Book Review: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? By Seth Godin

We live in interesting times.

The internet, social media, the connection economy have shifted everything.

Old industrial based models in TV-advertising,newspapers, real estate listings, the record industry, etc, etc, are either dead or dying.

The fact that evidence of them still exists should only be taken as evidence that corpses can still walk around and talk. People, institutions, organizations and governments are attached to the past methods and means that were “tried and true” but are not so much now.

The idea that work (blue collar or white collar is unimportant) is value-less is dead as well. Millenials in a recent study, asserted that they would rather collect unemployment than do work that is unfulfilling. Baby Boomers with power, influence and dollars, hear this and wonder if the sky is falling. Gen-Xers (like myself) hear this and wonder why we didn’t have the guts to make that assertion back in the 90’s.

Our K-12 education system is broken and we’re not sure what can be done to solve what happens at home.

And the only things that the marketers with big data can come up with is how to effectively “mass-market” more to sell us stuff.

What is a person to do in the midst of all of this noise?

Author, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant and marketer, Seth Godin has a suggestion: Become indispensable. Become a linchpin.

Godin makes this evolutionary as well as revolutionary, argument in his book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensible?, published in it’s first edition in 2008.

From Linchpin: “If you are deliberately trying to create a future that feels safe, you will willfully ignore the future that is likely.”

Bureaucrats, whiners, fundamentalist zealots, all of the folks in these groups are nostalgic for a future that hasn’t happened yet, Godin argues, and the primary reason that they have difficulty in seeing and comprehending the future is that they are emotionally attached to an outcome and they are resistant to, and fearful of, change.

But, Godin argues, we as individuals, small business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and others who want to either make a living in the “new” economy or make the leap from “hobbyist” to professional, have but one choice:

To be absolutely artistic, absolutely remarkable and absolutely committed to performing the long-term emotional labor required to niche a product, approach and perspective to the smallest group of committed individuals who will honor the provider with trust, credibility and referrals and ultimately, cash for our emotional–and sometimes physical–labor.

As a small business owner, entrepreneur, consultant, teacher, trainer, mediator and peacemaker, I screamed at the book: “IF THIS IS SO GREAT WHY HAVEN’T MORE PEOPLE DONE IT ALREADY!!!”

The answer is simple: The lizard brain. The amygdala. The resistance.

Godin argues that the lizard brain, or the resistance, is the ancient evolutionary part of the human mind that seeks stasis, calm, and sameness.

When aroused or threatened, however, it reacts with fear, paranoia, anger, rejection, defensiveness and all the other range of negative human responses to external–and internal–stimuli.

Caiman Lizards, Not the GEICO Lizard

Thus schools encourage curriculum approaches that standardize children’s thinking.

Thus workplaces encourage human resource departments to standardize approaches to conflicts and friction, to avoid lawsuits and loss of money.

Thus governments make regulations that seek to remove all of the “rough-edges” from society and if they can’t be removed, then may seek to criminalize the rough edge.

Thus culture takes in what used to be outré and formalizes it, standardizes it, and welcomes it into the “mainstream.”

Godin argues that this happens below our radar and is so ingrained in our approach to economics, law, culture, government and other areas, that when disruptive technologies give rise and permission to perform disruptive creativity the results often scare us, astound us and then become dismissed.

How many times, both personally and professional have you heard, thought or said “I could never do that.” Or, “That’s fine for them, they’re in [blank industry], we’re special and unique over here and that won’t work for us.”

That’s the resistance.

Godin ultimately argues, even as he dedicates his book to the resistance, that fighting the resistance by being indispensable in a job, in a family, in a community, online or off, matters more NOW than at any other time in human history.

Becoming truly indispensable is no longer a privilege of the highly educated, the obscenely wealthy or the incredibly smart/talented.

Anyone can start a blog, curate a Twitter account, be interesting on Facebook.

Anyone can build a movement around a cause, build a brand around an idea or build a culture around reaching for the unusual rather than the mundane.

We here at HSCT believe that the future is coming. We are not attached to it, even as build for it. The heart of bringing peace through effective marketing, targeted artistry in conflict engagement and impassioned speaking and advocating, can shape a future where we are all Linchpins and no longer cogs.

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

http://www.amazon.com/Linchpin-Are-Indispensable-Seth-Godin/dp/1591843162/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover; Second Edition edition (January 26, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1591843162
ISBN-13: 978-1591843160

-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Training page on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Email HSCT questions or comments at: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com

Check out HSCT’s website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

Guest Blogger Larry Wolverton: We Can’t Take It With Us

We have had many guest bloggers in the last two months here on the HSCT Communication Blog.

Our first guest blogger, Larry Wolverton, Change Maker & Chief Connector at Top Tier Liaison & Conflict Resolution Services in Arizona, has returned to the friendly confines to provide us with another round of his wisdom and insights.

Top Tier focuses on developing communication around change in businesses and organizations through the use of analyses, methodology and a multidisciplinary approach to communication between employees and management.

Larry has multiple years of experience in education and with healthcare start-ups as well as international experience that he brings to the conflict engagement and communication table.

Connect with them through their website at https://www.toptiercommunicators.com/Home.html

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Working in hospice for the past several years has provided me with a new perspective about life. As we move from this world and our body is no longer functional we become aware that even as we are about to experience the greatest loss we can imagine, we also cannot take any of our possessions, friends, or family across that veil that separates the life we have known to that unknown world we are about to enter. So what is the most important thing we can create that will last beyond our own mortality? I feel, after hearing the stories I hear as people recount their lives and achievements, that all we can do is leave behind a legacy of caring, love, and a world a little more comfortable for our kids, grand-kids, and great grand-kids.

As I enter the twilight of my life and watch people die the age of my children, I know that it is important that the message be delivered now that no matter how old you are, life is short and that legacy can be created in a short time by learning to love the unlovable, care about the uncaring, and sharing with those who are too afraid to share. How can we do this? It is quite simple, live as if there is no tomorrow and only today counts.

So the question I ask myself every morning before my feet hit the floor is how can I make today the day I learn the secret to overcoming my personal shortcomings long enough to really understand those who I don’t understand now? The secret, I think now, is that we all have the same ability to hurt, react poorly, be selfish, and in the same life care more about another more than ourselves. Can we connect with the humanity in all of us, even when the surface impression is that a person doesn’t possess humanity? Only we can answer that question for ourselves, but it is a good question to ponder and consider as we move through our day, a day that counts.

It is important that what we leave behind is greater than ourselves, because we really can’t take it with us.

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Training page on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Email HSCT questions or comments at: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com

Check out HSCT’s website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

Guest Blogger Joe Coudriet: Combating Negative Communication, Part II

In the continuing effort to add the most value to your life that we possibly can here at Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT), we are bringing back Pastor Joe Coudriet of Southern Tier Family Life Church (STFLC) based out of Binghamton, NY.

This is the second part of his blog post (interrupted last week by our observations and reactions from volunteering in the OKC area) focusing on negative communication patterns.

And, as our national holiday of July 4th approaches, family, friends and others will be communicating, hopefully with positive communication patterns.

But if not, well…here’s Pastor Joe…

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Last time, I talked about facing the negative patterns of communication that effect our relationships by first being true to them; meaning owning them. It can be tough and it can hurt, but like the words of the song says, it can ‘hurt so good’ if we’ll deal with them straight up.

I want to move in the direction of replacing the negative with the positive but before we can we have to see what needs corrected.

How do we deal with anger and negative emotions.

First of all, anger is not a thing, it’s a feeling. Anger has no power in and of itself unless you bring action to it; to get ‘angry.’ Getting ‘angry’ can happen in our heads or manifest through our actions and when they do, we likely hurt ourselves and others. And, who wants that?

So, when you are feeling ‘anger’ or experiencing negative emotions, learn to do the following things:

1-Wait 3 minutes and do nothing. This can give the mind, and the spirit, time to kick in to bring clarity.

2-Link your desire to respond with a thought about what that ‘action’ would bring about (more anger, hurt to you or others) and,

3-Combat the thought, immediately or after the 3 minute wait, by speaking something positive; a blessing, an observation, whatever.

Just because you get angry, or experience negative emotions, doesn’t mean that you have to empower those feelings.

Face them, consider the consequences of acting on them and replace them.

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Check out the STLFC website at www.stflc.org and their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/STFLC?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser.

Or, if you’re in the Southern Tier Area on a Sunday morning from 10am-12pm, stop by the Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton, NY, and attend service.

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Trainingpage on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Email HSCT questions or comments at: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com

Check out HSCT’s website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

OKC Relief: 2013-Hard Labor, the Knowledge Economy and Christian Economics

“Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased. “ – Adam Smith

There is an epic change—a sea shift, if you will—occurring the economy of the United States and other Western economies. A combination of factors has caused this shift (governmental regulations, export/import laws, tax regulations, the rise of the internet, etc.) but in spite of what has caused it, individuals are experiencing the impact of this sea shift. And it’s not going to end anytime soon.

The first economy that is most acutely being left behind is the industrialized, farm and labor economy where someone performs hard labor for 8, 10, or 12 hours a day, goes home with their union negotiated pay in their pocket, and then collapses on the bed, only to rise again at 5am the next day to repeat the process. This is the economy of broken backs, wrinkled brows, workplace injuries and men and women who appear aged 65 at age 45.

The other economy that is being left behind is the human service economy. The economy of “Can I get fries with that?” and the economy of part time customer service that eventually moves to full time management. These economies are being replaced by automation, online servicing and other ways of providing the same thing for less. Part of this shift is being driven by governmental regulations and new laws. Part of this shift is being driven by the grand idea of a “no employment” economy that operates where there is no profit, no loss and really no jobs at all. See the thought leaders on LinkedIn for more about this concept.

With all of these shifts and changes, it’s easy for organizations and individuals to become defensive and retrench; sticking to thinking that the old ways will save us and practices that preserve the image of stability, encourage and sustain sclerotic growth and provide a measure of security at the expense of the scariness of growth and freedom.

The Face of Hard Labor

What I saw in Oklahoma convinced me that this last is the absolutely wrong approach to the future. And, as a conflict engagement consultant, I believe firmly that conflicts must be addressed with an eye toward the future and the preservation of relationships that may not yet even exist. With that in mind, three things occurred to me on the 24 hour+ bus ride back to the Binghamton area:

Neighborhoods Like this Aren’t Going to Clean Up Themselves

Hard labor will always exist. There will always be people who will have to build roads, lay concrete for housing foundations and stand on roofs, laying tar in the heat of a July day. However, the numbers of people overall performing this labor will decrease rather than increase and it is imperative that we train our very bright eyed and bushy tailed Millenial and post-Millenial generations the value of hard labor.

The value of this will be particularly acute when disaster strikes and old things are swept aside and new structures must be built.

The knowledge economy and gains we have seen in it must be applied more and more to the hard labor economy. Now, maybe this is already happening at a deep level that I am unaware of, but I wonder: Is there an app for calling every Bobcat in a local area when a disaster strikes and the people to operate them? Is there a way to instantly download the building plans to a first responders’ I-phone so that they know the right room to go to when rescuing folks? Again, maybe this is happening in larger metropolitan areas, but what about out in the boondocks? And which Millenial or post-Millenial computer whiz is going to develop this and take it glocal?

The economy of giving—of time, money, labor and other intangible resources—is currently being led by organizations that are either Christian or have a Christian founding, such as the Salvation Army. This creates a dichotomy whereby another economy is created, and that is a Christian economy. And as the overall society becomes more secularly focused, these Christian based organizations (sometimes partnering with secular organizations, such as the Red Cross, sometimes not) will gradually become more and more important in responding to disasters—environmental, financial and even economic.

I founded HSCT on the principle that there is a way to approach engaging with conflicts by applying Christian ethics to find long-term solutions for people and organizations.

The simplest ethic is one of Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You. This is known commonly as the Golden Rule.

Christians hopefully will take from the disaster in Oklahoma and apply this principle well and modeling the greatest ethic of all, which is simply to help others whenever and wherever the opportunity arises and by this demonstrate the depth and breadth of love.

-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Trainingpage on Facebook

Follow our Principal Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Check out the website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

OKC Relief: 2013-The Pictures

“Doulos. I am a servant.”-Abundant Life Christian Center

“I wasn’t a hero. But I served in the company of heroes.” –Richard Winters, Band of Brothers

In our professional capacity as peace builders, entrepreneurs and social media mavericks here at HSCT, we do our best to separate the “we” from the “I” in this blog. The “we” is talking about strategies in developing a peace building business or marketing strategies for conflict professionals. The “I” comes through in our weekly HIT pieces and sometimes even in our ‘tongue-in-cheek’ approach to writing.

However, occasionally the “we” and the “I” overlap and become just me, Jesan Sorrells.

And over the next week, I will be blogging my thoughts and conclusions that stemmed from the experience I had last week, traveling to Moore, Oklahoma and the surrounding area, getting –as I put it when I was asked by a fellow traveler—my “skin” in the game, such as it were, in the realm of disaster relief.

As you may or may not be aware, vicious tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma about 4 weeks ago and caused massive devastation, the likes of which have been seen before. But not up close and in the trenches. And, dare I say regular reader, not by you either. I went with a group of about 200 volunteers from Southern Tier Family Life Church (http://www.stflc.org) out of Binghamton, NY and Abundant Life Christian Center (http://www.alcclife.org/) out of Syracuse, NY.

We traveled over 24 hours to Oklahoma, bunked together, military style, and then waded into the 90 degree, dry heat, the still air, the broken rubble and even the broken sewer lines. Our group changed lives and worked so thoroughly that work was thrown at us that others didn’t want to do. We took nothing in return except our bonds with the people we helped, and the bonds we established with each other.

But, the internet is now a media medium of pictures, not words. So, check out the images below in this first post and be back tomorrow for my thoughts on what I learned by serving with a company of volunteer heroes.

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This was in a local neighborhood in Newalla, OK.

This was taken in Moore, OK.

The first tornado of three touched down here in a neighborhood in Moore.

This was taken in a neighborhood in Newalla, OK.

The first thing that all the volunteers did every morning was gather in the pavilion.

Yes, those are stains on my pants. No, it’s not what you think…

We bunked military style, six men to a row.

This is a photo of the opposite side of Moore, OK.

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Trainingpage on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Check out the website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

Guest Blogger Joe Coudriet: Combating Negative Communication

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”– George Bernard Shaw

This week’s Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) Guest Blogger, Pastor Joe Coudriet, along with his wife, Pastor Dawn Coudriet, is the minister of Southern Tier Family Life Church (STFLC), based out of Binghamton, New York. His blog posts this week and next will focus around combating negative communication patterns in your life.

The mission of STFLC (taken directly from the website) is as follows: “We desire to lead people into a real relationship with Jesus Christ as we glorify God, grow together and give to others.”

Meeting at the Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton, New York since the early months of 2011, STFLC has a strong background in service, growth and leadership.

Check out the STLFC website at www.stflc.org, follow Pastor Joe on Twitter at @joecoudriet,

and check out the STFLC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/STFLC?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser.

Or, if you’re in the Southern Tier Area on a Sunday morning from 10am-12pm, stop by the Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton, NY, and attend service.

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I always appreciate the opportunity to contribute to @Sorrells79 and the great work being done through HSCT.

As a pastor I am full of faith and trust in God’s word.

As a human I know that before God’s word can have full effect in a person’s life that they must first face the truth: The truth about their circumstances, the truths about the relationships they are in, and the truths about themselves.

Of course looking at the truth is Biblical as well and so I guess I never really stray far away from it because the truth, the Bible says, will set us free.

When confronting the negative patterns of communication that hinder our relationships we must first be true to them; meaning we need to own what’s coming out of our mouth and from our actions.

The good news, however, is that if we can begin to be truthful with ourselves we can be set free from the hindrances developed through our communication patterns and then faith can take root in our lives and give us the strength to follow through.

Next…how to face the truth.

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Trainingpage on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Check out the website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

Guest Blogger Joshua Munchow: Oh to be a Maker, Pt. II

“Who makes the world? Perhaps the world is not made. Perhaps nothing is made. Perhaps it simply is, has been, will always be there…a clock without a craftsman.”–Dr. Manhattan

In part one of our two part series, guest blogger Josh Munchow introduced ideas of struggle with the world, struggle with clients and their desires, and the limitations that applied design operates under in order to satisfy needs.

In part two, Josh goes deeper and explores some conclusions for us a consumers of his and the good folks at Formation Design’s, talents and skills.

Please take the time to read Josh’s words and perspective and follow him on Twitter @JoshuaMunchow.

By the way, we here at HSCT want to emphasize that Joshua’s words and perspective here in in part 2, reflect the views, policies or approach of Formation Design Group, Inc.

They are his own and we appreciate them.

Please take the time to contact Formation Design Group, Inc. for all your product development needs.

Formation Design Group

555 Dutch Valley Road

Atlanta GA 30324 U.S.A.

T 404.885.1301

F 404.885.1302

Web: Formationdesign.com/

Twitter: @FormationDG

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/formation-design-group-inc.

Core77: www.designdirectory.com/FormationDesignGroup

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The partners at Formation Design Group, where I work, are great at managing client expectations while giving it to them straight.

I realize that this, in my opinion, is the best way to solve any and all conflicts; speaking with pure and non-judgmental honesty.

Different people have different styles of discussing problems and searching for solutions. There are many people who have grown up in communities (like central Minnesota where I was raised) that utilize passive aggressive tendencies to deal with problems.

While this does ease the outward stress of a conflict, no one ever really knows what the other is thinking and it keeps people guarded and communication suffers. If people, including anybody reading this, can approach a conflict, miscommunication, or faulty expectation with honesty and humility, real progress can be made.

This is a learned response that I have been developing over time, approaching a problem with ONLY a vested interest in finding a solution and NO interest in simply being right. It just happens to be very tough when you made/designed/invented the solution that nobody likes.

The main reason that conflicts arise in the creative field is that egos are poked, qualifications are always being challenged, and money is at stake for a range of yet intangible things. The less vital an object or idea is to basic human life, the more opinions can tear apart an entire project. This is where my true passion enters this equation. I have every intention of pursuing my goal of specializing and plan on training to become a watchmaker.

By watchmaker, I mean that I will make mechanical watches from scratch, by hand, one at a time. So thinking about it, that industry (I have to admit) might have the toughest job when it comes to conflict simply because the need for the products just isn’t there. A luxury product that has been replaced by inexpensive technology must create a large amount of differing opinions all the way up to the top. To be a successful company in that industry, they must have learned to get everyone from the designers, engineers, managers, and marketing to agree to a common goal simply to sustain existence.

So I leave you with this; No matter what industry you work in, or whatever the reason for your conflict, you must remember that having to be right almost never settles a dispute and honesty will always get to the critical facts faster than sidestepping, defensive, passive aggressive behavior. I won’t claim to be an expert on the facts of conflict resolution, I am maker if you remember, and I will leave that to professionals.

I simply know what has worked for me and others in my profession and maybe it can work for others. It’s not too complicated, but also it’s not easy. Many people struggling with conflict resolution should meditate on this: If everything you ever did was wrong, then the opposite would have to be right. Don’t be afraid to be wrong, be overruled, or outvoted. Take satisfaction on finding a good solution, everything else is just gravy.

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Mediator/Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Trainingpage on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

Connect with HSCT on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Email HSCT questions or comments at: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com

Check out HSCT’s NEW website: http://hsconsultingandtrain.wix.com/hsct

Guest Blogger Joshua Munchow: Oh, to be a Maker, Part I

“The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking. The solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I would have become a watchmaker.” – Albert Einstein

The Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) guest blogger for this week, Joshua Munchow, is a professional model maker who has worked on a variety of fabulous projects for many years.

He is employed as the Technical Development Lead for Formation Design Group Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia.

They are a product development firm focusing on new product innovation and have won numerous design awards and patents for their innovative design solutions.

Josh is a trusted friend of Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) and his writing and perspective will be featured in this space this week as well as next week. Conflicts exist everywhere, even in the field of applied design and the fine arts, and Josh has a unique perspective based in international travel, a rapacious curiosity and a continuing desire to be the best.

Plus, he’s the only person that we’ve met in our travels around the country who is a passionate watchmaker.

Please take the time to read Josh’s words and perspective and follow him on Twitter @JoshuaMunchow. By the way, we here at HSCT want to emphasize that Joshua’s words and perspective either here in part 1 or next week in part 2, reflect the views, policies or approach of Formation Design Group, Inc. They are his own and we appreciate them.

Please take the time to contact Formation Design Group, Inc. for all your product development needs.

Formation Design Group

555 Dutch Valley Road

Atlanta GA 30324 U.S.A.

T 404.885.1301

F 404.885.1302

Web: Formationdesign.com/

Twitter: @FormationDG

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/formation-design-group-inc.

Core77: www.designdirectory.com/FormationDesignGroup

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I am a maker.

I am a creator of objects, a fabricator of ideas, and solution seeker.

When I say I am a maker, I don’t mean it in the current pop-culture sense.

I do not consider myself to be a part of the maker movement ideology.

I do not make things in my spare time, and it is not a hobby.

I graduated from college with a degree in modelmaking (read: learned to make anything you have to) and am currently working for a design and engineering consultancy as the shop manager and lead prototype developer. I make things for a living.

Making things in whatever regard sets you apart from a majority of other people simply because you look at problems differently. This is why when it comes to finances a CPA would view a problem with the deductions for a coffee shop much differently than me as it is their area of specialty.

For me, my entire life has been and will continue to be about making things and everything that goes with that. This inevitably leads to a problem.

When a majority of your skills are in an arena that many people don’t relate to, or as the designers I work with have to contend with, skills that seem superficially easy to a client wanting to make or save money, communication problems can arise.

With communication issues comes conflict for the entire creative process. We (the makers) need to earn a living and someone needs to have something made. Anyone who has ever been hired, contracted, commissioned, or lobbied to create something for another knows that the greatest struggle is trying to communicate the reality of how things work, what is possible and more often, how much things actually cost.

In my line of work, I utilize CNC machining, CAD/CAM drafting, and an array of other tools that make my job seem very cutting edge to those on the outside. But what many fail to realize is the extensive time and manpower that will inevitably be called upon in the development process.

Clients in this field have a tendency to want twice the work for half the price because they believe we can simply program the machine to do it. In the big picture, that can be an accurate generalization for some aspects of developing prototypes, but it falls short of a thorough understanding of what it can take to create something from an idea. CAD data needs to be created from quick sketches, parts need to be designed, programmed, fabricated, tested, revised, remade, and finally finished in a way that the idea can be communicated without any loss of clarity.

Most inspiring, however, the general knowledge of how things are made and the techniques used today are growing every day, but that growth can develop a misunderstanding. I blame this on short articles that appear in dozens of general interest magazines. For example, try picking up an issue of Popular Mechanics/Science without reading about 3D printers.

The general public and even those in the industry tend to read articles (aimed at an almost completely uninformed population) and derive the idea that making, designing, or manufacturing things is pretty easy now. And cheap. This leads to the biggest challenge with communication and conflict between clients and agencies: Describe the real world without sounding condescending to someone who might lack your depth of knowledge but is willing to pay you.

Then try doing that while also trying to convince them that your way of doing things is probably better too. There are many talented people who completely understand their business but might have never needed to know how their part would be injection molded and how much it should cost. This then becomes a truly difficult task and one that I have had to recently begin dealing with more as I become more involved with the entire development process.

Next week: Part II

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Mediator/Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

Follow the Human-Services-Consulting-and-Trainingpage on Facebook

Follow our Principle Consultant, Jesan Sorrells, on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79

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Email HSCT questions or comments at: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com

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[Guest Blogger] Sheila Sproule: How I Became Inspired

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”― Jane Goodall

The Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) guest blogger this week is Sheila M. Sproule.

A graduate of Fordham University School of Law, Sheila serves in multiple capacities in the pursuit of peace in New York State.

Most prominently, she is the current President of the Association for Conflict Resolution-Greater New York chapter (http://www.acrgny.org/). As the president, she works to outreach and advocate for the interests of professional mediators, academics involved in the field and fellow legal practitioners of ADR in the greater New York area. From the ACR-GNY website:

“The Association for Conflict Resolution Greater New York Chapter, Inc. (ACR-GNY) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and strengthening alternative dispute and conflict resolution, fostering the use of dialogue and contributing to professional development of the ADR field.”

In her professional life, Sheila works in the NYS Office of ADR and Court Improvement Programs as a Management Analyst. She is a tireless advocate of ADR processes and the ADR field overall and approaches her work with excitement, energy and an enthusiasm that is infectious and inspiring.

We here at Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) are proud to feature her writing here and heartily recommend joining ACR-GNY if you are a professional in the field of mediation anywhere in the Greater New York area.

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I became inspired to mediate in law school when I joined a mediation clinic out of curiosity.

It was a new concept to me — the idea that people could go to a third party neutral to assist them in resolving disputes — which is exactly the role I played when a group of us went in to small claims court each week to mediate cases.

It was eye-opening to realize that people were often motivated to sue each other because they wanted a chance to confront the person they felt wronged or disrespected by, and often never even spoke with until that day for the first time communicate since the incident. I found that money was not the only factor in every dispute mediated; but, rather everyone wanted to be heard.

As a former Adjunct in the same clinic years later, I learned how important it was for people to have their feelings validated by a neutral third person; someone that could reframe their situation to the other party in ways the other party could hear them.

These are just some of the values embedded in the dispute resolution field. As current President of ACR-GNY, it is my role to ensure that the public is made aware of all the options available to them when they are in conflict — from the early stages to the late stages.

Dispute resolution practices take many different forms, and our membership embodies all the possible options out there — mediation, arbitration, coaching, settlement conferencing, and facilitation.

Please visit our website and learn more: www.acrgny.org.

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-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA

Principal Mediator/Consultant

Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)

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[Infographic] CEOS and Employee Engagement

Hello!

If you are a small business owner in the Southern Tier of NY State, then the infographic below, courtesy of our friends at ADRtimes (http://networkedblogs.com/KAG0M) applies to you as well.

What CEOs Should Know About Employee Engagement infographicPlease consider HSCT for all of your employee engagement needs.-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA
Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant
Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)
Email HSCT: jsorrells@hsconsultingandtraining.com
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