Horizons | Brenda Eckstein International

Metaphors that ‘land’

November 26, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

Sometimes by shifting the angle with which we view the world, we broaden our horizons and discover exciting possibilities. As an Executive Coach I have often found that using a camera lens as a metaphor amplifies a person’s perception and helps them have insights on how stuck (in the present) they could be. So, I might show my client the picture below:

Photo 1.

When I asked my grand-daughter to tell me about this first picture she spoke about the ship towards the top of the picture. And that is how she saw it. And most of us most probably would have done the same, linking the fact that when I took this photo I appeared to be on a boat, looking out across the water. Our impression might have been that of ship in the distance. Then I showed her how different the picture looked when, remaining standing in the same position, I lifted the angle of the camera slightly.

Photo 2.

Seeing this second photo, she was amazed at how, although she was so familiar with the Sydney Opera House, she hadn’t recognised the building in the first photo and had thought it was a ship. Having this slightly different angle changed her view of the world. Now seeing the first picture again she more easily recognises the object in context and knows it is a building, a very special building! Just for fun, I showed her the third picture where I had again lifted my lens a fraction higher.

Photo 3.

This was far more easily recognisable. And possibly if I had shown her this photo first, she would more easily have recognised the object in Photo 1 because she would have been seeing my views in context.

This opens a whole range of quality questions from a coaching perspective. Examples could be:

If you were seeing the world according to photo 1 only, what opportunities might you be missing?
In photo 2 we have sky, shore, water and part of the Manly Ferry from where I took the photo. What does the balance look like? And how different is the balance to the proportions in the other two pictures?
Using these views as a metaphor, what could each element link to in our lives? For example:
- Sky could be our rest and sleep
- Shore and buildings could be our work
- Water could be our time for family and friends
- Ferry could be ‘me time’ – the time we spend on sport, study, self-development etc.
What happens when those proportions change? For example, in photo 3, the sky is absolutely beautiful, and often we need that in our lives. But on an ongoing basis, if the sky represents rest and sleep those proportions may not be advantageous.
Seeing a recognisable feature in photo 3, without seeing photos 1 and 2, how might you be imagining how a broader or deeper picture might look?

You don’t have to be a coach to have fun reflecting on the angles of your camera and the questions that can cascade from the different views – or even from a single view. These can lead to great insights and reflection. However, as integral coaches appropriate distinctions that ‘land’ with our clients play an important part in amplifying the journey from current narrative to future narrative. Metaphors bring our coaching programmes to life. So, use them to broaden your horizons and help your clients to shift from where they are now to a brighter future.

For more information on Executive Coaching or Keynote Speaking please contact brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311.

The Big Picture

November 12, 2014 by Brenda Leave a Comment

The messages in this poem apply in so many areas of our lives. Often we may be seeing the trunk while others are looking at the tail.

THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

John Godfrey Saxe's (1816-1887) version of the famous Indian legend.

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he,
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

What are your ‘blind spots’? What is stopping you from seeing the Big Picture?

A good coach can help you to broaden your horizons.

For more information on Executive Coaching services please contact brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311.

108: Navigating the future keynote

February 24, 2013 by Brenda Leave a Comment

I was delighted to be invited to present a motivational ‘keynote’ to a 1000 delegates at the TAFI (Travel Agents Federation of India) annual convention at the International Convention Centre in Durban. This takes place from February 24 to 27, 2013. The theme is ‘Navigating the Future’ and the topic given to me, ‘Golden Horizons’.

I immediately linked my message to stays at the beautiful Oyster Box Hotel where the view of sunrise from my window is often magnificent. The horizon appears ‘golden’. Out at sea there are always ships waiting to enter Durban Harbour and the lighthouse outside the Oyster Box is a beacon to them, helping them with their navigation.

A ‘Golden’ Sunrise from my window at the Oyster Box Hotel.

My ‘brief’ for this keynote included ‘keep it light’ and this suits my style. The tribute which I wrote in their honour and used as the introduction follows:

‘Tourism’? – I’m not sure what it really means
But now I know it is not what it seems.
‘Free trips galore!’ I always thought with glee
‘That’s the industry where I want to be.’

I’ve never considered the lonely nights
Away from family and home delights.
The sacrifices you make are many and great
I know there is absolutely no debate.

Upmarket Hotels can be sterile and cold
(Most of them fit into the jolly-same mold.)
Through glass you see the pulse of the city
But your feelings are numbed and that is a pity.

You’d love to go out and meet the real nation
But alas you must work so you stay at your station.
How do you touch the soul of this place
When airport-venue-hotel are base?

And when taxis take you from one to the other
You wind down the window and shout: ‘Hi, Brother!’
But no-one listens to your desperate cry
To them you are just another passer-by.

Yet travelling alone is some-times a gift
Group travel takes you on a different drift.
The challenges and issues of travelling fellows
Sound loud in your ears like a pair of bellows.

You scream and shout inside your head
But calmly smile and serve instead.
‘Come to my Kingdom!’ the Big Voices say
And it doesn’t take much - you gladly obey.

So you take up the challenge and come from afar
To learn from each other ‘cause that’s how you are.
You carefully build and plan for the future
Great things ahead you’ll continue to nurture.

You truly are a remarkable bunch
And that is not just a presenter’s hunch
My tribute comes from deep down in my heart
And I hope it will give you a really good start.

The ending summarised the content of the keynote:

With the travel trade industry in turbulent transition
The last few years have been an ongoing mission
Strong partnerships like BRICS have effectively arisen
Now the future looks good on the ‘golden horizon’.

So count the ships as you look out to sea
And ask yourself: ‘How would I captain if it were me’?
Clear in our minds must be the stern talk
‘People follow a captain and not a cork’!

For more information on ‘speaking’ tailored to suit the needs of your audiences, please contact Brenda on +27 82 4993311 or +27 33 3425432 – email brenda@146.66.90.172 or www.strategy-leadership.com

Metaphors that ‘land’

The Big Picture

108: Navigating the future keynote

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