Recently a good friend of mine said to me: “Changing things is f******g hard and that’s what you do for a living. Others could benefit from what you’ve done.”
For years I have been gathering insights from my work with organizations. Insights are noted and highlighted in my written notebooks and digitally stashed in iPhone notes, voice memos, and sometimes a picture or two. I have used the same Blueline NotePro Hardcover notebook for years. Black only of course. I have never thrown out a notebook! They are my artifacts of work.
This collection of insights captures lessons on my own developmental path. What has worked, what hasn’t, and why. What ideas I have for improving the situation next time and what I’ll be sure to repeat. Challenges I’ve faced and how I dealt with them. And creative ways to celebrate milestones or thank team members.
I’ve decided to dig up these notes and write some of them up. Not just to share them but as part of my own reflections as a change leader, project manager, and organizational and design anthropologist. Some of them are recent, others are years old, and the organizations and people will not be revealed. This reflection and writing allows me to reflect on the insights and synthesize the findings in new ways.
These are my metaphorical pebbles and rocks that I’ve been gathering throughout my career. The pebbles are the informative patterns, everyday stories, and ways of being while the rocks are the heavier, sacrosanct practices, and the deep-seated challenges that require intense inquiry and effort to move.
If you see a rock you recognize, or a pebble you want to examine, let’s chat.
Image: The image above is of a notebook gifted to me by a client. It was the perfect gift. I think she gets me 😊.
Natalie Muyres Consulting Inc. 