Five Frontier Conversations

I came across the following five questions a couple of years ago while working on an event in which we were considering the poet David Whyte as a possible speaker. These questions were offered by David as focal points for our conversations at the event. These questions, especially the first one, are worth visiting.

1. (The private conversation) What is the courageous conversation I am refusing to have with myself, in my own heart and mind with regard to my work, and the present life threshold on which I find myself? What is the courageous conversation I am not having with my partner or spouse, my children or loved ones?
2. What is the courageous conversation I am not having in my immediate workgroup, or with my immediate superiors, associates and subordinates? What is the courageous conversation I can personally initiate to start things moving in this immediate circle?
3. What is the courageous conversation we are not having between the different divisions and international cultures within our organization? What prevents us from taking another step in working together?
4. What is the courageous conversation we are not having with our clients or the societies of which they are a part? This in effect is the future, now, as the currents of people and events flow around the organizational vessel and the endeavors of the individuals who make it up.
5. What is the courageous conversation we are not yet having with the unknown future, with the world that lies over the horizon, but has not yet been fully articulated?

The first question, though asked privately, is an essential foundation for all the other courageous conversations. It is very difficult to be passionate or authentic about the outer, more abstract questions, if a leader has neglected his or her own primary questions with regard to work and the part their work plays now in the particular drama of their own story.

Filed under A Full List of Postings, Courage on March 10th, 2008. Use this URL to trackback.