My 5 Guiding Principles for my workshops

It’s in person workshop season for me! And when I facilitate, I always have 5 Guiding Principles for our time together. An agreement, the ground rules, the overarching concepts to keep top of mind in our time together. They are:

 1- Labels are limits

When we label ourselves, we limit ourselves! Even though I teach Strengths & the Enneagram in my work which could be potentially become “labelly”, it is important to remember that we are emotional complex beings and the whole of who we are cannot be distilled down to simply a word or number. Don’t let your lens become a label.

2- You bring the meaning.

In my workshops, we often have conversations around things that we may want to judge as good or bad or shameful or challenging or whatever, so the reminder that we bring the meaning can be so helpful. Nothing is inherently good or bad, as tough as it is to see that sometimes. Events and outcomes are neutral, and we are the ones that bring the meaning to this space and our time together.

 3-Differences are advantages.

I always keep this bit of wisdom top of mind for my workshop participants. As we do the big work to build stronger self-awareness, it is important to constantly remind ourselves that we all see the world through a very different lens. We know intellectually but we need to be reminded of this emotionally because understanding that our reality is not the only reality is the core of true understanding and connection.

 4-Lean into Vulnerability

I always invite participants to lean into vulnerability because that is where the true power of connection happens. When someone is brave enough to show up as their true self, to lean into our shared humanity we actually release a hormone called oxytocin, the human bonding hormone, and we feel instantly closer to that person. Vulnerability is a superpower. I have seen this power make magic in my work time and time again.

 5-Lead with Positive Intent

My workshops are all about exploring and creating the very best versions of ourselves and the team. I don’t have to tell you that there is a great deal of negativity in our world. And it is very easy to fall in line with darkness and despair. And our brains innate bias towards the negative works against us. So, in my work, we battle together against that bias and look at the world through the lens of goodness, in ourselves, our team members and the world. Not from a toxic lens that ignores the darkness but one that strive to uplift and inspire and nudge each other towards the light.