“We Are”…Are You?
This past week I had the honor of speaking at the Annual Associates meeting for ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. Before I spoke I listened to the company’s executives. They started out by acknowledging and celebrating their agents’ unparalleled successes in 2014. They then went on to wow the crowd by introducing all of the cutting-edge innovations, technology, social media platforms, marking strategies and strategic alliances they would be implementing in 2015. It was clear that their purpose and intention is to empower their agents by providing them with the latest and greatest in tools, technology, and resources so that every person in their company can thrive and stay at the top of their industry and also provide first-class service to their customers. The presentation was awesome but what was truly exhilarating was being in the presence of a company that truly understands the power of being firmly entrenched in the collective. There is no question that ONE Sotheby’s operates from the perspective that the company’s success is based on the agent’s prosperity and the client’s satisfaction and delight. With a new campaign based on the philosophy of “We are,” they not only talk the talk but also exemplify through their actions and practices the impact and importance of standing in the collective consciousness.
Whether we realize it or not, we all are part of a collective. Whether it is as part of a couple, a family, a business, a group of friends, a community, or an organization, we are all part of something where “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” As such, we need to expand our awareness beyond our individual self and tap into the collective. We need to start thinking about how our thoughts, actions, and practices impact the whole. For any group of people to spiral up together, the individuals involved must embrace the concept of “collective responsibility.” Of course, collective responsibility starts with the individual. The level of responsibility we each take for our personal growth impacts the evolution of the whole. As such we always need to be looking at what we can do to continue being the best that we can be and stepping up to our next evolutionary edge, since it does impact the energy and potential of the whole. We need to take responsibility for our individual thoughts, words, and actions and our body, mind, and soul. Recognizing that we all are part of something bigger, we need to take responsibility for who we are being inside of the collective and how we are showing up. We need to constantly be asking ourselves questions like:
- How am I showing up as a spouse, partner, co-worker, friend, family or team member?
- Who am I being inside of the collective?
- Are my presence and the energy I bring adding to the well-being of others or diminishing it?
- If I were taking sole responsibility for the success of this group, what would I do differently?
We need to become present to the fact that being part of a collective is truly a sacred honor and trust, since on some level we are representing a history, a legacy, or a brand!
In our work we always say that in the:
I is Illness and We is Wellness!
Well I have come to realize that whether it be in business or family the saying can actually be expanded to say that in the:
I is Illness and We is Wellness and Wealth!
Transformational Action Steps
1. Make a list of all of the “collectives” you are a part of.
2. Dwell in the inquiry of:
- How are you showing up and who are you being as part of each of these collective entities?
- What is the impact (both “positive” or “negative”) that your presence has on each of these collective entities?
3. Take on what standing in “collective responsibility” means by identifying an action or practice that you can put in place that will positively impact one of your collectives.
