Yesterday I had another encounter with one of the people I wrote about in the Feedback Makes Me Angry post.
The person said that they still didn’t understand what I was trying to do with one of the initiatives that I’m leading. He asked if I could explain what it was, why we were doing it and what value it gave to him, our faculty and to the workforce that we serve. I have to admit that I couldn’t do it. Perhaps if I hadn’t been in the midst of an interrogation, I might have been able to blurt something out. But, these conversations can incapacitate my speech capabilities. 
…for a few minutes.
The real concern is that the person was having difficulty sharing the message with his leadership. So, he was a bit frustrated that I hadn’t clarified it for him so that he could clarify it for his leadership.
I was a bit annoyed because I had gone to such great efforts to create presentations, hold meetings, etc.
But, I did go home and create a draft executive summary. After all, I’m the Chief Nudger. I should be aware when people are trying to nudge me in the right direction. (-:
Inspiration for this draft came quickly. I even stayed home until my first meeting so I could focus. Was it perfect? Heavens no. Draft mode for sure. But, it was the act of putting it down that helped me start to clarify what the message was and how we could go about sharing it.
Tonight I have an even better draft and I think I’ll send it out to some co-workers for modifications and discussion. After all, I need them to understand the message so they can share it with their stakeholders and leaders.
Be grateful for those that have the courage to be honest with you. They help you more than you know.
In fact, some of the lessons learned in that environment are helping me clarify what I want to do with Nudge Village going forward.
Stay tuned!
