By Pamela Jett
I had the wonderful opportunity recently to take a much needed vacation. I went to two of the world's most amazing cities, London and Paris. During my time I soaked up art, architecture, cultural diversity, and plenty of pain au chocolate (in Paris, of course). One of the highlights of my time was a visit to the Rodin sculpture museum and garden. Housed in the garden is the original (there are numerous authentic copies worldwide) sculpture entitled "The Thinker". I've posted a picture for your reference. This is perhaps Rodin's most famous piece of work. While I have seen it before, I learned something new about "The Thinker" this time.
I, like most people, have always thought that "The Thinker" represented a man pondering the great questions of existence such as "what is the meaning of life?" What I learned was that contrary to my belief, the sculpture was intended to represent a man pondering more personal questions such as "what do I do now?" or "where do I go next?" These, more personal questions, also have universal appeal and are no less difficult to answer for the average individual.
As I was pondering this information and my own "ah ha" moment, I was struck by the environment in which Rodin created his masterpiece. He worked in a villa filled with his students and proteges. They lived and worked together, creating some of the most awe inspiring sculpture the world has ever known. This fertile environment allowed these creative minds to work together, feed off one another, support one another, and learn from one another.
What is the link between these two observations? It struck me that most professionals often ponder "what do I do now? or "what do I say now?" when managing or negotiating relationships via communication, particularly when we are planning difficult conversations or dealing with difficult people. Rodin created a fertile environment in which to learn and grow. What environment have you created for yourself to grow and learn? Do you have people in your life who serve as mentors or roles models that you can tap into when you need inspiration or a creative way to solve a communication dilemma? Do you have a library of resources that can help you craft a powerful communication approach or are you flying by the seat of your pants and trying to figure everything out on your own? Are you investing in yourself through workshops, audio programs, e-zines, attending meetings of your professional association or are you working on dealing with communication challenges all by yourself?
My challenge to readers is to assess your current creative environment. Explore educational opportunities in your field. Look for those who you admire professionally and cultivate a relationship with them. Surround yourself with resources so that if you are thinking about a communication challenge, you can tap into the knowledge and expertise of others.
If creating a fertile, creative environment helped Rodin to produce masterpieces (I also love the Burghers of Calais), think of of what powerful things creating a learning environment can do for you. Look for future blog posts where I will share my "must read" book list. If you have any resources that have been powerful for you, I would love to know about them. Send an e-mail to me at Pamela@JettCT.com .
Pamela Jett is a communication skills expert who believes that words matter. She works with organizations, associations and individuals who want to improve their communication skills for business and personal success. She can be reached toll free at 866.726.5388 or at her website http://www.jettct.com/ .
