By Deedee Myers
There once was a man who built a raft to cross a river. He got to the other side of the river and continued his journey on land—still carrying the raft. I hear this parable every once in a while, and I wonder what raft I am lugging around that no longer needs carrying. What practice did I bring into my life years ago that no longer serves me in relationships that need sustainable practices to develop and flourish?
There has recently been an increase in the number and frequency of conversations about sustainability, including how to create or change organizations to make them more sustainable. Sustainability requires both individual and collective responsibilities; it can’t happen with just the voice of one person. The voice of many individuals will eventually shape a collective responsibility. How does this happen?
Communication is a primary social force. We use it thousands of times a day, and it requires another human to be in relationship with the messages that we send; communication happens between people. A simple, yet complex, way to view communication is to remember that we make what we get. This simple statement reminds me that I am accountable for the success of my relationships because I make them, and I create them primarily with communication. I notice that the quality of my relationships starts to become compromised when my spirit of accountability is forgotten or put on the back burner because I get busy.
The time is now to create the foundation for our future. I write this sentence as I watch my twins (10) and quadruplets (9) practice for their first black belts in Taekwondo. They are in the last few minutes of their Saturday 2.5-hour practice, and they are making their minds and bodies stronger. I often flash forward in an attempt to discover who they will become; there is such potential in this generation. Watching them on the mat instills in me that we, as adult leaders, are accountable for the future.
In a few minutes, we will start our drive home. I know that we make what we get, and we make it in communication. I wonder what the seven of us in the car will make in communication on our drive home . . . and what raft we will leave behind.
Deedee Myers is founder and CEO of DDJ Myers, Ltd.
DDJ Myers and CUES have partnered to help you build on untapped strengths and leverage your best talents, values and visions for optimal organizational fitness.
