Add Strategy as connecting the dots!
9/29/07 - From my Blog site at http://whatsmyword.blogspot.com/
Saturday, September 29, 2007
What's My Word?
Let me start this exercise in self indulgence by saying that I'm not a fan of Blogs. I've never been one to keep a journal for more than a month, nor had that much to say each day to fill an active on-line rant. I'm more likely to have a conversation with myself than others, and who cares what I'm saying to myself?
So here's the deal: I'm going to start this Blog with one entry and leave it to those who care to comment to create the content. I am interested in reading what others think about this exercise, which I'll tell you about shortly. Perhaps this is better suited to a discussion forum, but hey, Blogger is free and visible, so have at it.
What's the story? A friend asked me to think about what my word was. My word? Yes, my word. She said, if you had to choose a word under which you could talk about who you are, what you do and are passionate about, what would that word be? Now my first reaction was how dare anyone think I or anyone else could be reduced to a single word. But I have to say, reductionism aside, I was intrigued. I asked her what her word was. Abundance. She went on to say why, and I was more intrigued. I'll leave out the why's and simply note that she called it an umbrella word.
I started flipping through the pages of my mental dictionary to pick a word. This was no simple exercise. The stakes were huge. After all, this could become the tag-line under a mug shot of me on some poster in a public building. An umbrella word under which all that's me comfortably fits? Daunting.
So what's my word? I hestitate to say. I don't want to prejudice your thinking about this, about what your word is. But I told you about abundance, and I'm going to ask you to think about what your word is, so in fairness I ought to tell you what mine is. Connections. Not bad. Now here's the kicker, why connections? Well, I work in an area of telecommunications and that's about connecting things together. I also like connecting people with information in which I think they'll have an interest. And I like connecting people with each other: "you really ought to meet ...." Finally, I like playing with words and connecting them in different ways (a closet poet, if you must know.) So that's it; connections.
Now it's your turn. What's your word? Why is it your word? And what do you love and hate about doing this? Self discovery? Self indulgence? Madison Avenue gone nuts? Add your thoughts in the comments and let's start the discussion.
9/15/06 - Is the Umbrella Word Reductio Absurbum?
What's the philosophical history? Occam's Razor, for example. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_Razor )
Occam: "when given two equally valid explanations for a phenomenon, one should embrace the less complicated formulation. The principle is often expressed in Latin as the lex parsimoniae (law of succinctness)"
Modern reductionist psychological types:
Myer Briggs (4 factors)
DISC (4 factors)
Strength Finders (5 Strengths)
What about Marcus Buckingham's "One Thing?" Is this extreme synthesis and boiling it down useful or not?
Is the Umbrella Word Reductionism or Clarity?
I think it is useful, and does clarify. If the best CEO's talk about 3 things we need to do well to succeed, then the complexity of a modern corporation can be led by the simplicity of the few goals.
Check the "games trainers play" for the self-descriptive word and values clarification exercises where you give up words or values until you are left with one.
9/1/06 - A little exercise of one word
What's the one word that is your "umbrella" word, under which fits all of your business and personal interests
For me it is "connections:
Connecting words (poetry)
Connecting ideas (strategy)
Connecting people to people (networking)
Connecting people to ideas (teaching, speaking)
Connecting people with technology (IT)
From: Granger-Happ, Edward [mailto:ehapp@savechildren.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 2:45 PM
To: 'Martha Heller'
Subject: RE: Umbrella/Essence Word
Martha,
By all means use the "What's my word?" exercise for your presentation. Just to get the attribution chain correct, I first learned this from Isabel Torbet, a friend, and personal coach and consultant by profession. I also found a "new-age" web reference, here: http://www.projectheavenonearth.com/entryways.html they have a paragraph on "essence word" that captures the exercise:
Discovering your 'Essence Word'
Your entryway may be the discovery and living of what I call your 'Essence Word.' My 'Essence Word' is 'Harmony'. This word is the resonance of my soul. It's like a tuning fork specifically tuned to one frequency. Whenever I hear the word a shudder of deep recognition and delight travels through me.
What's your word?
I'm also looking for other references to ground this.
I agree that this would make a great article, and would love to collaborate with you on it. Let me know how your presentation goes and then let's talk more about it.
Ed
From: Martha Heller [mailto:mheller@zrgroup.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 10:40 PM
To: 'Granger-Happ, Edward'
Cc: 'Carol Lynn Thistle'
Subject: Finalist materials for the Board
Hi Ed,
Here are the materials for the board meeting.
Martha
PS. Yes - I think that the "umbrella word" exercise does belong in an article. In fact, I would like to use it during my presentation on "the CIO career" at the CIO Decisions conference in June. I have a section on "good networking conversation starters," and I think this one is a winner. With your permission, I'd like to mention it (with full attribution!)
Martha Heller
Managing Director, IT Leadership Practice
Z Resource Group
office: 508-366-5800 x222
cell: 508-654-8378
mheller@zrgroup.com
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