I’m lucky. God gave me a gift. I learned what it was pretty early on – and I’ve had the good fortune to have a fun career doing I what I love. They are weird gifts, though. I’m good at outlining, and breaking seemingly complex concepts into simple parts and at feeling energy … of people, and of groups. The combination of those things brought me into instructional development, training, leading people and projects, and ultimately to helping organizations manage change. My topic, managing change, is not for everyone, but it is my niche, and it feels like it is an important topic for many right now.
I’ve always been curious about what it would be like to write a book, I like writing and have plenty to share, so I went for it! Honestly, the words came easily off my fingers, and I was blessed with talented editors who helped me make my writing better, and more concise. I was also blessed with a talented layout artist who supported my words with wonderful graphics and wrapped them in a brilliant cover! It’s my first book, and If even one person reads it, and incorporates a practice that has a positive influence on others, then my effort was worth it.
I chose ‘Symphony’ because it is a great metaphor for helping organizations manage change. A Symphony has a group of musicians, each with their own gifts and talents, they know what they’re going to play, they practice, they hone their skills, they have interspersed leaders that guide and coach – and they have a Conductor who helps to set direction and sway the collective energy. At the end of the performance, each person can measure their impact, and with each performance, they improve even more. The combination of all of these things often results in a magical flow.
Organizations can achieve this type of flow, too. I’ve seen it done many times over. I’ve also helped organizations get back on track when they’re not achieving the outcomes they envisioned. How we treat people matters, and as leaders of programs, projects, and people, I hope you’ll find a nugget or two in my book that you might add to your leadership toolkit, and I hope you'll share some of your thoughts and ideas, here, too.
Warmly,
Tricia