Thank you and…

Thank you and

Thanks for reading these Quiet Disruptors posts. I am grateful and humbled that people across the globe are reading these daily.

It’s a privilege and a pleasure to write for you.

Did you know that this is post number 199? Not that I’ve been counting, but wise bloggers tell me that 200 is the magic number. A watershed.

Actually, the struggle has not been to sit down and craft these posts, at least not most of the time. But being prepared to write from a place of honest reality. Each day. Which is why, if you’re a regular reader, you may have experienced the swings…

So why am I sharing all this?

I’ve been preparing for the next 3.Talks – a TED-type event at Red Café, in the Mumbles. And I’m celebrating the ways in which I think quiet disruptors enrich our organisations and our lives. I’m also outlining the ways in which we can more intentionally find our voice and change the conversation.

Therefore, on the verge of the 200th blog post, I want to ask a question.

Where is this going?

Or more particularly what might I adjust and develop for Quiet Disruptors to be most helpful for you and others?

Currently, the daily posts and weekend reflections have become something of a quiet disruptor piece of wisdom. My voice from here. I hope it includes inspiration and provocation… And some practical tips. But it’s not essentially ‘how to be a quiet disruptor.’

In part that’s because there is no such thing as a quiet disruptor. Just people who are, or who are becoming, quiet disruptors. Using their voice and owning their way of being in a sometimes alien world.

Also, short daily posts aren’t the right format. My aim is for bite-sized, single thought pieces to read over a coffee.

However, I may be missing the mark here and want to know.

There are also other things I’ve been working on, which might contribute to this. So I’ve posted some questions toward the end of the post…

Find Your Voice

The work I’ve been developing on finding your voice is much more practical. I’m experimenting with seven dimensions, each of which has five facets (hey, this is my analytical mind at work!)

Whilst there is some sequential logic to them, I see each element as part of a ‘pick & mix’. Different people need different prompts to find their voice, and therefore some elements will be more relevant than others.

The seven dimensions of Finding Your Voice:

  1. Find your story – the core of who you are and what you want to say
  2. Find your courage – the inner resources to step out, otherwise, it just remains a nice idea
  3. Find your tone – it’s not just what you say, it’s the way you say it
  4. Find your rhythm – embrace the waves and cycles, this isn’t a straight line
  5. Find your space – almost as important as the air we breathe
  6. Find your tribe and friends – we were never meant to be alone
  7. Find your leadership – daring to lead, not waiting for others

Currently, these are being drafted into part three of my forthcoming book: Quiet Disruptors – Find Your Voice and Change the Conversation, a guidebook for and about the new thoughtful changemakers.

But would it be helpful to weave more of this into the posts?

Or what about workshops and even intensive retreats (here or elsewhere)? I am conscious that the issues we address in trying to find our voice – not the one we currently use, or what people expect to hear – often touches deep issues of personhood and identity. So it needs to be handled well and given safe space for exploration.

Quiet Disruptors Podcast

We are edging towards this.

Having got Steve’s new podcast – Alpaca Tribe – off the ground, we’ve learnt a lot, including through Seth Godin’s The Podcasting Fellowship. This week’s episode will be a conversation between me and Steve on using alpaca fibre, including reflections from Wonderwool – a national celebration of all things woolly – which I’m going to tomorrow.

My idea is a regular podcast talking with other quiet disruptors and learning from their stories as inspiration and encouragement. I already know that the wisdom and impact of quiet disruptors are awesome!

It’s only time and capacity that limits us going forward.

Conversations

Given the nature of my work over many years, I have developed particular expertise in designing and hosting conversations. From intimate 1:1’s, through to big events. The focus is never on simply sharing information – there are better ways to do that – but together to change how we see things so we can find better solutions.

I realise that the core of this is that I want to find a way to change the conversation. Period. That’s my particular brand of quiet disruption. And I get cross about the frequent waste of opportunities and talent because people play meetings, workshops and conferences the old, safe, linear way. What a waste.

So I would love to help you to change the conversation where you are.

Part of this is about finding your voice, but it’s also finding better ways of gathering people together. Whether that’s here, elsewhere or online.

I’d be interested in your thoughts and where you see the opportunities.

Questions

This is all about how to enable you to thrive, change the conversation and make a difference where you are.

So I would love to hear from you using the multiple choice options below. Just choose those you want to affirm or respond to.

Either hit reply if you are reading this as an email or email me directly (sue@quietdisruptors.com). You can be as honest as you want because only I will see it!

Blog future

a) Continue with quiet disruptor wisdom – my voice from here

b) Continue with quiet disruptor wisdom, but with more practical input

c) Shift to more practical, find your voice type input

d) Any other suggestions on the daily blog and weekend reflection

e) If the blogs are worth sharing, how can we help you do that more effectively?

Find Your Voice workshops

f) Would in-person, practical workshops be helpful?

g) Would an online program/community be helpful?

Podcast

h) What would make the podcast most valuable for you?

i) Would you like to be involved?

Conversations

j) How can we get out and have the conversations? Any suggestions?

Conclusion

Thank you for bearing with my questions today. I do appreciate those who already give me feedback.

And the picture?

It’s the first flush of bluebells up in the woods. The extraordinary thing about bluebells is that unless you are really up close, you don’t see them – except en masse at a distance, like a shimmering blue haze.

This year has been amazing for these lovely flowers. Even Storm Hannah hasn’t flattened them… But a dog or boot brushing too close – and their fragility shows.

Finally, I thought I’d leave you with a beautiful haiku shared by my quiet disruptor friend, Tracy Ingham, in response to last weeks thoughts on pausing:

Amongst all the noise,
you are there, a quiet voice
not speaking; the pause.

Bendithion – blessings

Thanks for reading

Sue

This week

Like the weather, the thought pieces this week reflect different states of being…