David Franks and I were commissioned to help improve the cohesion and effectiveness of the senior management Transport Team of a large company. We offered a three-day programme. The truth was that David and I designed the first day in some detail and then flexed the work, depending on what arose. The team cottoned onto this and asked if they could sit in on our planning conversation, to see how we decided what the next steps should be. We trusted both them and ourselves. They claimed that sitting in proved to be the most productive and informative part of the programme. Once again, a context of trust allowed the truth of what was needed to emerge.
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David and I were working together again with the Chief Executives of a European packaging company. It was made up of companies from the UK, France, Holland, Germany and Italy. Such a variety of cultures needed a wide range of approaches to establish an effective method for reaching consensus on the veracity and validity of considerations to be used in making judgements.
The event lasted three days. On the third day we handed the programme back to the participants. We asked them to select an issue that had been on the Board agenda without a resolution. In response to the question they looked knowingly at each other and replied, “You bet! We have one that has been around for some months.”
After an hour or so we noticed that the Italian guy had not said anything. I asked if he had a resolution. He replied, “Of course,” but that he’d never been asked. His proposal was more than adequate and agreement was quickly established.
End of story? No way. The Dutch representative said that it couldn’t be right if it was reached so easily! It seems that for some the truth can only be reached after a lot of struggle and effort. The Italian view was that what was required was ease and elegance. He gets my vote. But ease and elegance is only reached after a lot of hard work. As Kabir said,
There is nothing but water in the holy pools.
I know. I have been swimming in them.
All the gods sculpted of wood or ivory can’t say a word.
I know, I have been crying out to them.
The Sacred Books of the East are nothing but words.
I looked through their covers one day sideways.
What Kabir talks of is only what he has lived through.
If you have not lived through something, it is not true.
