Welcome back to our ongoing conversation on MindSPACE and to one of our favorite parts, Accessibility. The “A” sits right in the center of our acronym: SPACE and is a grounding principle that opens the mind to real change.
As you remember, Part 1 of this series explored Shared Vision and the creative process of envisioning and building expansive and cohesive partnerships. Part 2 addressed Personality and the importance of each member’s unique contribution toward more inclusive levels of success.
To review: MindSPACE uses SPACE to stand for:
- Shared Vision
- Personality
- Accessibility
- Connection
- Emotion
Each of these components plays a vital part toward team building as well as setting and meeting goals. We have recommended that you designate a specific focus which could be a current work dynamic, a challenge, goal, or a hoped-for change. Then, assess the way things are right now using the colors green, yellow, and red. We have found that using three colors as a visual helps clearly communicate to the team the priority areas to address.
Green – Stands for Go: All is working well.
Yellow – Stands for Caution: Meaning, this area deserves renewed attention.
Red – Stands for Stop: There is a significant issue that needs to be resolved.
More specific instructions, a helpful checklist, and a printable MindSPACE performance profile can be found HERE to assist you in this process.
Now let’s move on to ACCESSIBILITY:
Ask yourself: Do you and your team have Access to the tools you need to thrive?
Start with a brainstorm (all ideas are welcome!): What tools would assist in higher performance and greater success? The way we define tools will look different between industries and also companies within the same industry. Even the Access each individual on our diverse teams will require will need to be taken into consideration. And don’t forget that tools aren’t limited to technology or physical objects. Tools can also include other areas such as training or professional development.
Tools may relate to:
- Talent acquisition
- Task management
- Social marketing
- Technology
- Project or performance management
- CRMs
- Financial
- Scheduling
- Artificial intelligence
Ask yourself: What else should be included?
Above all, Access includes the habits and culture of the company or team. Aspirational practices lead to ongoing learning which leads to gaining the information to not only “do the job” but to expand Shared Vision into inventive ideas and solutions. When a cycle of inspiration and stimulation becomes embedded, momentum takes hold and top talent is inspired.
This leads me to a Sept 10, 2023, article in the NY Times Magazine entitled “NOT U”, by Paul Tough. Tough’s piece spoke to a new era of questioning the relevance of college costs and the number of potential students choosing alternative avenues forward.
Through the years, traditionally accepted steps toward success and gainful employment have radically changed and promise to change more drastically over time. We see this as a great opportunity for teams and organizations to embrace MindSPACE as a tool for building expansive and divergent ways to imagine new solutions and to contemplate flexible behavior and purposeful growth.
Ask Yourself: What are you doing to inspire yourself and your team to embrace the cutting edge of information, technology, and innovation?
Today, the Access to electronic “accessories for the mind” is practically unlimited. We have increased Access to devices that help us see, hear, remember, relate, calculate, and connect at a dizzying rate. As powerful and wonderful as that Access can be, it is important to remember that the human mind is the terminal for the hub- not the equipment, software technology, or other tools. Imagining any device as the terminal might be compared to a railroad mentality. The place with the tracks, such as Grand Central Station, is called the terminal. But just as passengers continue their journey through the station, so is the capacity of the mind extended through whatever device is provided for the user of the technology or system. With the mind as the terminal and MindSPACE as the vehicle, the journey becomes more flexible, responsive, and creative.
Ask yourself: What are you looking to access in using the automation or process?
- Increased productivity?
- More or better ways to connect?
- Innovative solutions?
- More time, information, and communication capabilities?
- What else?
Knowing what you’re looking to Access will help ensure you are making the right choices.
If you plan to expand or amend your resources, make sure the tools will fit the task. Technologies that promise to save time might end up being more complex or labor-intensive than expected.
Likewise, it’s good to keep our resistance in check. We may avoid certain tools because we feel daunted or prefer our comfort zone. Being mindful of both the seductions of technology and our own resistances will build discernment and lead to better choices.
Whether you need to expand your access or your comfort zone, becoming aware of what tools, technologies, or development of human talent you need to increase performance and job satisfaction is the key.
To review: Expanding Access is a wide and varied project. Knowing your team and sharing a vision for reaching your goals invites all members to participate and take ownership in both the process and results.
Ask yourself:
- How effective is the Access you and your team have to resources, tools, equipment, ideas, and skill building?
- Is there a clearer, better, more efficient path to closing the gap between where you are and where you want to go?
- What is the quality and ease of Access to whatever is needed for more effective work?
- What is the best way to make wise choices for the best “accessories of the mind” to meet your goals?
It’s good to keep referring back to your initial focus area using the colors red, yellow and green: What’s working, what’s not, and what may be missing for you and your team as it relates to Access? To answer the question, “How are we doing?”, how can you better utilize A for Access as a grounding principle and as an ongoing point of reflection for your team?
Thanks for joining us on this rich MindSPACE road. Keep up the good work and be on the lookout for Part IV of our MindSPACE series. The next article will move to C: Connection. We will help you reflect on the Connection your people have to the people most useful and inspiring in helping them to flourish.
