Lessons learned from self-mastery with the Emotional Culture Deck (ECD)
As we enter into a new year, we often spend time reflecting on the year that has past. I have enjoyed seeing the reflections over the holidays of what is “in” for 2024 and and what is “out” for 2024.
During 2023, I stepped up my training in the Riders & Elephants Emotional Culture Deck by completing the Certified Consultant Course with an amazing group of people from around the globe. As part of that course, we took the tool and used it in various ways to see how this card game could help shift conversations, create meaningful cultures and help us through even the most challenging situations.
The cohort group were amazing, their insights and support for each other outstanding, the leadership from Jeremy at R&E second to none. Not only thought-provoking but personally challenging as we had to use the cards to do personal reflections, complete tasks that were necessary in so many ways and see first hand the impact using the cards would have.
This is the first of a short series of blogs reflecting on the course and the practices we completed throughout, as part of completing our certification.
My focus today is on my own experience.
Before training others, sharing insights and expanding the circle of those impacted by ECD, we had to reflect internally, utilise several forms of applying the tool and experience firsthand how these play out, before connecting others in.
Highlights for me were:
Completing the `Know Yourself’ Handbook, a way of stopping and reflecting on where I’m at, where I want to be and what I need to do (and not do) to get there. This has become a regular reflection exercise for me, to do quarterly, to check in on whether I’m on track, whether it’s still relevant or needs updating, celebrating successes and recalibrating where required. Often as a business owner, or consultant, I work outwardly to those who I work with, never prioritising the time spent inward, to myself personally and to my business. Having a simple structure and a tool to help me do that so simply has been transformative for me.
A close cousin of this was the `Know Yourself in Change’ Handbook. 2023 saw a lot of changes happening in client businesses (often not planned or particularly positive ones), spending time using this framework, lead to me introducing it to a number of clients as we worked through supporting their changes. Supporting managers and leaders who were creating those changes and how they could be conscious through that process of what they needed their people to feel (and not feel), in order for that change to go well. Working through my own experience reminded me of not only what I need when going through change, but gave me a simple tool to help others create focus in a time that can feel overwhelming, unsettling and scary. This was a favourite for me.
My third favourite was the `Partnership’ Handbook. Being able to think about how we want or need to feel (and not feel) in a partnership of any sort, creates focus, open communication and clear intentions that, when considered at the outset and used to check in, are invaluable. I loved using this within my own business and see this has a great opportunity when setting up new client relationships or projects to make sure everyone gets what they need with intention and clarity. Reducing the likelihood of unmet expectations, resentment and frustration, from anyone involved. My own experience using this made setting commitments and goals easy flowing on from the other parts of the exercise.
In short, 2023 was one full of learning, new experiences, challenges and lots more, but as I set up for 2024, my commitments are:
What’s out in 2024
Family health concerns – I’m done with that, thanks!
Judgement and competition that are designed to bring others down.
Working without balance and self care, those periods will raise up but will not be sustained or become the norm.
Looking back more than looking forward. The rearview mirror should be in proportion to the windscreen.
What’s in for 2024
The continual rise of understanding and growing emotional intelligence by having more conversations about emotions.
Self care in all its forms, knowing when to listen and stop, and what serves us each best.
Honest, generous and non-judgemental conversations led with kindness.
Respectful disagreement and challenging traditional views to bring our work to a broader audience.
Unlocking more of that untapped potential in businesses by understanding how people are the point of difference; when they do well, business does well. The relationship should be mutally beneficial, not one over the other.
Follow our UPPO Linked In page to read the rest of our series on the ECD training and how it is going to inform our business and how we help you and your organisation in 2024.