ability to tackle the day in hand.

I wondered if shoes would be like that too?

Would I think of different solutions, options or answers when I was in bare feet? (Authenticity, and grounding myself and connecting to nature came to mind? Certainly looking for down to earth solutions.)

Or in my normal shoes, or any other shoes  

Trainers: Fast paced, flexible, adaptive, comfortable?

High heels: Stylish, elegant, poised, more considered?

Safety shoes: Risk management and mitigation, careful and considered? 

Flip Flops: relaxed and patient?

Or perhaps like my friend and her jacket. its about the colour of the shoes that makes the difference

Red: confident, strident, assured?

Wellies: Practical, water tight?
Pink: fun and light hearted?
Blue: clarity and ease?
Orange: vibrant and excited? 

What insights come to mind as you view the different shoes? 

In what way can these insights be applied to a current situation you'd like more clarity about? 

Thy're all different parts and aspects of ourselves, that imagining the different shoes styles and colours allows us to access, along with the different perspective they provide on a situation/challenge.  

As you imagine wearing different shoes observe in what way they allow you to view the situation differently - some improving and increasing the solutions available, and others not!

Do let me know how you get on.

Alison Smith

Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 21: The Beach

Happy Solstice
(it amazes me that even between London and Edinburgh
there's 43 minutes difference in daylight today)

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

Today I headed for the beach here in Burntisland in Scotland - it often features in my posts and vlogs.

I didn't really know how the beach would feature, just that the rising sun was providing a wonderful backdrop to the Edinburgh skyline across the Firth of Forth, and I felt sure something would come to mind.

As I searched for how the beach could act as insight for a situation, I saw some young children picking shells, and wondered what insight the shells could provide.

As I pondered on this, and looked to my right, I realised the image below might reflect a little of how 2017 had felt:

I then set about rearranging the shells to offer a solution.

As I collected some shells, and a little like the drawing behind window 17, my intention of what to do with the shells changed. Making a star had come to mind, and yet this is what I ended up making:

Or perhaps this:

and I did like this image taken from closer to the ground:

A reminder for me to be more focused in the situation I was thinking about perhaps?

Although on reflection, and because I made the arrow pointing at where I was sitting, I wonder if it supports insights from previous posts in this series, to remember how I fit into the bigger picture. Saying yes to everything by default may be the reason the shells in the original image are scattered all about. Being conscious in my Yes & Nos may provide more direction, more focus and more oomph for 2018.

The theme emerging as I write this series isn't a surprise. It's perhaps one downfall of me being the only one providing insight into the posts. It's my subconscious we're tapping into its inner wisdom to obtain insight from. No surprise therefore, that the message/wisdom would have a similar theme. It's my inner wisdom shouting at me to pay attention.

If you don't have a beach or any shells to hand, then this approach would work with Lego bricks, pipe cleaners, stones, leaves, and even flowers. You may even make a sandcastle or even do something with foot or hand prints. Drawing would also tap into our subconscious in the same way.

The aim is to turn your more logical left brain down a little. Which will allow your right, more creative, side to get in on the action. To allow your subconscious to provide guidance to the situation in question.

There's no judgement, no musts, no oughts, nor shoulds, no right, nor wrong, no perfection, Just observing and allowing the solution to emerge. Once you have a metaphorical solution, the aim is to then translate that into action in the real life situation.

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 20: Support others

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight.

Not all the 'unconventional' tools in this advent series are that unconventional - even if the more conventional ones are not often top of the to-do list when faced with trying to solve a problem you're facing.

In yesterday's post I shared that one of the morals of White Christmas was the impact for yourself on kindness.

In this post I'm inviting you to find out for yourself the positive impact of kindness.

Rather than send you to read posts I've written on the subject, I'm going to suggest you read some of Dr David Hamilton's posts on the subject:

• 7 day kindness challenge
• Kindness Dominoes
• Born to be kind
• How kindness can heal the body

For more on the positive impact of Kindness you may want to read David's book published earlier this year - the five side effects of kindness. As a scientist it's full of the science behind Kindness.

I was surprised a couple of years ago when we discussed Kindness in Procurement on a workshop - as many there thought it wasn't a behaviour we should take into buyer/supplier relationships! Which provided a lively debate. It's something I returned to at the start of the year when I set a desire to not leave humanity at the office door.

What kindness can you offer to others today, and over the festive break?

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing coach: Advent Window 19: Christmas movies

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

I've said it before, and will continue to do so for some time, metaphor is a wonderful tool for transformation and insight.

In this series of advents posts of tools to transform and enlighten we've already considered what festive cooking has to offer, what festive characters would do, insight from some festive reads, and also from games we play over the festive holiday.

Today we're going to explore the insights from our favourite films.

To get the most from this exploration, think of a situation you'd like more clarity on, and reflect on the moral of the following festive films, and see if any can be applied to your challenge?

To do this I asked social media for some help so not all of these are my suggestions.

• It's a wonderful life - says it all in the title - remember life is wonderful, and remember all the little things you do that make a HUGE difference to others. You matter.
• Elf - never doubt your abilities, smiling is contagious.(More about this image on 22nd)

• Santa Claus is coming to town - it's about the journey.
• Miracle on 34th Street - the right decision will win out.
• The Snowman - "a lesson in squandered potential"!
• Love actually - there's so many different ways to love.
• White Christmas - count your blessings (not sheep) - linked to window 10's tool, help others (more tomorrow).
• Home alone - check you've not forgotten anything essential, be careful what you wish for.
• Rudolph the red nosed reindeer - celebrate your/their differences.
• Polar Express - everyone has doubts, but believe in yourself and things will happen. Seeing is not believing. Some of the most real things in life can't be seen.

• Batman Returns - good will always win the day, again and again and again.
• Nightmare before Christmas - passion is contagious.
• Trading places - money doesn't make you likeable!
• Scrooge - being a grump won't get you very far, other than alone 
• Frozen - some people are worth melting for.
• Die hard - there's no right time to wait for anything - now is the time.
• Mrs Miracle (please tell me I'm not alone in loving this Christmas movie and watching it every year) - moving on doesn't mean we're forgiving or forgetting others.

Are any of your favourite Christmas movies missing? What would be the moral behind that story? 

Reflect on your original situation, and consider what change in belief or action might enable you to see the situation differently?   

Alison Smith

Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 18: Say yes (or no)

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

In November when I started to plan this series of posts I thought that 'saying yes' would be a great tool to include.

The idea is not to say "No" to life, but instead to say "Yes" and notice what transpires.

Last year when I did something different every day for 28 days I was amazed at how often I said "No", and as a result how repetitive life had got.

Saying yes, takes you into new surroundings, to meet new people, or try new experiences and to find solutions outside your comfort zone, solutions currently sitting in the middle of your 'don't know what I don't know' area. (Who knew that coffee wasn't so bitter if you added sugar!)

After yesterday's post where one of the insights was that I had permission to say No, I wonder if there's also a tool about saying No too. Especially useful when we find ourselves far to often saying "yes of course I'll do that" "yes of course I'll move my diary" "yes of course I'll cancel my plans for you" when we know the honest answer, the one that supports our values and well being, is "No I'm sorry, not this time."

Where do you need to say Yes more, and no less?

Where do you need to say No more, and yes less?

Will you make the change?

And if so, what's stopping you from starting this very minute?

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 17: Drawing

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

It's not so long ago that I wrote a post on how one team on a category management workshop used drawing as a means of getting new insight on a situation. It involved barbed wire (see image below), and ended up with a discussion about whether Procurement were as much to blame for putting the barbed wire between them and their stakeholders as their stakeholder were.

The process is simple.

• Pick an issue you'd like more insight on
• Draw a picture that represents the current situation - using as much lateral thinking as possible  
• Either draw a picture of the end result (ie the outcome you want or solution)
• Or make changes to the original picture to make it as you'd like it to be
• Or even just see what happens as you make changes to the image (not dissimilar to the collage process I wrote about a few days ago)
• Identify an action plan of how to apply the insights gained from the exercise, and apply them to the current situation, or notice how the situation already feels different, or perhaps a totally unrelated thought has come to mind about what you need to do to resolve the current situation.

Here's a quick example, showing how we don't need to understand the content of the situation to provide advice.

Current situation (no judgement - no logic either - if an image has come to mind there will be a part of you that knows how it relates):

Outcome (again no judgement - here I wanted to draw one non stick person and had thought perhaps they needed to be a different colour, and as I did that it started to look like an angel, and so I added the halo, the wings and some colour) 

Actions/Advice I've given myself as a result of reviewing these images:

• Less doing more being.
• Focus on being me (which was supported by the insight in window 12's tool - which demonstrates that the subconscious will make it's message heard what ever tool we choose to use. It's also why you may get other insights - because you'll notice something that you need to remember that relates to your situation. Whilst I've noticed what I need to remember). 
• Remember I can say no - in fact I am entitled to say no - nor I am obligated to say Yes. (more in tomorrow's post.)
• Do what gives me joy daily. 

To help bed in the insight, and because I know this works for me personally, I may use the image as wallpaper on my phone. I may even make a collage to help bring it alive too.

Perhaps you noticed different insights altogether?

Remember, this is my image, and so may make no sense to you. It's simply an example to demonstrate how the process works. It's only by embracing the process, and trying it for yourself, that you'll truly understand its effectiveness.

You may like this post using drawing to assist in a situation someone felt they were going around in circles about.

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 16: Games

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

This is a bit of a cheat, as metaphor has already made it onto the advent list of fabulous coaching and facilitation tools - that is we explored what we could learn from cooking to help resolve a challenge we were facing behind window 8.  You could also say that window 4's role model exercise was also metaphor. 

There's more about why metaphors are so powerful in helping us find solutions to challenges in this post. Basically they bypass resistance and the "That wont work" long enough for us to realise there are options available to us.

In today's festive example I want to prove that solutions can be found during any every day activity.

Let's look at the family games that will be played up and down the country this festive break - the games chosen perhaps say a lot about my age too!

Before reading further think about a situation you'd like more clarity on, now put it to the back of your mind as you reflect on your own insights from the following games.

Monopoly

Aim of the game: to buy and trade properties and make everyone else bankrupt!

Potential insight: Perhaps we need to be more selfish in the current situation and aim to win, and not worry about other people. They're playing the game, they know the rules, everyone for themselves.

Please note: Our minds are great at bringing to our awareness the analogy that makes most sense for us at this time. So the above insight may make no sense to you, and you may think it's about something else entirely. Which is why metaphor is such a powerful tool - it's already written into the rules that it's personally relevant. 

An alternate means of using this, or any other, game to provide insight to a situation would be to play the game, and unravel the insights from each move. You may even want to ascribe each player a different role in the situation. Player A might be Procurement, Player B might be Finance, Player C other internal stakeholders and Player C suppliers. Just make notice what you notice as you play along, make notes and unpick the game at the end. How can these insights be applied to the real life situation? (Do let me know if anyone would like to try this by webex/skype early in the new year before we get too busy to even consider such playful problem solving!)

Cluedo

Aim: to find out who murdered who, with what and in what room!

Insight: The intention is very clear ie to find the solution. People ask questions and based on the answers make guesses, and keep going until the solution is found. This perhaps links to yesterday's advent coaching tool: Intention.

Dobble

Aim: to win all the cards by noticing which 2 images on a pair are the same (Very addictive and this year's present of choice for me)

Insight: Pay attention to what's the same in this situation to other situations you've resolved in the past.

Jenga

Aim: to remove bricks and keep the structure upright ie not for it to topple on your turn

Insight: things aren't as precarious as you think, take care with every move, weigh up your options 

Twister
Aim: To be the last player standing

Insight: Weigh up your options carefully, consider how this move may support the next move ie thing more long and short term  

Trivial Pursuit
Aim: to answer the most questions right across a range of areas

Insight: the best teams are those with a wider range of age, experience and interest.

Do any of the above insights provide the necessary guidance on what might enable you to find a solution for the current situation? Did any other insights come to mind for you that apply? Perhaps another game came to mind - in which case explore what opportunity that might be highlighting for you at this time.

What game will you be playing this festive break, and what insight might it's rules provide for the situation you'd like more clarity on?

NB: I did write some time ago about not playing games at work which takes this metaphor in a different direction.

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 15: Intention

25 coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

As I wrote on LinkedIn earlier in the week, one persons unconventional is another person's weird. I should have added, one person's conventional is another persons unconventional.

Today's coaching and facilitation tool is very conventional and ordinary for many, and yet for others it's straying into weird.

It's a tool I've used since the late 90's. I remember hearing a number of years after I'd left Lloyds Bank, that the team still used this tool when they were struggling in a meeting, usually after someone had just asked "What would Alison have done?" It's also something we often start workshops with.

Setting an Intention.

Yep - it's simply about starting the day/meeting either thinking about the qualities needed to make the session a success, or about the outcome, in terms of how you'd like to feel, or what you'd like to be saying, or doing, at the end of a successful session.

You can do this on your own or as a group.

You can do this logically - thinking of your own answers to the question.

You can pull a word out of a hat/bowl.

You can ask others for a word for you.

You can open a book or magazine and pick the first word you notice - like we did behind window 12.

You can have one word, or many.

You can even have sentences.

You could add a picture or two.

You can build it up over a week - reinforcing the intention every morning

No rules as such, just a desire to focus your mind on how you'd like the outcome to be. Because rushing about like a headless chicken, and worrying, and focusing on the negative, or even worse what you don't want to happen isn't helping your mind support you in getting to your desired outcome.

As with all the tools in this advent series, it's going to make much more sense if you try it for yourself.

Do please let me know how you get on.

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.

Purchasing Coach: Advent Window 14: Collage II

25 unconventional coaching and facilitation tools to surprise and delight

Today I'm taking collage in a different direction than earlier in this series of posts.

It's the first ever process I used for Landscaping Your Life, a tool I developed over 20 years ago using landscapes as metaphors for our lives, and is one I return to often with clients.

You can follow along with me if you want - to do this you need some magazines with images in, and a situation you'd like more clarity about.

Now pick an image that represents the current situation. No need to logically understand just get a sense of an image that feels, looks or even sounds right!

and now reflect on what changes you might want to make to the image - cut way parts of this image, add other images, and develop another image.

and keep making changes

You may end up with none of the original image but it's informed by that first image. Keep going...

and again and again

until it feels just right

and then reflect on the original situation and notice what you notice.

For me, what felt like it was in a permanent state of uncompletion now feels whole. Only time will tell what impact that has on my words, thinking and actions in the situation.

Did these images shift anything for you? Or perhaps you're intrigued to have a go yourself - it's certainly going to make more sense if you choose the images yourself.

Do let me know how you get on.

Alison Smith
Unlocking procurement potential - using conventional and unconventional tools
Procurement and Business Speaker, Coach, Trainer, & Facilitator
alison@alisonsmith.eu +44 (0)7770 538159

Earlier in the year I applied some of the unconventional tools shared in this series of advent posts to common procurement challenges - more here.