Lens Not Label
See things differently.
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Happy Friday, Reader!
It's been a great writing week. And that's resulted in a lot of new thought about models. What they are, and how they're all wrong.
This is actually a blessing. We don’t need 'em.
We are the models.
By existing and holding space, we become the model for behaviour and thought. Furthermore, our (neurodivergent) traits and the many ways we might express them models what is possible for others.
For example, through our stims, our not remembering, our looser conversational structure, we model such things as the value of embodied thought, our ability to stay present in the moment, and the freedom to explore different ways of doing things.
And when we dismiss these things as problems, weaknesses, or hindrances to our work, we model to others to view them this way, too.
The answer isn’t to reframe all our “weaknesses” as superpowers. That may send a different message, one of specialness or superiority, which may model something just as harmful as viewing these traits and behaviours negatively.
But we can work with these things, accept them, and integrate them as features of how we work. And by doing so, we model normalising being the way we are. To others and for ourselves.
So now that we're thinking about this, what might we try?
For leaders and managers:
In your conversations with colleagues, what do your behaviours, attitudes, and ways of being model to others?
For coaches:
How might you start putting less emphasis on the coaching models you were taught and bring more awareness to what you model in the room?
Now onto this week's book updates…
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