Have you tried the Daily 5 Minutes?
The Daily 5 Minutes is a new conversation you give to someone else as a gift – a listening gift from you. When you offer to “Take 5” with someone, and they’ve been let in on what that D5M invitation means, you are saying,
“For the next 5 minutes I am here to do absolutely nothing but listen to you, and respond to you if you would like me to. Within the next 5 minutes, there will be nothing in this world more important than my listening to whatever you might have on your mind: I want to hear from you, and I want to know more about what you are thinking about, wondering about, and feeling.”
It’s a beautiful thing.
The Daily 5 Minutes originated in my workplace laboratory nearly two decades ago, and since then it has proven to be wonderfully adaptable in a variety of different settings – including your school classrooms.
I’ll bet you can imagine why teachers love it so much.
For you to be a listener, someone else has to do the talking.
When you introduce the Daily 5 Minutes practice to your students, they have a role to play as the receivers of your gift: They have to agree to do the talking. I know how difficult that can be at times, getting them to do so. However once they get started with the D5M, they warm up to talking to you in an amazing way, for a circle of comfort is created between you.
If this is the first you have heard of the Daily 5 Minutes, take a look at this article I just posted on Talking Story earlier today: 5 Minutes/ 3 Values/ 9 MWA Questions Redux
Here is an excerpt on the “3 Values” part of it:
In the classes we personally present at Say Leadership Coaching, we teach the D5M in connection with three values, Ha‘aha‘a, Kākou and ‘Ike loa;
Ha‘aha‘a is the value of humility and thus it helps us to be open to what we can receive from others, being willing to have them connect with us, and affect us in a transformational way. Being humble is never lowly; it is accepting others from a place of strength and confidence in one’s self-esteem.
“Humble managers see with their ears.” Learn more about D5M-ing your Decisions: See with your ears. We managers don’t have all the answers; we find them. We also find stories.
Kākou is the value of inclusiveness and it promotes the “language of we.” Thus, we think of Kākou as the value of effective communication. When communication is Kākou, it connects everyone in an organization, so everyone is “in the know.” Think about it: Even Following is NOT a Passive Activity
‘Ike loa is the value of learning and knowledge, and in using the Daily 5 Minutes, you will get to know your staff exceptionally well while simultaneously improving both your listening skills and your relationship with them. You will discover the knowledge which resides in other people, and believe me, We Learn Best from Other People.
At the end of the article, you will see this announcement, and it may be something you decide to take advantage of as well: Do not delay, for the it is a free alpha and the registration will close promptly at midnight November 2nd in your timezone:
Ready, set, alpha! — Find out more about how the D5M habit-builder alpha works
Another Step Forward | Ruzuku is here. — Learn about Ruzuku (my alpha partner) and see some screen shots
